Hurt
Author: Trina M. Lee
Date: 2016-03-18 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Paranormal; Paranormal Romance
Description: Shaz is caught between his new wolf pack and the woman he's sworn to love forever. As a war brews between vampires and werewolves, Shaz tries to play peacemaker. That's easier said than done when Arys gets involved. But there's more to Shaz than meets the eye. He's about to find out just how much more.
Publisher: Smashwords

Alexa O’Brien Huntress Series

Book 1 – 4

By Trina M. Lee

Copyright 2013 by Trina M. Lee

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Editor

B. Leigh Hogan

Cover Artist

Michael Hart

Published by

Dark Mountain Books

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Book 1: Once Bitten

Book 2: The Wicked Kiss

Book 3: Only Vampires Cry Blood

Book 4: Blonde & Blue

Once Bitten

Alexa O’Brien Huntress Book One

By Trina M. Lee

Once Bitten

Copyright  2009 by Trina M. Lee

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Editor

B. Leigh Hogan

Cover Artist

Stella Price

Published by

Dark Mountain Books

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Chapter One

The taste of blood brought my wolf to the surface. I snarled up into the face of the vampire and braced for another blow. I welcomed it. The need for a good fight had my adrenaline pumping.

My bloody lip was quickly forgotten when the jackass grabbed me by the throat and banged my head against the ground. Light exploded behind my eyes. I brought an elbow up into his face before he could do it again. The crunch that followed was satisfying.

“You like to play, don’t you, wolf?” With a backhand, he knocked the stake from my grasp and I watched with dismay as it rolled across the parking lot.

I followed up with a kick that effectively threw him off me. In a leap I was on my feet, braced and ready for him. In my mind, he was already dead. It was just a matter of when I tired of this dance. At the moment I was enjoying myself. His psychic attributes were weak, almost non-existent. So he was a full on physical guy. A good brawl was just what I needed on a hot July night.

I liked to keep things fair. I’d let it stay physical unless he got me in a bad position. Knowing he slaughtered Edmonton’s homeless like they were cattle fed my eagerness for a nice, bloody beat down.

Patrick Morgan had been on my hit list for weeks. My partner, Jez St. Claire, had accompanied me on this hunt. I kept expecting her to jump in and help me out but she had yet to appear from her place in the shadows.

I rushed him, faking a punch but sweeping his legs out from beneath him with a kick instead. It didn’t keep him down longer than a split second. He recovered fast and came at me with fangs bared. As if he really believed he’d get a chance to use them.

Just before he hit me, I threw my weight forward and leaned down low, effectively tossing him over my shoulder. I leaped on him fast, straddling him as I rained down blow after blow.  I settled for dropping punches into his face. It wouldn’t kill him but hurting him sure felt good.

“How many hits in the face do you think you can take before there is nothing left to look at?” I sneered with a bitter laugh. “My arms aren’t even tired yet. I can go until sunrise.”

Twisting his body suddenly, he threw me off, following through with a few well placed hits. I was going to be a mess of bruises after this. The struggle for dominance ensued. We each fought to gain leverage over the other. It was starting to feel like a hair pulling, bitch slapping kind of fight. I needed to take it to the next level.

He managed to put some space between us and sprang to his feet. I followed suit, circling back to give myself room to feel out my next attack.

The wolf’s stamina and speed carried me when I came at him with claws ready. He moved swiftly and rather than take his head off, I merely scratched a few deep lines in his cheek.

Surprise glowed in his dark eyes. I must have caught him off guard on that one. Good. I lunged again but he was ready. He gave me a nice shove, one that lifted me off my feet. I hit the ground hard and rolled, getting back up. Glancing toward the stake, I made as if to move for it and the vampire stopped me with a well placed kick.

Taking a kick to the head stunned me. I fell to my knees, the stake just out of reach. I couldn’t go for it and defend myself at the same time. Not when I was seeing stars. I still had all my teeth though so it could have been worse.

He grabbed me from behind, choking me before I’d recovered from the blinding kick. The son of a bitch was strong. I gasped for breath. Now might be the time to pull a psychic attack on him. I flung a clawed hand back behind me, groping blindly for his face. I felt the soft, vulnerable area around his eye. Success.

The scream that tore from him when I stabbed a sharp claw into his eye was almost feminine. It would have been funny if things hadn’t just gone from feisty fun to death match. He released me immediately.

Blood poured down his face. His eye was a mangled mess. Rage rolled off him in giant waves. I never gave him the chance to recover. Lunging swiftly, I snatched the stake up and threw all of my weight at him. I hit him in the chest and we both went down. I called forth just enough power to help me hold him.

I still hadn’t mastered my abilities despite having been born with them. What had started as basic telekinesis and energy manipulation had evolved over time. Becoming a werewolf had done nothing to hinder my power. In some ways, it seemed to enhance it. As far as I knew, I was the only living werewolf to possess power so close to that of a vampire.

Patrick Morgan gave a loud, angry cry and fought hard to throw me off. “Fucking bitch! I’m not going to beg.”

“Good. It’s probably better if you don’t go out like a pussy.”

With a perfectly timed head butt, he regained the advantage. I was skidding across the pavement before I could block the next hit. My back slammed against a parked car, knocking the breath from me. I braced, expecting him to try to finish me off. But when I looked up, he was just a blur in the distance.

He ran? Coward.

“Jez!” I shouted. In an attempt to stop him, I threw an energy ball, striking him dead center in the back.

He went down hard. Jez was a blur of black as she moved with supernatural speed. Bursting forth from the shadows, she was on top of Morgan before he could recover. I don’t think he realized he’d been impaled until the hilt of her knife was pressed against the base of his throat.

Blood poured from the wound. Jez continued to wiggle and grind the blade. The vampire struggled to speak through crimson lips as blood flowed out of his mouth.

“Do you like that?” Jez growled into his face.

Her golden hair had fallen free of her hair clip, her brilliant green eyes were pure cat. Morgan just stared into those leopard eyes in horror. I guessed that he’d never encountered a werecat before. They weren’t nearly as common as werewolves.

She was the only naturally born shifter that I’d ever known and one of only two werecats. Almost all Weres, like me, are infected through bite or attack. Of course, that was only if they managed to survive, which wasn’t likely. I was a teenaged kid lucky enough to survive an attack. I was the only one in my family who did.

Growing in adulthood with a thirst for the hunt hadn’t been easy. The man, to whom I’d looked for guidance, had been too wrapped up in his own self-absorbed world to notice that I needed him. Raoul Roberts had taken me in when I was sixteen. He had come at a time when I desperately needed him. My mistake was staying too long. Despite earning rank of Alpha female among my local town pack, I’ve done my best to cut ties with my former Alpha.

The title of Alpha had earned me little, least of all respect. My status did little more than provide minimal dominance over new werewolves. We were people first, and the animal hierarchy only crossed so far into our human world.

A much needed change had come several years ago when I was approached by Veryl Armstrong, paranormal investigator and vampire extraordinaire. Veryl had asked how I felt about taking out one of my own kind, a werewolf who liked little girls. I would have done it for free.

I worked regularly with Veryl and developed friendships with others who frequently supplied him with their services, like Jez. It just made sense to have someone as ruthless as me at my back. Hesitators wouldn’t keep me alive while hunting rogues like Morgan.

The vampire stared into Jez like she was the angel of death who had come at last, and I realized that a part of him was enjoying this.

“You like this, don’t you, you sick son of a bitch?” Jez’s right hand gripped the knife, and her left sprouted five perfect, razor-sharp claws. Morgan made a series of grunts and gurgles, but nothing coherent came out. He reached up with a strong hand for her throat, and she drove those claws into his guts.

This was getting too messy. I moved in to help her pin the vampire.

Morgan fought hard now, struggling against us furiously. I guess the game had lost its appeal. He didn’t want to play anymore. Now it was a fight for his so-called life. With a sudden burst of desperation, he flung us both backwards.

He came at me then as he pulled the knife from his throat with a slick, wet sound. A sickening laugh bubbled out from around the gushing wound. I tapped the power nestled in my core, throwing everything I had at him. It was just enough to buy Jez a few much needed seconds.

Jez retrieved my forgotten stake and, with a mighty blow, slammed it into his heart. I let my power fall away and staggered with sudden weakness. I leaned against the nearest car and fought to catch my breath.

Patrick Morgan burst into dust and ash. His remains rained down around us. A grin danced along Jez’s ruby red lips. It was infectious. I couldn’t help but smile. I loved my job.

Chapter Two

The short highway trek between the city and my hometown of Stony Plain took all of seven minutes. My town was special. Though it boasted of big city luxuries, it had a level of safety the city could never claim.

The population reached about 20,000. The town was cozy enough that most families knew one another but not so cozy that a stranger seemed out of place. I was glad to call it home.

It was the perfect “grow old together” town. I no longer saw that kind of future for myself. My life didn’t allow for normalcy of the picket fence kind. Of course, I still felt love, in more ways than I could understand. Love remained a confusing and wonderful thing, one power that no one truly harnessed.

I drove up to a brick building that beckoned to patrons with a simple fluorescent sign that stated the establishment’s name, Lucy’s Lounge. What the place lacked in the way of décor, it made up for in smooth whiskey and fine rock n’ roll.

The walls were a drab grey. The carpet looked grubby, as if it had been filthy even as it came off the loom. In the center of the bar was a staircase that led to the second floor, which housed another bar and seating area. It was much smaller and less popular than the crowded downstairs.

Lucy’s Lounge was packed when Jez and I arrived. Nobody appeared to be in the mood for trouble making, but the night wasn’t over yet.

We moved through the crowded club, an assault of scents battered our sensitive noses. I could smell everything from someone’s jasmine perfume to somebody else’s two-day-old socks. I was glad the club had gone smoke free. My keen senses informed me that Arys was there. I’d know his icy energy anywhere.

Arys Knight sat at his favorite table near the bar with his human card-playing buddies. Despite his casual posture and eyes on his cards, I knew he was aware of my presence.

While Jez made her way to the bar, I headed for Arys’s table. He’d never let me avoid him.

“Alexa.” He said my name as if it were a fine dessert. He brought my hand to his lips in a dramatic gesture of greeting, and the power rose between us as it so often did.

The part of me that was spent hungered for his cool, undead energy. The other guys around the table laughed as if his grand greeting had been for their benefit, but I knew it was for mine.

“Hello, Arys. Having a good night?” I gestured to the hand of cards that he held.

“Always.” He flashed me the smile that he’d been perfecting for centuries, not even a hint of fang visible. He made it impossible not to smile back.

Arys came off as the cocky, egotistical type of man that I usually detest, but I knew there was more to him than that. He’d lived through things I could only read about and had known a world I would never know.

“Not making any trouble tonight, are you?” I asked as I glanced over my shoulder.  Jez was still waiting in line to order.

“Trouble? Me? You’ve got to be kidding.” He threw cards on the table and said, “Read them and weep boys.” He looked up at me and grinned.

His forever-youthful grin indicated that he couldn’t have been more than thirty or so when he was turned. The ladies loved him. With a smile like his, I couldn’t blame them. However, when he smiled just for me, the sight of those fangs in that beautifully human face sent a chill racing down my spine.

I’ve known more than one vampire who dressed like a Victorian movie vamp but not Arys. Piercings in his ears, nose and lip revealed his edgy nature. He was casual in faded blue jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his well-muscled chest in all of the right places. His eyes were a deep, drowning blue. His hair was slightly spiky and bedroom messy with just a hint of the early Elvis style. To say that I found him attractive would be putting it lightly. He was absolutely gorgeous.

I knew he was a ruthless killer behind that human mask, but thankfully, I wasn’t on the menu. At least, as far as I knew.

“So what brings you in? Weren’t you hunting tonight?” he asked, and I had to struggle to clear my head.

“Somewhat.” I allowed my gaze to wander around the room and observed the other patrons. “I just had something to take care of.”

When I looked back at Arys, he was watching me closely. Too closely.

“What?”

“Nothing. Just sensing you.”

This wasn’t anything new. Being a vampire, Arys had sensed the natural power in me the moment we first met.

“And, what is it that you're sensing?”

“You,” he repeated but this time he caught my hand firmly in his own and forced me to meet his midnight blue gaze. “You’re weakened.” I was glad the loud music prevented anyone from overhearing. I couldn’t help but be uncomfortably aware of his poker buddies watching us.

A small spark began in my hand, discernible only to those with the acute ability to feel energy. It flowed quickly up my arm and tickled as it went. Heat began in my palm as my power sought to draw him in. Against my control, it pulsed and began to grow as his power bonded with mine.

With a gentle push, I felt a surge shiver through me as Arys seemed to breathe energy into me through touch alone. He simply gave up that which I would never willingly take. I wanted to melt into the welcome sensation. Something about the vampire always made my power reach out for him. When the charge fell away, I was left tingling and craving more.

With a deep breath, I stepped back and pulled my hand away. Arys said nothing, but the look in his eyes said enough. I almost forgot we were in a public place. I shook my head to clear the haze that had developed.

“I should go keep Jez company in that line up,” I mumbled, trying to find a reason to walk away. My heart pounded as a dose of adrenaline hit me. “I’ll catch you later.”

“Not if I catch you first,” he replied.

I couldn’t deny the meaning behind the look he shot me. His eyes held hidden promises of greater desires. Arys made no secret of his infatuation. He had made no attempt to deny his interest nor had he blatantly pursued me. He’d simply made it my choice. I could feel the hot blush that spread across my cheeks when I turned to walk away.

I thought back to a time when my best friend Kylarai Kramer had asked me if I was curious about Arys, curious about what it would be like with him and all of the power that went with him. Hell yes, I was curious. I was a living, breathing woman after all.

I was also realistic and cautious. I didn’t want to jump in bed with the vampire just because it was the easiest way to see what we could do metaphysically. Energy just needed to be charged, it didn’t have to be tantric. Arys gave our power exchange that flavor, and honestly, it freaked me out.

“That one has it bad,” Jez said when I joined her at the bar. I carefully ignored the people behind her who thought I was cutting the line.

“What?”

“The smoking hot vampire,” she nodded slightly in Arys’s direction. “I can practically smell the lust from here.”

“Shut up.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’m sure he has more than his fair share.”

She just shrugged and overlooked my remark. “Do you want me to order you a drink? How are you feeling?”

“Thanks to Arys, I feel great. I’ll take a whiskey. Just one though.” I wasn’t a big drinker, but I enjoyed the occasional cold one. Shifters process alcohol twice as fast as humans, so one drink would do virtually nothing to me.

“Energy games with the vampire, huh? Well, whatever works.”

I didn’t respond. She wouldn’t understand, and I couldn’t begin to explain it to her in the noisy bar. When it came to the rush and tingle of metaphysical power, some things cannot easily be described.

When we stepped up to the bar, Shaz Richardson flashed me a smile almost as white as his naturally platinum blond hair. He had joined our small town pack as a newly turned and naïve eighteen-year-old after meeting Raoul by chance. He’s since graduated to a twenty-three year old with a great loss of innocence and a new, in-depth awareness of what really goes bump in the night. My friendship with him was a special one. I trusted nobody else the way I trusted Shaz. He was my other half in so many ways.

“Hey ladies.” He greeted us with a smile that appeared to have never known a frown. “What can I get for you? The usual?”

“Make mine a double,” Jez quipped.

“I thought you guys were hunting tonight. That didn’t take long.” Shaz turned to grab a new whiskey bottle from the liquor shelf behind him and something bright red for Jez’s fruity drink.

“No. Jez wanted to play cat and mouse with our target for awhile, but once he saw her kitty cat eyes, he changed his mind,” I said and fished some cash from my bag. Jez waved it off as she produced enough to cover both drinks and a nice tip for Shaz.

“I would, too,” he joked as he poured our drinks. His jade green eyes flashed bright in the bar light overhead as he met my gaze. “So, when are we doing breakfast?”

Once, Shaz and I had a routine of going for breakfast every morning. Since I’d started working independently for Veryl, I couldn’t recall the last time I was actually awake during breakfast hours.

“Let’s make it dinner. Why don’t you come by the house one night this week?”

“Are you cooking?” He raised an eyebrow at me skeptically.

“No, I wouldn’t do that to you. We can order in or go out. Maybe Kylarai will want to come.” Kylarai and I share a house on the west side of town. It backs onto a farmer’s field with a tree line of forest only a short run away. It’s a perfect location for wolves.

“Sounds good to me.” He pressed my drink into my hand, and the barest touch of his fingers against mine made the wolf inside me raise its head in recognition. For the briefest moment, our two wolves shared a wet nosed greeting. A longing deep down inside me sought the scent of the forest and the exertion of a good run on all fours.

We’d just left the bar and begun looking for a place to sit near the pool tables, when a few guys sitting nearby beckoned us over. When we ignored them, the ringleader of the three got up and approached us.

“What do you want?” Jez snapped. If he had known that she’d been knuckle deep inside somebody’s spleen tonight, I doubt he would have tried.

“Take it easy, girl. I was just going to ask if you wanted to join us. We have some extra chairs at our table.” He shifted his body in a lame attempt to flex his muscles. I could only imagine how many times he would try this in a night.

“No, thanks,” I said. “We’re fine.”

Jez shot me this look that said she didn’t understand why I bothered trying to be polite. There were a few reasons; one of them was that a bar fight would bring cops, which I didn’t need.

“Come on, ladies. I’ll buy you a drink.” He looked at us expectantly, almost eagerly. Did he not realize that Jez was shooting daggers at him with her eyes?

“Save us the song and dance. You’re wasting your breath here.” I met his eyes when I said it so he’d see that I was serious. However, like most guys his age that are in a bar looking for women, he chose to disregard the fact that we were really not interested.

“Well, you don’t have to be such a bitch about it.” The minute the words left his lips, the energy level surrounding us tightened with the tension. I was suddenly very aware of Arys’s eyes on us from across the room.

“What did you say?” Jez’s tone was frighteningly similar to the one she’d used with Morgan.

“You heard what I said. I’d think you would have been flattered.” His conceited words made me suck in my breath. If only he knew what he was dealing with.

Coolly eyeing the redheaded chick cuddled up with his buddy, she said, “I’ll take her over all of you chumps in a heartbeat.”

Before he could open his mouth again, there was a faintly cool breeze behind me as I felt Arys’s approach. The young man’s egotistical demeanor melted away.

“Is this guy making trouble for you, ladies?” The vampire’s voice was low and velvety.

“No, Arys. It’s fine.” I said. “He was just walking away.” I gave Arys an irritated look that he chose to ignore. I didn’t need him coming to my aid. Not this again.

He said nothing, but I knew he'd heard me even if he wanted to pretend he didn't. He'd already gotten into a brawl here with a man who'd been dumb enough to drunkenly grab at me a few months back. That man hadn’t been seen here since. Suspicious. I wasn’t planning to make a habit of letting Arys save the damsel in distress.

“It isn’t in my nature to allow a lady to be threatened.” Arys looked directly at the guy who lifted his hands in surrender and quickly returned to his table.

“I'm not threatened, and nobody is threatening.” My voice was flat. I meant it. I hate being treated as a weak female. I might be five foot one and counting, but that doesn't mean shit when it comes to what really makes you tough.

Arys stared down at me for a long moment before giving me a curt nod. Things were different with him than with most people. He was neither wolf nor human, the two things I knew best, and I found these situations uneasy. We were left to stare at one another like two dogs unsure of whether to wag tails or tear each other apart.

“Oh, come on you two, give it a rest. Alexa, you’re so damn stubborn.” Jez shook her head at me and took a long swallow from her glass while I wondered who the hell she was to talk. “What’s wrong with allowing a man to defend your honor once in a while?”

I had no response to that. Hesitantly, I reached out a hand but didn’t quite touch Arys’s bare forearm. His aura was warm, and I could feel his power beneath my fingertips. He blinked dark ocean eyes at me, and I almost expected some kind of displeasure in his expression.  Instead, his gaze remained calm and cool.

After a moment, he chuckled and said, “Damn Alexa, you should have been a vampire.”

I wasn’t sure if that was an insult or a compliment. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

As the words left my lips, my cell phone rang. A glance at the caller I.D. revealed it was Raoul. What could he possibly want?

He knew damn well that I had nothing to say to him. I debated whether or not to answer, but it gave me an excuse to momentarily avoid the awkward tension of the situation at hand.

“What do you want?” I growled into the slim silver phone.

“A ride, actually. If you don’t mind coming down to the police station.” The strain in Raoul’s voice was evident. His wolf was clearly pressing the boundaries of his control.

Arys watched me silently while Jez’s eyes were all questions, all curious cat. I suddenly needed some fresh air.

Chapter Three

Stony Plain only has one police precinct. Just my luck, it was on the same side of town as Lucy’s Lounge.  I took my sweet time getting over to the cop shop. My heart was pounding before I’d even left the Lucy’s parking lot.

I wasn’t fond of dealing with either Raoul or the cops. Even when I wasn’t doing a damn thing wrong, I felt like they were picking me apart, searching for something to pin on me. That went equally for the police and my former Alpha.

The Stony Plain precinct was relatively small. It didn’t have much in the way of imprisonment other than a few holding cells. This wasn’t a high crime town. Vandalism and theft was the worst of what we see here, another reason the little town was home. Chances were good that, whatever pathetic little cell they had Raoul in, it had seen more drunk-tank guests than true criminals.

I parked a block away and used the extra walking distance to gain a few added minutes to gather myself. The air smelled faintly of rain, a shower before morning. A red flag waved in my brain, and I questioned if I’d been dumb enough to leave the sunroof open on the car. I considered turning back to double check, but I knew I was just avoiding the awkward moment. I just needed to get this errand over.

I couldn’t imagine what Raoul had done to get arrested. Though, if I had to take a guess, I’d angle toward tax fraud or some kind of international embezzlement. With his love for money and toys, a financial crime seemed most likely.

Of course, he didn’t need money. After fifteen years in real estate, he surpassed the million dollar net margin easily though I didn’t know to what extent. So, I could only wonder what he’d been up to and why he’d called me to pick up his sorry ass.

We’d always had this one-sided relationship. He couldn’t be counted on for a damn thing while I’d constantly been left to pick up the slack. Yet another of the many reasons that I’d packed up years ago and moved across town.

To be fair, it’s not that Raoul is all bad. He took in both Shaz and I. He gave us a pack, a sense of belonging. The seventeen year age difference between Raoul and I cast him in the illusive glow of a leader that I could look to for guidance. By the time I moved out of his house, I had learned more about sex and bloodshed than living with my dual nature. Raoul was a manipulative player, and I couldn’t take anymore of his bull.

I’d come to a point where I had to assume there was more to being a werewolf than I’d ever learn from Raoul. Of course, I was right. While he counted daily earnings and bedded multiple partners, I ran through the forest on four legs with the moon pulsing in my veins.

It was impossible to avoid someone completely in a town this size, but I’d done a pretty good job so far. The last time he’d bothered me was a few months earlier when he had asked me to run with him. I ran as wolf in the forest behind my house several times throughout the week. Knowing what he really meant, I had promptly told him to get acquainted with his hand.

I squinted in the harsh light as I stepped from the shadows to the cornea-bursting, fluorescent lighting. The first door led me into a very small hallway with a locked security door at the other end. Beyond that was the receptionist behind yet another layer of bulletproof glass.

A bright red, arrow-shaped sign clearly pointed out the button that I should push in order to ask for admittance. The woman eyed me from behind the safety glass. Despite having already noticed me, she waited to acknowledge me.

I rolled my eyes and tried to resist a glance down at my casual jeans and tank top attire. They weren’t even dirty after the struggle with the vampire. I didn’t think I looked like a hooligan, but the sharp once over she gave me led me to wonder. Well, my tank top did read, “This is so not my eyes,” across my chest in big red letters.

What did she know? I thought smugly as I drew myself up to my full height plus the four-inch boot heels. I fixed her with a direct stare as I jabbed a finger at the button. There, I pressed it. Now let me in! I wasn’t about to be intimidated by some old lady behind a desk.

After an unnecessarily long moment of consideration, she gave in and pressed the door release. Great, now I had to talk to her.

The station was even smaller inside than I expected. I entered a small room and the heavy door slammed shut behind me. The lock clicked, and I realized that one must be let out manually as well. Nice.

I didn’t hesitate in approaching the woman, who glowered at me as if I’d eaten her Grandma. I pulled my driver’s license from my wallet and slid it through the small hole in the window. I just assumed she’d request it.

“My name is Alexa O’Brien.” I gestured to my I.D. card lying between us. I’d always thought that photo looked like a mug shot. “I’m here to pick up Raoul Roberts.”

She cast a glance at my identification and shrugged as she picked it up. “Just a moment.” With another suspicious glance, she’d moved down a hall to the right, beyond my view.

The quiet was deafening. I tapped my nails on the counter to break the silence, and then I chewed on a pinky nail in annoyance. This had better be good, I thought. If Raoul called me here over something stupid like a DUI, I was going to break his nose. If anything, he probably deserved to stay locked up.

The energy shifted, and I sensed their approach before the big man in uniform appeared from the hall. The incredibly depressing receptionist followed and twirled a strand of greying hair between her fingers. She still clutched my I.D. between her fingers, and I extended a hand to indicate that I wanted it.

Her gaze went first to the officer, who stood a full head taller than either of us was. At his nod, she dropped it within my reach.

“Ms. O’Brien, hello. I’m Constable Avery.” He moved immediately to open the high security door and ushered me into the station.

Constable Avery was in his early fifties or so. He had a fit football player’s build that had softened only slightly with time. His hair was cropped short, and his moustache was more grey than brown. Despite the gun at his hip, his crystal blue eyes were serious but friendly.

“Pleased to meet you.” I accepted his offered hand. He judged my handshake as flimsy, but, if I’d been there to out strength him, I could have crushed his fingers with minimal effort.

“And you are Mr. Roberts’s…?” The question hung between us, which left me to fill in the blank.

“Colleague.” The word just popped out. The last thing I wanted was for anyone to assume more than that. “I’m a close friend and colleague.”

“Alright.” He gave me a quick once over and decided that I wasn’t much of a threat. “Why don’t you come on back while I finish up with some paperwork?”

His quick dismissal ticked me off, but I knew it wasn’t personal. If he’d known that I could gut him with my fingers alone, I doubt he would have been so willing to turn his back on me.

I followed him past a series of rooms until they gave way to offices. The majority were empty at this time of night, save one. A uniformed officer spoke loudly into the phone, oblivious to our passing.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass, Jim!” Her voice dropped in pitch when she said, “If you blow this case for me, I’ll bust your balls from here to Timbuktu.”

I smirked but resisted the urge to laugh. A lady needed special skills to work in an industry like law enforcement.

The last two doors were heavy iron with a safety glass window. Inside, Raoul sat at a small table, alone in the windowless room. He clutched a Styrofoam cup of coffee, but he didn’t show much interest in it. He just stared straight ahead and drummed his fingers on the tabletop, while he whistled a jaunty tune. To me, this attempt at keeping his cool revealed exactly how close he was to turning wolf on these people and tearing a few faces off.

I did not hide my smirk when Constable Avery turned a key in the lock and swung the door open. I had a good mind to go in there clucking away like a distraught wife, just to embarrass him further.

His expression clearly stated that he was more than ready to leave. I noted how his first response was to glare at me, then Constable Avery.

I raised a questioning eyebrow and rested one hand on my hip. I stopped just inside the doorway. Coal black eyes fixed on me, Raoul raised the corner of his top lip in the hint of a snarl.

For someone who wanted my help, he sure wasn’t doing a good job of making me feel especially giving. This was a complete joke.

Black hair hung long around Raoul’s face. He’d gotten a trendy cut since I’d seen him last. It now rested just above his shoulders rather than well below. He looked damn good, as much as I hated to think so. His wide shoulders were squared, and he looked tightly wound, as if braced for trouble. He wore his usual dark suit, Armani or something equally pricey. My senses thrilled at his heady wolf scent mixed with aftershave.

A frown creased my brow. Why had I even agreed to come here? Was there really nobody else he could call for this? I’d bet my money that he had several women who would be more than willing to waste their time with this crap. Why me?

Avery lingered near the door as if awaiting my cue for him to leave us.

“Is he being charged with anything?” I asked outright. It earned me a grimace from Avery and a death glare from Raoul.

“No, not at the moment.” Avery crossed his arms over his massive chest and looked down at me from his six-foot-plus frame.

“Then may we have a moment alone?” I followed up with a quick smile.

His eyes darted between Raoul and me as if weighing the odds of it being a bad idea. “I’ll be right across the hall.”

I knew he granted us the illusion of privacy, but it worked fine for me. I wasn’t the one sitting in the hot seat.

“You want to tell me what I’m doing here at this hour of night?” I said when Avery left. “What did you do? Sell someone a shit shack and convince them it was a castle?”

“You’re not funny, Alexa.” He sat back in his chair and crossed one leg smoothly over the other.  Raoul looked no less masculine for it.  He made a show of fussing with the crease in his pants to avoid meeting my eyes.

“I’m waiting.” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot in an exaggerated display of impatience.

“Julie Price was murdered last night. I was taken in as a suspect due to my previous relationship with her.” He cleared his throat and dared me to make assumptions.

“And? If they’re letting you out, then obviously, you got away with it.” My lips quirked, but I maintained a straight face.

The look he shot me was absolutely murderous. Risking a glance at the open door, he growled. It was so low that it reached only my sensitive ears. My defenses kicked into overdrive, my instincts instantly went on full alert.

Ok, maybe I shouldn’t have said that with a cop within earshot, but Raoul needed to know I wasn’t at his beck and call. I hadn’t been that girl for a long time.

Julie Price, I’d heard the name once or twice before. She had worked for the same real estate company as Raoul. The two became lovers, as was the usual for a guy like him, but it had ended some time last year. If I recalled correctly, they’d broken it off when her husband discovered the affair. That had been months ago.

“Alright,” I sighed and shuffled my feet.  I refused to take the empty seat across from him. “Give me the low down.”

The look he shot at me oozed venom. “I didn’t do it.” He spoke through clenched teeth. “As of right now, I’m being released simply because they can’t prove it was me. But, considering they can’t verify my alibi, I’m still under scrutiny.”

“Why can’t they verify your alibi?” I had a few of my own sneaking suspicions why, but I wanted to hear it from him.

He glanced across the hall through the open door, cleared his throat and picked away at the edge of his coffee cup. “I was with Belle.”

Well, that explained it, alright. Belle Listand was nothing but trouble. A mid-thirties werewolf with a fondness for sins of the flesh, she was on my list of least favorite people. Her elderly husband had been ailing for more than a year now. Since he had no living offspring and a whole lot of money in oil, she went to great lengths to keep him in the dark about her many affairs. The old guy had no clue, neither that she spent her nights with other men, rather than in her grand rooms on his sprawling estate, nor that she occasionally ran on four legs and howled at the moon.

If Raoul had no alibi because he’d been with Belle, then that meant she had refused to risk her husband finding out that she was a no good tramp. And, she most definitely was the type to allow someone else to sit in prison because she had a secret to hide.

“So, she left you in the lurch huh? That shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

“It doesn’t.” He got to his feet in one smooth motion, which brought Avery back with the sound of jingling keys.

“I’ve got some papers for you to sign. Then you’ll be free to go.” He handed a pen to Raoul.

He made eye contact with each of us in turn, and I had to admire his demeanor. Though he may not have consciously realized it, he was holding his body in a slightly defensive stance. Some humans sensed our unnatural vibe.

Though I didn’t want to get into the close confines of a car with Raoul, the faster we left, the sooner I could drop him off and be rid of him. As I led the way to my car, Raoul made a point of keeping in step beside me rather than behind. I couldn’t believe how pathetically fragile his ego was. I shook my head but said nothing.

“Thank you, Alexa.” Taking a gamble, he laid a warm hand softly on my shoulder. I fought the urge to actively shrug it off. “I really appreciate your time. I mean it.”

Now that he was touching me, I wished that I hadn’t come. “So where am I taking you? Is your car at home?” I tried for nonchalance but failed miserably when the awkwardness never ceased. Uncomfortable and annoyed, I eased away from his touch.

“Yeah, home would be nice. I can take a cab to my car tomorrow. It’s in the city, at the office.”

So, they’d arrested him at work. Ouch. That one had to hurt. I didn’t even have a scathing remark for that. Shame on me.

As we approached the Charger, I pressed the remote unlock. The lights flooded us in a sudden spotlight.

“When did you get the new car?” Raoul gave it an appraising once over but paused when he caught sight of my scowl. “It’s not a new car?”

“You asked me that six months ago. I’ve had the damn thing for more than a year. Do you ever pay attention to anyone or anything outside of your personal bubble?” It came out fast, before I’d realized it. “Forget it.”

Almost anxiously, Raoul reached for the passenger door handle. I knew he wanted to say something, most likely a bullshit apology, which I did not want to hear.

I started the engine and rushed to turn the volume down when the Hair Nation station on satellite radio blasted at us.

“Cinderella,” Raoul commented as he did a quick survey of the roomy interior. “Good band in their time.”

With the car in gear, I risked a glance in his direction. Our sudden close confines didn’t sit well with me. A funny smile played along his perfectly shaped lips. I think it had something to do with the Cinderella song, a nostalgia of sorts.

“I didn’t listen to them much myself.” Driving was a good, valid excuse not to have to look directly at him. “I was always more of a Motley Crue kind of girl.”

“Nice.”

Silence fell, and with it, the tension grew thick enough to dance on. Just great. The ten minute drive to Raoul’s house was going to feel like an eternity. I messed around with the air conditioner settings when we came to a red light. I’d take any excuse to focus my attention on something other than useless small talk.

The light turned green, and I pulled onto a nearly empty street. One lone car sped past going in the opposite direction.

“I didn’t murder Julie.” He spoke so fast that I almost didn’t catch the words. His stiff posture looked uncomfortable, and I knew it couldn’t possibly be because of my super comfy seats.

“Um, ok.” Another glance at him revealed both fists clenched tightly on his lap. There was a desperation in his energy that picked at my senses.

“I think someone’s trying to set me up. Probably that good for nothing husband of hers.”

I didn’t need to look to know that he was staring at me, gauging my reaction. Ever the careful driver, I focused on nothing but the road ahead.

“Well, no offense, Raoul, but perhaps you should make a habit of seeing single women.” I shrugged a shoulder to emphasize the casual tone that I forced.

As we approached the train tracks, the red lights began to blink, and I hit the gas hard. I was not letting myself get trapped with him any longer than necessary. Railway tracks successfully bisect the town at three different points. If we got stuck on one side due to a slow moving train, there wasn’t much I could do but wait. By the time I reached the crossing outside of town, I would have spent an extra ten minutes getting there.

The engine gave a mighty rev as we shot over the crossing well before the arms came down. Raoul’s right hand gripped the door handle hard enough to turn his knuckles white. I was keenly aware of the sudden acceleration of his pulse.

He squirmed in his seat, clearly attempting to brush off the split second of fear. “Single women have too many hang ups. It’s never just sex with them.”

The tiny hairs on the back of my neck bristled, and a small fantasy played out in my head in which I throttled him with my bare hands. “God, do you have to be so callous? What’s wrong with wanting more than only to be another nameless number on a list?”

He cast me a look that clearly said I just didn’t get it. My temper began to rise, but I reined it in. In just a few more minutes, he would be gone.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” His ebony locks moved as he chuckled. “You always were the emotional type.”

That had been a direct hit. “Which explains why you were getting acquainted with the booking process rather than me.”

Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to do this just one night before the three days of the moon began. The day before, the day of and the day after the full moon is a highly powerful time. Animal urges and instincts are at their strongest and many are unable to deny the call of the wolf. Of course, most of us learned to control it. The moon doesn’t really have every shifter taking multiple partners or turning into a raging wolf in the grocery store checkout line.

Raoul watched me with eyes so dark they were nearly black. He was trying to unnerve me. A piece of shoulder length black hair fell across one eye, and he gave his head a toss. “Oh, here we go. I was wondering how long it would take for the gloves to come off.”

A frustrated growl rumbled in my throat, and I had to look away before his smug smile made me to do something that I’d regret.

“You’re a real piece of work, Raoul, you know that? In just a matter of seconds, you’ve got me wishing that I’d screened your call.” With a quick shoulder check, I changed lanes and then signaled to take the next left after the golf course.

Instead of anger or irritation like I’d anticipated, the conceited jerk threw his head back and laughed heartily. “If only, huh?”

“You’re an asshole.” My fingers tightened on the wheel, and I forced myself to take a deep breath before I took out one of his eyes with a carefully directed claw.

“Well, I certainly didn’t get rich by always being the nice guy.”

Ain’t that the truth? As I turned into The Fairways, the golf course neighborhood where Raoul lived, I turned the radio up a few notches. Maybe he would get the hint.

One of the old KISS songs from the 80s boomed out cheesy sexual innuendos. Not wanting to encourage that mode of thought, I hit buttons until I recognized Raine Maida’s voice. Our Lady Peace was a nice non-sexual band.

The houses got nicer as we went. As we continued from street to street, the structure size grew substantially. We were nearing the east end of town, the rich district. My own house was directly opposite us on the town’s west facing edge. Just six more blocks to Raoul’s.

“So, is everyone still doing the lunar run?” He asked suddenly, and I frowned in response. Was this another lame attempt at casual conversation?

“If you showed up once in a while you’d know.”

“It’s flattering to know that I’m missed. Maybe I’ll see you Saturday then. If anymore of my girlfriends end up dead, I’m going to need the alibi.”

I laughed then. “Right. Just tell the cops you turned into a wolf with several others from the community and ran in the forest outside town. Then maybe they’ll just lock you in a psychiatric hospital instead of in with the guys who just wait for pretty, well-kept men to arrive.”

“That’s not what I meant, Alexa. Somebody would back me, even if it isn’t you.” He practically snarled at me, and I glared my hardest.

“You know what, Raoul?” I swung the weighty car onto his street. The tires squealed, and I delighted in his sudden dirty look when a face peered out the neighbor’s window. “You better watch it. Because if you go to jail, your secret is going to come out, eventually, and God forbid you wind up in a lab.”

His eyes narrowed, but he obviously didn’t consider the scenario a realistic outcome. “Spare me.”

I let the car jerk to a rough halt in front of his giant three-level split. “That’s fine. Disregard caution and common sense. But if you’re such a big boy, then I trust you won’t be wasting anymore of my time or my free evening phone minutes.”

Raoul’s door swung open silently. He fished a crumpled twenty from his pocket. “For gas.”

I fumed so hard that, if steam didn’t come out of my ears soon, the top of my head was going to blow. “You’re offering me money? Why didn’t you just call a cab then?”

His wide shoulders moved in a slight shrug, and he avoided meeting my eyes. He had only called me to see if I would come. My anger was nothing but a game to him.

I wanted to yell at him to get out of my car, but he did so before I could. When I wouldn’t touch his money, he dropped it on the passenger seat.

“So, I’ll see you Saturday, then.” He glanced at his feet and then at the neighboring houses before finally looking at me.

I thought of every woman of all ages, colors and creeds who had trusted their heart to a man like Raoul only to have it handed back to them used.

“Kiss my ass, Raoul.” My foot hit the gas and jerked the open door from his grasp.

I cut a U-turn in the middle of the street and closed the door with the momentum. A thrill shot through me when the tires squealed even louder upon my exit. In the rear view mirror, I could see Raoul hurrying up the walk, eager to get inside before the entire street was gawking out the window.

I switched to the local rock station and turned the volume way up. Finally, I pulled out of Raoul’s swanky neighborhood.

The moment that I pulled into my driveway, I punched Shaz’s number into my cell phone.  I left a message for him to come by the house after work. Kylarai and I shared a two-level bungalow, a cute little white house with brown trim. It wasn’t the fanciest of dwellings, but it’s roomy enough without being too big or too small. The front walk was framed by one of those archway gates layered in flowers, courtesy of Kylarai. As always, I took a deep breath as I passed beneath it. That fresh flower scent was heavenly.

A glow beyond the living room curtains indicated that Kylarai was still up. Because of her career as a successful divorce attorney, she had little time for decorative ventures. However, when the urge struck her, the things that she came up with were simply amazing. Since she altered her schedule two months ago, she’d been doing her paperwork at home and just going to the office to meet with clients. I thought she did it so she’d have more time to dress up the house. I found something new almost every time I came home.

I frowned down at the new mat in front of the door that virtually screamed, “Welcome”. I’d told her that there was no need to be welcoming anybody here. I’d prefer an unwelcome mat, myself. The time that I had found one at a novelty store, it had lasted a matter of hours before disappearing, never to be seen again.

Shaz and I joked that Kylarai was the mother hen of our little group because of her gentle, protective nature. She went out of her way to take care of us. I still found it hard to believe she was a thirty-three year old widow who’d torn out her husband’s throat, but, she was, and she had. He’d beaten her into submission for the last time. After working for more than five years to hide her wolf from him, she unleashed it in a matter of seconds. I wonder if old Johnny boy had known his wife watched from within that furry face as his blood sprayed.

Endearing and soft spoken, but she’d eat your face off. That was Kylarai.

“How did it go?” She called to me when I came into the foyer. “Did you get rid of Patrick Morgan?”

“Yeah, he was no problem.” I kicked off my boots and breathed a sigh of relief after each one.

Joining her in the living room, I settled into the leather easy chair near the large picture window that looked on to the street. “But, I have totally unrelated, stupid news.”

“What now?” She asked with a worried glint in her grey eyes.

I told her about the bullshit call from Raoul. Her eyes widened as I spoke, but she didn’t say anything until I’d finished.

“I wouldn’t expect that from Raoul. He loves the ladies - there’s no doubt about that - but slaughtering them? No way. There has to be another explanation.”

I sucked in my breath and let it out slowly. Raoul and I were many things, but friends wasn’t one of them. We rarely saw eye to eye, but due to status and power, we were the top two werewolves in town. Aside from that, we couldn’t be more different.

“I don’t know what to do, Ky. That son of a bitch had no reason to call me down there. What the hell is that about?” I took in her comfortable appearance where she sat diagonal to me on the full length matching leather couch. Clad in silky soft pajama pants and her favorite fuzzy robe, she looked the epitome of what I wanted to feel right then.

“I know there’s no love lost between the two of you,” she replied with a toss of her trendy brunette, Posh Spice-style bob. “But, did you ever think he does this stuff to reach out to you?”

I stared at her as if she’d grown two heads, and she shrugged. “If this isn’t some kind of misunderstanding, if he’s killing people, then he’d have to be stopped.”

Her expression grew wary. “What are you saying, Alexa?”

“I don’t know. He’s driving me crazy. He is crazy. And, if he goes on a killing spree, then he’ll have to be stopped before he endangers the rest of us.”

Though I never breathed a word of it to Kylarai, I suspected Raoul would rat us all out if he was discovered to be a Were and put in a lab. He’d try to take us down with him simply so he wasn’t suffering alone.

For a minute, there was only the sound of the wall clock ticking and quiet laughter from the television in the far corner. Kylarai’s eyes took on a haunted look, and I could see that she’d thought the same when she nodded in agreement. I couldn’t very well let Raoul bring murder and mayhem to our quiet little town. He would ruin us all.

“You know I agree with you,” she said at last. As quiet as she was, she certainly wasn’t known for being weak. She’d take out anyone in her way if push came to shove. “But, don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions. You have to be sure he’s doing this. There has to be more evidence than that to land him a death sentence.”

“Well, the cops let him go, what does that tell you?” I forced my limbs to move and sauntered down the hall, around the corner, to my room.

After changing into fuzzy sweatpants and a clean t-shirt, I gave my long hair a halfhearted shove away from my face. A dyed gold streak fell free of the rest and I tucked it behind my ear. Kylarai’s muffled response sounded like, “He didn’t do it.” I made a face of disgust at my closet that nobody could see.

I re-entered the living room just as Shaz rang the doorbell. He was earlier than I’d expected. After savoring one of his perfect hugs, I retold to him what I had said to Kylarai.

“Why would someone want to kill Julie?” he asked. I found it odd, that was the first thought he had.

“Did you know her?”

“I met her once or twice when I dropped by Raoul’s. But, that had to be almost a year ago, now.” His eyes took on a haunted glow.

Being three years younger than me, Shaz is still finding out how much danger and death plays a part in our world. His remaining innocence along with his realistic acceptance is what I love about him.

“You don’t think it was Raoul?” Was I the only one who thought that he probably did do it?

“Let’s not go there,” Kylarai interjected. “Not until we’re at that point.”

Shaz nodded, his lips pressed together tight. “If Raoul was to brutally kill someone, he’d have a damn good reason. And much as I hate to say it, he doesn’t place that much value on past lovers.”

“Which is exactly why he could do it so easily and feel no remorse.” The bitterness was thick in my tone, and I ignored the look they exchanged.

“You look cold.” Shaz ran a warm hand down my arm. My wolf responded by leaping against my inner core as if trying to break free. Closing my eyes, I could feel the pull of the wild in my veins and smell the pine and spice of fur.

“Actually, I think I need to go for a run.” I didn’t want to sit there trying to convince them what depths of scum Raoul really was.

We all knew him differently. This conversation had happened many times before. They assumed my opinion of him was strictly personal. Maybe it was, but my reasons were good.

I rose from my chair and stretched languorously. “Want to come with?”

“Always.” Shaz was on his feet in a heartbeat.

“Count me out,” Kylarai said and stifled a yawn as we moved to the sliding glass door off the attached kitchen. “I’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours. I’m going to bed.”

The early morning air held a slight chill that caressed my naked flesh as I slipped out of my clothes. The sky was the color of absolute black, the darkest piece of night just before dawn breaks the barrier on the horizon. A thin cloud cover blocked out every star.

I stood at the end of the yard and looked out, onto the stretch of field behind the house. The tree line, which was about half a mile away, taunted my wolf. I longed to run and stretch my muscles to capacity. I needed to feel the burn as I pushed myself to the max.

Unlatching the gate, I turned back to see Shaz drop his t-shirt on the patio railing. His build was average but firm, and I allowed myself to sneak an extra glance at his well-formed body. As a werewolf, one certainly got used to being nude. Nudity came with the territory.

The grass crumpled softly beneath his feet as he approached, only to spring up again when he’d moved on. I knew he was going to touch me before he actually did. His energy was warm and seemed to reach for me. A hand gently traced the curve of my waist.

I raised my head to look at him. My eyes turned wolf in a blink; the deep brown of my irises filled the whites so they were no longer human. He smiled down at me and placed a quick kiss on the tip of my nose.

“Ready?” His low, smooth voice was a whisper. Those intense jade eyes held a teasing glint.

I gave him a playful shove. His closeness was undoing my last bit of resistance. I needed the change, and with the full moon only two days away, I was more than ready to run wild.

In response to his question, I threw my head back and looked into the sky, as if it were a dark velvet veil that hid the secrets of the universe. I held my hands out before me and just let the wolf inside break free.

The sudden blast of supernatural energy that shot through me forced me to my knees. A small cry escaped me. For just a split second, I was flooded with the most horrid pain. It flowed over me as bone and muscle shifted in reformation. In an instant, the pain had become soothing languor. In seconds, I stood in my backyard as a large wolf, with fur the same ash blonde as my hair.

Shaz makes the most beautiful snow-white wolf due to his insanely white-blond hair. He is much larger than I am, with green orbs that stand out in awe-inspiring intensity. He nuzzled me with a wet muzzle before bounding through the open gate.

We raced across the field at top speed. We always tried to beat each other to a particular tree at the far edge of the field. Shaz often took off fast and then burned out, so I planned to take advantage of that at just the right time to propel myself forward and win.

The wind in my fur was a cooling breeze that carried the scents of the forest to my sensitive nose. Blood on the air informed me that a few coyotes had managed to kill a small doe not long ago. The slightest hint of rain still indicated an early morning shower, and I savored the scent.

Just as I’d expected, Shaz began to lose his steady pace and dropped in speed. I took the opportunity to burst ahead of him, and he nipped at my heels. I stood in front of the victory tree with the best mocking, tongue-lolling, goofy grin that any lupine could muster.

When he arrived at the tree too late, his response was to wrestle me to the ground in a series of playful bites and nips. I could hear little critters running through the underbrush to take cover. I broke free of Shaz’s grip and pounced on him to bite the tips of his ears. He feigned surrender and followed up with a nice bite on my flank, one that might actually bruise.

After we’d exhausted ourselves, we rested in the soft grass beneath a large evergreen tree. We easily fell asleep amid the sounds of the early morning birds waking and the last few hoots of an owl as he made his way home for the day. I rested my head on my paws and dozed. Shaz’s head rested on my back, and before long, I heard the soft sound of even breathing.

To be a wolf wasn’t hard. No, the hard part was to go back to being human afterward. In a world of noise, pollution and selfishness, I enjoyed the relief, the escape to something pure, natural and free. More than once, I had entertained the thought of living among nature as a wolf always and saying goodbye to the human world. However, it could never be so simple.

As a creature with a duel nature, to deny one risked the other. Several shifters had chosen one side, human or wolf. Most of them had driven themselves into madness. The balance in-between was often hard to find, but it was always worth it.

I sighed with contentment and allowed all human thought to blow away on the gentle breeze. Human worry had no place here, among the forest and its occupants. I was wolf and comfortably so.

Chapter Four

Friday night was the hottest night at Lucy’s Lounge. I figured I would stop by for a bite to eat before making the short highway trek to Edmonton. The lounge kitchen made a to-die-for sirloin steak.

I touched up my smoky, dark eyeliner in the car. No lipstick, I rarely wore any. Tonight I’d decided to exchange my casual attire for basic black dress pants and a snug, corset-style, black top. My hair flowed long and loose down my back.

I preferred to park near the back of the lot. I didn’t see the point in fighting for the closest space. By parking in the back, I had to walk past the alley that ran behind the building. No sooner had I approached it than I felt that cool, undead presence. Arys was down there.

I debated leaving the brightly lit lot and entering the darkened alley. Two guys whistled at me as they walked to their car, but I paid them little attention. My mind focused only on that cold energy drawing me in. That centuries-old power seemed to beckon to me on the still night air.

I have a natural distrust of alleys. They’re not known for their safety. They are too dark with too many shadows to hide in. Anything, vampire or other, with any kind of psychic ability, can shield its energy. In effect, it can make as if it weren’t even there and leave its victim unaware. What a big bad wolf I was, afraid of the dark. However, Arys was down there, which assured me that nothing else was.

I moved silently forward. I could feel Arys in the blackness. I had gone halfway down when another alley intersected, and the scent of fresh blood pulled me to the left. I wasn’t surprised to find him draped in the shadows with a woman clutched tightly in his grasp.

Even in the dark, I could see the whites of her eyes as she struggled. He held her immobile, and my heart paused when her gaze landed on me. I was still yards away, but she saw me clearly as her vampire-induced disorientation loosened its hold. She gave a strangled cry, and Arys clamped a hand over her mouth. As she whimpered, I stood frozen, unable to come to her aid as she hoped. If anything, my presence only excited the vampire more.

Arys’s pupils were a drowning black. His mouth was smeared with blood as he drank from her jugular. I should have been sickened, but I wasn’t. Had becoming a supernatural creature made me immune to human suffering? Not entirely.

The fear in her wide-eyed stare bothered me more than her fading life. My own reaction to the scene bothered me more. Despite my own personal beliefs and born humanity, I am a predator, and in that moment, I enjoyed what I saw. The scent of spilt human blood tantalized my senses. The sight of the crimson splashes stirred things low inside me.

As the light began to fade from his victim’s eyes, she ceased struggling and hung loose in his embrace like a forgotten rag doll. I watched in complete silence until she was nothing but an empty husk, and her vacant, dead gaze stared over his shoulder at me.

Arys stepped back and let her hit the ground with a thud that dropped my stomach to my knees. “Did you enjoy the show?” He wiped a hand across his full lips, and his tongue flicked over his crimson-smeared fang-teeth. “I always appreciate an audience.” The predatory glow in his eyes began to fade as he came towards me.

“I see you’ve been a busy boy tonight,” I commented casually, though I couldn’t deny the rapid beat of my heart.

“Yeah, well, they’re good for more than just one thing.” He cast a glance back at the body, and I got an unwelcome visual of the vampire making love to the woman that now lie dead. He’d taken her to his bed, possessed her body, and enjoyed her heat, but intended all along to take it away.

The human side of me was shocked that I wasn’t more appalled at Arys’s nonchalance. He spoke like those guys in high school, the ones that most girls fall for before they realize their mistake. Though the wolf in me did not take life from its lovers, it did, however, appreciate his predator logic.

I swallowed heavily, suddenly apprehensive and too aware of the sweet scent of blood drying on the corpse. I’d never thought that I’d feel threatened by Arys, but I decided that maybe I should.

I knew that Arys killed with discretion. Vampires do not have to kill to survive. However, feeding without the kill was like sex without the orgasm, according to my colleague, Kale Sinclair. It explained why some vampires just quit giving a damn.

Arys watched me with cool blue eyes and a curious expression on his forever-young face. “What’s your deal, Alexa? What brings you on a vampire hunt tonight?”

“I was just passing by. I felt you down here.” I licked my dry lips, and my head filled with visions of tearing into warm flesh. I could almost sense blood, hot on my tongue, as its intoxicating scent filled my nostrils.  I wanted to consume the life within the girl’s blood. I shook my head, and my vision cleared. “You shouldn’t be killing in town. It’s dangerous.”

“Let me worry about that, my lovely wolf.” Arys studied me hard, and I wondered if he somehow knew what I’d just seen. With a hand on my back, he guided me out of the alley towards the glow of the light. “But, I am curious what had you hot footing it out of here so fast last night.”

I told him about Raoul as we walked, giving him my best rant, one that would have been wasted on Kylarai and Shaz. The energy of his fresh kill buzzed around Arys, which gave me goose bumps and a constant tingle down my spine.

“You shouldn’t have gone to him.”

“I know. I thought maybe he was in real trouble. Lord knows why I’d even care.”

“I certainly don’t see why you do. Every time you give him a chance, he lets you down. There is so much more out there. Why limit yourself?” He laid a warm hand on my forearm and gave a gentle squeeze. I couldn’t mistake the meaning of his words nor deny the warm heat that rose to meet his touch.

My breath caught as his energy danced along my skin and raised the little hairs on the back of my neck. His magnetic pull remained familiar, but the flow was different. The living, breathing power of my wolf rushed to the surface to meet the dark, icy power of the undead. If Arys’s sharp gasp was any indication, he was as surprised as I was.

His hand moved down my arm until he had entwined his fingers in mine. With this more solid connection, our two very different powers joined into one that took my breath away. A warm glow hummed all around us. Pleasure raced through my blood, and I wanted more. Arys’s pupils dilated in response. I could feel him peering into my soul.

I felt him in my head, a gentle touch on my mind. In the same moment, we shared a thought, a memory. He saw through my wolf’s eyes as she raced through the forest, answering the call of the night. Bloody images flashed through my head and the rush of sinking fangs into a soft, slender neck entranced me.

I wanted more. I wanted to climb inside him and roll around in all of that power. He took a step and closed the remaining space between us. The heat grew into a fever, something I fought to escape before it consumed me.

“Arys, stop.” With all my resolve, I pulled my hand from his and shoved him back. He blinked at me a few times but didn’t step out of my personal space.

“That was amazing. I would never have guessed you could do that,” he said. The look he gave me was undeniably full of desire.

“I didn’t do anything,” I stammered. He wasn’t buying it.

“I knew you were more than a shifter, but I didn’t realize how much more. This is more than a human’s natural ability.” His expression was serious, but he sounded drunk. The energy had buzzed me, too. It continued to throb through my veins. “You’re a metaphysical dream, Alexa. I’ve known vampires like you, but never one whose mortal heart still beats.”

“I’m not a vampire, though. I don’t need to take from others to survive.”

“Your energy calls like something that has never been human. It seeks something from me.” He shook his head in wonder but never took his eyes off me.

“The energy, it’s not always sensual,” I offered lamely. I didn’t know what to say, and I was feeling very ill at ease.

“No?” Arys raised an eyebrow, but a satisfied grin spread across his handsome features.

I did my best to fight the blush that crept across my cheeks. My face felt hot, and I wanted to offer any lame excuse just so I could escape the sudden awkwardness.

“Arys, I have to go. Duty calls.” Not exactly a lie, but he looked at me like he knew damn well I was making a getaway.

I had to, though. He shared so many of my abilities, and my power seemed to really like him. The metaphysical attraction had been progressing over time, and I didn’t fully trust myself around him anymore.

Needless to say, I skipped the sirloin steak dinner that I’d been anticipating. I made up for it by stopping by Swiss Chalet to grab a delicious chicken dinner on my way to see Lena.

She’s one of just two humans that Veryl works with. She’s a natural witch and a truly amazing spell caster. Lena was white witch to the core. All of her spell casting focused on things like healing, strength and protection.

Lena helped me learn how to focus, to concentrate. Without that, I couldn’t control the outcome. She taught me plenty of tricks for both accessing and grounding excess energy. Without her, I would most likely still be a bumbling fool with little control or skill.

A few times a month, Lena and I got together to work with energy. As a spell caster, her manipulation usually required the use of an object as a conductor and storage point whereas I tend to be my own conductor. Though she uses the energy in a different way than I do, we call and manipulate it the same way.

I truly enjoyed the time we spent on focal exercises and female bonding. Lena reminded me a little of my mom, and I valued our relationship.

The office building we all used as a base was dark, except for the one light that blazed in the kitchen, where Lena was making tea. We’d have the place to ourselves, which was just as well considering we were going to be playing with energy.

“Good evening, Lena,” I called from the entryway so I wouldn’t startle the older lady.

“Hey Alexa, how’s it going?” She smiled up at me when I entered the room. Her eyes sparkled, and she looked at least a decade younger than her fifty-three years.

“Pretty good. How about yourself?”

“Great, thank you. Just fixing a cup of herbal tea. Care for some?” Her long, dark blonde hair hung in a French braid to her waist.

“No. Thank you, though,” I said as I dug into my Swiss Chalet bag. “You’re not hungry, are you?”

“Oh, heavens no. I ate an entire pumpkin pie by myself for dinner.” She patted her small belly as if it were enormous.

“How’s the shop keeping going?” I asked. Lena owns a small magic shop on Whyte Avenue, in Edmonton, where she sells all kinds of neat new age gear, magic books, and trinkets.

“It’s great. I had to hire a part-time girl to help out a few times a week.”

“That’s awesome. Good for you.”

I sat at the table and chatted with her while I chowed down on chicken, potato and veggies. Dinner wasn’t quite as succulent as a rare steak, but it was still damn good. After a long moment of quiet satisfaction, I gathered my garbage together and headed for the silver trashcan.

I asked, “So what have you got for me today?”

“Just some of the focal exercises from last time. I don’t think there’s much more that I can show you. You’re a natural anyway.”

“Aw, that’s sweet of you to say.” My cheeks warmed in response to her compliment.

She shrugged. “You’ve such an uncanny ability. Some of us have to work really hard to achieve what comes so naturally to you.” She studied me thoughtfully, and I paused in mid-motion as I dug a piece of gum from my purse.

“What?” I asked when her brow furrowed in one of those worried looks that only a mother can wear.

She shook her head, and her braid moved like it was alive. “I don’t know dear. I do hope you’re careful though.”

Lena often expressed concern for me. In our world, no shortage of things can get you killed. Power and ability are just two of many.

“I’m always careful, Lena.” I tried to smile reassuringly, but she dismissed my phony attempt.

“Seriously, Alexa. Don’t let too many people know what you can do. It’s far better to be underestimated.”

I knew that firsthand. However, the real danger was those with similar abilities. I can’t hide my psi abilities from others with the same.

I leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed my arms over my chest. I watched as Lena pulled a small, blue velvet bag from her jeans pocket. She reached inside and withdrew a small green gem that I couldn’t identify. Lena had more charms and amulets than I had hair on my head.

“I’m just going to draw a small circle on the floor so I can energize these charms.” She shook two more gems out of the bag, one ocean blue and the other a deep purple.

She poured salt straight from the box on to the floor, which enclosed her in a protection circle large enough to sit in comfortably. I never joined her within it. Since I’d become a werewolf, I wanted nothing to do with that magical cage. Something in my wolf nature shied away from the magic of others. It gave me a strong sense of discomfort that grew with the unnaturalness of the intended result. Of course, I use metaphysical walls on others. I just don’t want them used on me.

She told me once that she doesn’t like being inside the salt circle either, due to claustrophobia, but it would keep her safe if something bad detected her magic and decided to drop by.

“What should I do?” I asked. I frowned at a splash of dipping sauce on the inside of my wrist. “You have nothing new for me?” I pursed my lips and watched as she laid the three charms on the floor so that they formed a large triangle.

“Why don’t you work on that touchless psi ball again? You did far better than me.” I had created a bigger ball than Lena, but at the size of a grape, I hardly found it to be brag worthy.

The no touch energy ball had taken a lot out of me. It involved creating the ball without the use of hands. The mind-only ball was much easier said than done. The fingertips are an especially sensitive tool in a psi exercise, a key factor in most energy conduction that united the body and the mind in creation. To do it with the mind alone was both uber advanced and damned hard.

“That was a hell of a task.” I held my breath when she wiggled her fingers above the purple gem.

The energy she drew into her circle hummed on the air. She whispered a word of Latin as the stone began to glow.

“What are you doing to them?” I nodded toward the colorful stones.

She held up a finger to indicate she needed a moment of concentration. I took the hint and left my next question unvoiced. I knew better than to chatter away when someone was trying to focus. Jez was famous for it.

Instead, I returned to the small round table. I pulled the wooden chair out with a scrape and angled it toward the front entry rather than Lena. I closed my eyes, cleared my thoughts, and took a deep breath. I actually put my hands behind my back, to resist the urge to use them. As I simply tuned in to my surroundings, I could feel the power that Lena had called prickle along my skin like pins and needles.

After two more deep breaths, I envisioned a tiny green spark. I watched inside my mind as the glowing orb grew to the size of a golf ball. I opened my eyes to find the psi ball hovering at eye level in front of me. I gasped, drawing Lena’s attention. Lena was the only human that I knew who could see energy the way I or a vampire could.

“My heavens, girl,” her voice was soft but incredulous. “How did you manage that?”

I shook my head silently. Hell if I knew. The psi ball should have glowed a faint green or gold. Instead, it shimmered in a deep, ocean blue. Energy often took on the same hue as the aura of the practitioner, but my aura is yellow-gold.

My heart surged as a thought hit me and, along with it, a small dose of adrenaline. Arys’s aura was blue. I’d seen him work energy before. All we’d done was touch, right?

“I’m really not sure.” I breathed, staring at the blue ball hovering a foot from my face.

I glanced at Lena. All three of her charms glowed brightly. I experienced the temporary sensation of wanting to touch them.

“Have you been up to something that I don’t know about?” Lena’s tone was disturbingly parental.

I turned back to my psi ball to avoid her accusatory stare. I noticed my yellow-gold lining the outside of the ball. As I watched, it swirled throughout the blue like the rainbow in an oil patch. Strange.

“Like what?” I replied. Too late, I added, “Of course not.”

I could feel her eyes on me as I feigned supreme concentration. The little ball hovered as if awaiting instruction.

“It’s much bigger than the last one you made.”

My fingers twitched on the rung of the chair, and the little energy ball dissolved. The free energy buzzed around us like high-pitched radio frequency.

“Maybe that’s something you should do outside.” A hand flew to her temple where she rubbed lightly. “The intensity of that thing is giving me one hell of a headache. Now, tell me what you’ve been up to.”

“I’m sorry, Lena. Are you alright?” I got up from the wooden chair and approached her circle.

She didn’t answer me. She gathered up her glowing gemstones in one hand and broke the salt circle with the other. I took her silence to mean that she was insisting on an explanation.

With a shrug I said, “I touched a vampire. One with one hell of a pull. We’ve shared a metaphysical attraction since we met, about three years ago. But, it’s grown since. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever felt.”

I felt silly saying it like that, but it was true. I had no idea why I would respond so strongly to Arys on a power level. It didn’t happen with anyone else. Not like that.

“You touched a vampire. How? What do you mean?”

Lena reached for the broom in the corner, but I intercepted the action. I ignored the pointed look that she shot me as I turned to start sweeping. As I cleaned up Lena’s salt mess, I told her about the exchange with Arys. I considered not telling her the color of his aura but decided the detail wasn’t worth hiding.

The extended silence that followed worried me, and I realized a part of me was scared. I didn’t do well when not in control. Whatever drew me to Arys was not within my ability to harness.

“Honey, promise me you’ll be careful.” Her tone took on a note heavy with worry, and my heart leapt into my throat when she added, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing.”

“Why? What? You’re scaring me.” I fought the urge to drop the broom, grab her by the shoulders, and shake out whatever she knew.

Her warm hand reached out to squeeze my arm. “Well now, I’m sorry. Look Alexa, there is plenty that I don’t know and may never know. But, what I do know is this: Much the same as the attraction between the north and south ends of a magnet is the attraction between two souls cut from the same magical cloth.”

I blinked at her. My mind was racing, but I wasn’t following. I moved to empty the dustpan but continued to glance at her attentively.

“When drawn close enough together, their natural attraction makes it impossible for them not to join. Like a battery in a way.” She shook her head and frowned. “It’s hard to explain. But, two batteries on their own possess an impressive amount of power. If you put them together in the right circuit, they can become so much more than each was on its own.”

A light bulb went on in my head as her words sunk in. “So this is just a power thing?” I tensed stiff as I returned the broom to its post in the corner.

Her thoughtful brown eyes were warm when she smiled. “It might be. But, I’ve never known of such a deep connection between two people without it meaning more.” She gave me a wink, and my jaw dropped.

“Wait a minute.” I held up both hands in a stop motion. “Please tell me you’re not about to use a term like ‘soul mates’ in this conversation.”

Her smile froze. “You’re not interested in him? Don’t tell me he has it out for you or something. Sheesh. That could only happen to you.”

“No, it’s not like that. He’s a friend, sort of.” My thoughts strayed to Shaz. “It’s just really complicated.”

The white wolf and I were close yet we had never been thoroughly intimate. The unspoken bond had developed quickly. We were fast friends from the beginning. Yet, we were not an item, despite the people who thought that we should be, like Kylarai. Like I said, it’s complicated.

Lena nodded in understanding. “Matters of the heart often are.”

“It doesn’t happen with anybody else.” I mused aloud.

“Nobody?”

“Well, I definitely am drawn to the energy of some. It’s not the same, though. I vibe off them, but there is no feeling of need or resulting power high.” As my thoughts wandered back an hour or two, my cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. Just remembering brought a tingle to the pit of my stomach.

A soft laugh shook Lena’s shoulders. She opened her hand to reveal the three sparkling stones.

“Take the purple one. It’s for meditation and inner peace. Good for the soul. As for the other thing, I’ll look into it and see what I can dig up.”

I stared into her hand in wonder. Ever so slowly, I plucked the purple stone from her palm with my thumb and forefinger, careful not to touch the remaining two.

“What are those two for?” I couldn’t help but be curious. They were so beautiful. “And, thank you.”

“Stress relief and healing properties. My sister tends to be a very high strung person.” Lena chuckled and slipped the blue and green stones back into their velvet pouch.

The purple stone seemed to shine just a little bit brighter as I turned it over in my hand. Although the stone was shaped like a random rock, the surfaces shone where the jagged, cut edges split the light.

“Is there anything specific I need to do with it?” I hoped not. Spells and chants are not my forte.

“No, just drop it in your wallet. Keep it by your bed. Whatever. It should stay charmed until the new moon and then it can be re-energized.”

“Awesome, Lena, thanks again.” Though I wanted to continue examining the dime sized gem, I made myself drop it into my pocket.

“It’s no problem. Really. A little positive energy at your side can make a world of difference.”

She launched into a story about how one of her amulets saved Kale from a near fatal encounter with the sun. I recognized the story as one that I’d heard before from him. Her tale was interrupted when my cell phone rang.

“Speak of the devil,” I murmured upon recognizing Kale’s number on the call display.

“Tell me you’re up for some fun and games tonight.” He purred into the phone like a wanton lover. A shiver crept up my spine in response.

“What kind of games?” I hated the obvious note of curiosity that made its way into my voice. I was as bad as a cat sometimes, which was probably why Jez and I have such a great time together.

“Maybe a little good cop, bad cop. I’m digging for some information.”

I contemplated his offer but not for very long. “Which one do I get to be?”

“Whichever one your little heart desires.”

Damn vampires. Was there nothing they couldn’t do? Each and every one of them whether male or female has this natural pull, to draw prey. Fortunately for them, it works pretty well.

“What’s the deal?” I was getting the feeling that he didn’t want to fill me in until I met up with him. He had an awful tendency to drag me into situations that I would have never entered otherwise.

“Like I said, I need a little information. No bloodshed, if I can help it.” He chuckled, and I frowned in response, despite the fact that he couldn’t see it.

I was trying to avoid Lena’s fixed gaze without looking conspicuous. I knew she didn’t have the keen hearing that some of us had, but the look she was giving me was driving me nuts.

“Where and when?”

* * * *

I practiced the touchless psi ball outside while waiting for Kale to pick me up. I refused to take my car and let someone tag my plate number. I didn’t know who he was after or what they were capable of.

Lena sat on the doorstep sipping one of her herbal teas, as she watched the blue and yellow ball hover before me. I hadn’t been able to increase its size, but it had been easier to form than the previous try.

“You should save your energy. Lord knows, you’ll probably need it if you’re out with Kale,” Lena admonished.

I let the psi ball drop. The energy dissipated back into the trees and earth. She was most likely right. I’d faced certain death a few times with Kale and barely lived to tell the tale.

“He swears that there shouldn’t be any bloodshed. Of course, that doesn’t mean much.” I chuckled. “I don’t think a vampire enjoys a night that doesn’t include fresh blood.”

Lena gave me a hard, motherly look. “Maybe you shouldn’t be running with that vampire so much. He endangers you because he has no mortal limitations. You’re better off partnering with Jez.”

I had certainly heard this before, but it was usually coming from Kylarai, our little den mother. “I’ll be fine, Lena. But, don’t think that I don’t appreciate your concern. I really do. I trust Kale, as crazy as that may sound. Even though he’s gotten me into some bad situations, he’s also gotten me out of most of them.”

She scoffed, but before she could reply, a sleek, black, 1973 Camaro pulled up to the curb. The windows were tinted so dark that there was no way of seeing who was inside. I was expecting the head of deep brown hair that appeared as Kale exited the car and approached us.

“Ladies!” He greeted us enthusiastically. “How are you this fine evening?”

Kale Sinclair was tall, dark and ridiculously handsome. A vampire more than five hundred years old, he was both a friend and that co-worker who drew me into more trouble than I get paid to deal with. A snappy dresser, he’s always well put together. Dressed in a dark, trendy suit and his favorite black duster jacket, he wasn’t hard to look at.

After spending a great many years suffering at the hands of the vampiress who turned him, Kale had sought solace by taking out supernaturals like her. Some of the stories of terror that I had heard from him had been enough to keep me awake, blinking in the dark.

“Kale, where in the hell are we going?” I was a cut to the chase kind of girl. Screw the small talk.

“For a business meeting, of course.” He winked a puppy dog brown eye at me. The other was startlingly blue in contrast due to an intriguing gene condition, heterochromia iridium. His mismatched eyes were captivating. He had once told me that, as a child, he’d been treated like a monster. More than once, he’d been told that his different colored eyes were a sign of the devil. I thought they were beautiful.

He cast a critical glance at my attire. “Is that what you’re wearing?”

I gaped at him open mouthed. “What? I’m wearing dress pants, you ass. And, how the hell was I to know we’d be going out tonight?”

“The pants are fine. Too much cleavage in that top though.” He smiled when he said it, and I knew he was teasing, for the most part.

I flipped him my middle finger, and he grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Do you want my company or not?”

“I do, actually. I believe that my target this evening has a penchant for lovely ladies dressed in black.” He cocked his head to the side and assessed my appearance. As an afterthought he added, “I’m sure he’ll appreciate the cleavage, too. Enticing.”

That summed it up enough for me. “A vampire then.”

“Kale, you need to stop dragging this girl into your messes.” Lena spoke up suddenly. The clink of her mug on the concrete was loud in the stillness. “You’re going to get her seriously hurt one of these days. Or worse.”

He took one of her hands in his own and turned it over so that he could examine the rings on her every finger. “Now, you know that I would never intentionally let any harm come to Alexa. If I truly thought there was that kind of danger, I would have asked Lilah to join me.”

Lilah was a classic vampire loner. We don’t interact often. In fact, she doesn’t seem to interact with anyone more than necessary other than Veryl.

Lena eyed him with a look of disbelief. She gave her head a shake and shoved his chest playfully. “You don’t know when to stop. Any of you. You may not be human, but you’re not invincible.”

Kale and I shared a look, which earned us Lena’s frown. I smiled and gave her arm a pat. “No, we’re not. I know that. Even if Kale forgets sometimes.”

Which he did all too often. That vampire is a thrill seeker if I’ve ever seen one. If the chase wasn’t intense and pushed to the limit, Kale wasn’t having any fun.

We waited for Lena to get in her car and go safely on her way. We then locked up the office and left. Once I was settled on the soft leather seat of the Camaro, Kale pulled us into traffic with a chirp of the tires. I fixed him with my best deadly glare.

“You better not be using me as bait again, buster. Because, I, for one, am not about to play that role again. Especially without even being aware of it.”

He chuckled in remembrance, and I punched his upper arm without holding back. His laugh quickly turned to a series of pain-filled noises.

“Alright, I deserved that.”

“You deserve more than that.” I couldn’t help but laugh, even though a part of me held a grudge. My last experience as Kale’s bait was certainly a memorable experience for all of the wrong reasons.

“Ok, I owe you one for that. I know. Call it in whenever you feel justified in doing so, and I’ll be there to take the hit.”

He could bet his lily-white ass that he would be. I was anticipating the day.

“So, where are we going? And, what’s the deal here? You better fill me in … before you blow it, like the last time you left me in the dark.”

I gripped the door handle tightly as he zipped ahead of traffic to merge into their lane. I cursed myself for leaving my car behind. What was I thinking? As far as drivers go, I couldn’t be sure who was more frightening, Kale or Jez.

“The vampire we’re meeting is involved in a blood ring that profits from runaway youths and prostitutes. We will be posing as two potential partners interested in becoming regular buyers. Once we have the guy’s trust, we torture information out of him. I want to know who’s running the operation.” Kale was all business now, speaking matter of fact as he wove in and out of traffic.

I hate it when people lane hop. I actively had to hold my tongue against the complaint that was building.

“Ok, well that’s nothing new. We’ve dealt with crap like this before.”

A car up ahead braked suddenly, which caused the rest of us to brake in succession to avoid a collision. I gasped and dug my fingers into the seats. The leather was tougher than human flesh and posed good resistance, but I worried that I would puncture them with my sharp nails.

“We’re meeting the guy in the restaurant lounge of a hotel. Our goal is to have him invite us to his suite for a more private discussion, where we will beat some information out of him before leaving him in a pile of ash. It’ll be fun.” Kale reached to turn the volume up on the radio as the DJ ran through a list of traffic issues affecting the city.

I tried to relax as the scenery flew past. The job sounded straightforward, but I’d been doing this long enough to know that it rarely went as planned.

Chapter Five

The hotel was located on the west side of the city. It was busy due to a conference of some sort inside. That might pose a problem if we had to exit the hotel covered in vampire blood and guts, but I wasn’t going to sweat the small stuff until we reached that point.

“He isn’t here,” Kale breathed near my ear as he scoured the lounge. Other patrons gave him odd looks as they noticed his eyes.

“Alright, I’m going to order a drink then.” Without waiting for him to follow, I approached the bar.

After waiting five minutes for a handful of giggling forty-something women to place drink orders, I had a whiskey in my hand. When I turned to find Kale, I was surprised to see him sitting with a vampire that had been turned much later in life. I’d estimate his human years to have been near sixty due to the fine lines in his face and his shock of silver hair.

I hadn’t sensed his arrival, which struck me as strange. My hackles rose instantly. I took my time strolling to their table as I delicately lifted the glass to my lips for a sip. Feeling for a vibe from his energy, I wasn’t surprised to find that there was something more to it than vampire alone. What was Kale getting us into?

I put on my best artificial smile as I reached the table. Kale stood and held a hand out to me, which I accepted somewhat quizzically.

“Greg, please meet my girlfriend, Alexa. Alexa darling, this is Greg. He’s the one I told you about.” Kale flashed me a quick wink as he spoke, and I could only assume he painted the picture of us as lovers to prevent the vampire from wondering why there were two of us. My being a werewolf probably had him wondering, but hey, many of us were known to enjoy the taste of human flesh.

“Hello, pleased to meet you.” I reached out warmly to shake Greg’s hand, careful to apply just enough pressure to be firm without squeezing.

Greg responded by pulling my hand to his greasy lips and making a few smacking sounds that turned my stomach. I resisted the urge to yank my hand away and slap him across the face, but it was harder than one might think.

Kale smiled right through the evil stare I shot him. He was so going to pay for this.

“Charmed.” Greg’s voice was thick and gruff. The suit that he wore didn’t fit right. It was too snug over his middle and incredibly obvious. He was running blood victims but couldn’t afford a well-tailored suit?

Kale posed as the perfect gentleman, which he sometimes was, and pulled out my chair. When we were all seated, Greg wasted no time. He cut straight to the chase.

“So, how much can I cut you in for?”

Kale could field that question. I was busy. I rubbed the slime off my offended hand and took a sip of my drink.

“That depends. What kind of deals do you have? Any regular client discounts?” Kale cast a glance around the place before looking pointedly at Greg. “Is there anywhere more private that we could discuss this? Alexa and I are well known professionals in our community. This has to stay quiet.”

“Most certainly. Quiet is our specialty.” Greg followed Kale’s gaze around the room as if in agreement. “I can bring you up to the room, but I must warn you that, if you try anything funny, I won’t hesitate to take you out.”

I frowned in response but quickly shrugged it off. He wanted to play tough guy, which was only expected. In most situations, he likely was the most powerful creature present, but this time he was going to be sadly mistaken.

“Of course.” Kale smiled through the threat, and I had to give him credit for not reacting with an outburst of temper like I tend to do.

The two vampires took a moment to stare into each other like two cowboys about to do a quick draw. I sat there feeling inferior because I wasn’t being recognized as a threat. But, that would end all too soon, just a matter of waiting for the right moment.

Greg scraped his chair against the floor to create a squeal that hurt my sensitive ears. He gestured toward the exit. “If you would just follow me.” We followed him, and I had the sinking feeling that this was going to get messy. The confined elevator proved extremely uncomfortable. An Asian family of four squeezed in after us so that I was virtually crushed between Kale and Greg. I tried my best to lean away from the ingratiating bastard.

We stepped off on the fourteenth floor and made our way to room 1423. I was more than surprised at what lay on the other side of the door. The hotel room was magnificent. Red carpet led from the doorway past a white marble hot tub to a round bed encircled by a white curtain. Mirrors lined every wall but one, creating the illusion that the room was much bigger than it was. It made the perfect honeymoon suite, although I would have enjoyed it more had there not been a pale, young woman tied to a chair near the window.

I hesitated at the doorway. A chill crept up my spine, and I unconsciously began to gather energy in the center of my being. Kale swept past me as if he had been dealing human slaves forever, which was disturbing in itself.

“Do you have a preference between men or women? Race? Anything?” Greg spoke casually, as if he were asking if we preferred red or white wine.

“Healthy and still beating,” Kale chuckled wickedly, and I found myself looking at him with wide eyes. Greg joined in his laughter and swept an arm in the woman’s direction.

“Do you want this one? You can take her with you tonight. She won’t make any trouble. Will you honey?” He asked her. When she didn’t acknowledge him, he gave her a resounding slap across the face.

I willed myself to rein in the anger that threatened to rip free of my control. Not yet. Soon.

“Yeah, we’ll take her. What else can you get for us?” Kale casually strolled around the room and pulled back the bed curtain to admire the fine bedding. “Nice room choice.”

His gaze focused on the white sheets and duvet, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. The room was incredibly white. How could we possibly keep this clean?

“Thanks. It’s my favorite here.” Greg pulled his wallet from his back pocket and produced a small sheet of paper that included a price and quantity list. “This is what we’re running right now for this city. It should be more than adequate to feed your…” He risked a glance at me. “…appetites.”

Kale accepted the paper. He read over it carefully and nodded every so often. In a motion faster than I could blink, he moved to pin the other vampire to the wall.

With an arm wedged against Greg’s throat, Kale growled, “Tell me who you’re working for, and I’ll consider allowing you to walk out of here in one piece.”

Greg’s slightly chubby face seemed to swell with rage as he stared into Kale’s wild eyes. He attempted a smirk despite the arm crushing his windpipe. “You’ve got to be kidding me, pal.”

The girl tied to the chair made a small whimper low in her throat as she eyed us, unsure if we were her saviors or simply new masters. I approached the two vampires but kept a safe distance.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” Kale’s fist met the other vampire’s face with a loud crack.

I didn’t react, except to wince on the inside. The scent of blood quickly thickened the air. My stomach tightened, and the energy that I’d gathered seemed to grow hot.

Before Greg could respond, Kale followed up with another solid blow to the vampire’s midsection. He grunted yet laughed again.

“Who do you think you’re kidding? Do you really think I’d allow you two to back me into a corner like this without some kind of backup?” He attempted to wipe away the blood that streamed down his chin from his nose.

“If you don’t start talking, I’m going to let my lady friend have some fun with your manly bits. And, I can safely say that she will be the only one enjoying it.” Kale’s tone dropped low, and the menace pulled another whimper from the victim in the chair.

Greg’s expression faltered as he fixed his eyes on me. My lips spread slowly in a sadistic grin, and I gave him a wink. “Ready to play with me, Greg?”

“You wouldn’t,” he choked out, but his eyes clearly said that I just might. I was a werewolf after all, and a little bit of blood and gore was nothing new to me.

I held up a hand so he could watch as my long fingernails lengthened into five razor sharp claws. My smile grew even broader around the four fangs that filled my mouth, two on both the bottom and the top.

Vampires don’t fear werewolves, in general, since we each have our own very respectable attributes. However, poor Greg was alive with fear. As he filled the room with terror, he fed the energy that I had gathered within me.

“Are you going to start talking, or is Alexa going to start tearing you to bits?” If Kale’s eyes were any indication, he was feeling the effects of the fear as well. His pupils were so large that his eyes were solid black.

“I don’t work for anyone,” Greg ground out between a few grunts and groans. “I work for myself. Ask the bitch if she’s seen anyone other than me.”

I looked at the woman who sat in the chair and sobbed. She didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what was being said as she pulled uselessly at her binds.

“You’re lying,” I said. “I can smell it.”

And, I could. Though vampires may rival me when it comes to the sixth-sense stuff, my other five senses had one up on them. A lie carries a very distinct scent from the change in brain chemistry.

“And, who the hell is your so called backup?”

The impatience in Kale’s tone caused me to wonder if he had fed yet tonight. He often prowled the underground vampire bar downtown for donors, something Arys frowned upon. Arys resented the imposition of being forbidden to kill. He stuck with traditional methods. Kale, on the other hand, made a point to kill humans only when necessary rather than simply from a snack attack. To each his own, I suppose.

Greg struggled in Kale’s grip but the other vampire was both too strong and determined. A mocking smile played along Greg’s greasy lips as he quickly rambled a series of unintelligible words, which I realized a moment later to be Latin.

Horror struck me. He was calling a demon. And, though my experience with them is thankfully limited, it has never been a pleasant one.

“Shut him up!” I yelled.

Kale, not one to ask unnecessary questions, promptly snapped his neck. Unfortunately, vampires can live through that. The sounds that came out of Greg when Kale dropped him in a puddle were more wretched than those of the girl in the chair. I watched with satisfaction as he writhed on the floor and wished for death.

Though I was hoping we’d cut his words off in time, the growing scent of sulfur told me we had not.

“Alexa,” Kale’s voice was low as he glanced around the hotel room. “Get out of here. Before it shows up. Just go. Now.”

“What? No way.” My eyes went to the woman, then to Greg on the floor wailing. “I can’t just leave you behind.”

“Can and will.” He actually moved as if to physically force me to the doorway.

Before he could attempt to lay a hand on me, a cloud of smoke seemed to billow up between us out of nowhere. My heart swelled as a lump stuck in my throat. Fear shook me. I watched the misty cloud evaporate until a man stood in its midst.

He was easily one of the most handsome men that I’d ever seen, a total Adonis. But, his eyes stopped me cold. They were the palest blue, almost white, so that the pupil looked particularly black. Even after Jez’s and my own, those were easily the most eerily inhuman eyes that I’d ever seen.

I don’t know if I was expecting him to speak, maybe introduce himself. But, when his first reaction was to backhand me off my feet, I knew that this fight was not off to a good start. My back slammed into the mirrored wall, which rained a shower of shards around me. Instinct placed my arms over my head. I crouched on my knees, motionless, until the glass stopped falling. I heard Kale move rather than saw him. With a growl, their bodies collided as I slowly got to my feet.

Shaking the glass out of my hair, I winced as I plucked one stray shard from the back of my hand, the only one that had impaled me. Lucky. The small cut would heal by morning. Of course, I had to live to see the morning, first.

Kale had launched a physical attack on the demon. Wrong move. The demon trapped him inside an energy circle that glowed with a red haze. My breath sucked in with an audible hiss. The demon didn’t even look at me when he released a bolt of power.

If my reaction time were any slower, I would have died in that moment. I threw my hands up and pushed back right in time to meet the blast with my own energy. Hmm, and what appeared to be a little of Arys’s energy, as well. My blue and yellow psi ball was tiny in comparison to what the demon had thrown, but it was enough to offset the impact and defer it from me.

Both the demon’s power and my own crashed into one of the Roman statues near the hot tub. It burst into dust. Before he could throw another one, I surrounded myself in a protection circle. Since I used solely my own energy, that barrier wouldn’t last long.

The demon grinned then, with his perfect teeth. He dismissed me and turned to Kale with a sneer. “Now look at what you’ve done.” He pointed one long finger to Greg, who still writhed on the floor with his neck at a hideous angle. “He’s no good to me like that. Damned pain in the ass vampires.”

I watched in stunned silence. As the demon walked softly over to Greg, he carefully stepped around the glass on the carpet. Before I could even guess what he intended, he raised the heel of a fine Italian boot and brought it down on Greg’s skull with a shattering blow.

A small scream escaped me, and the woman in the chair let loose with a loud, long wail. I turned my eyes from the gore on the floor and looked instead to Kale, who attempted a reassuring expression despite his prison of evil, demonic energy.

“Now.” The demon whirled once again to face Kale. “Would you like a chance to explain why you’re interfering with my little business venture, or shall I just gut you now and get it over with?” He made a show of straightening the cuffs of his Italian suit.

“Look, I can explain. We were acting on the assumption that he was running this little show. That is all.” Kale was back peddling fast now, which had me scared. We were out of our league here.

“Is that so?” The demon walked around the energy cage so that Kale had to turn in order to keep an eye on him. “Now, who do you suppose is going to take his position, vampire? You?”

Things were very quickly going from bad to worse. Sweat began to trickle down my back, and I focused to maintain my circle as I tried to think. If only room service would show up right now, I thought. Dammit.

Kale stammered but didn’t speak. He knew as well as I did that a demon will literalize your words. Too easily, they could manipulate your words and effectively use them against you.

“You’ve carelessly allowed for a witness.” At his words, all three of us looked at the sobbing woman in the chair. “She must be eliminated. Do it, vampire.”

With a snap of his fingers the demon’s circle dropped.  Free, Kale stood there uncertainly. The demon waited, fully expecting him to do what he was told. When Kale didn’t budge, the demon stomped his foot impatiently.

Oh God, I prayed. Please get us out of this one. The look on Kale’s face said clearly that he didn’t want to kill an innocent victim. He hadn’t lived that way in hundreds of years.

“What are you waiting for? Bleed the bitch or consider kissing all three of your asses’ goodbye.” The demon spoke very matter of fact with a tone that held no room for argument.

“No.” Kale spoke so quietly I almost didn’t hear him.

The tension in the hotel room grew to the point of unbearable, as the demon stared into him, clearly unaccustomed to the word, “no.” I took a deep, shaky breath. We were so dead.

Instead of replying to Kale like I expected, the demon strode silently to the crying woman. As he raised his hands, I realized what he was about to do.

“No!” I cried out. But, it was too late. He snapped her neck with the ease of breaking a dry twig in half.

“Save your enthusiasm, wolf. There is always room in hell for more hounds.” He winked, and my guts shriveled in response.

He didn’t wait for my reaction. He turned to Kale and lashed out with a sudden blow that rocked the vampire back on his heels. Blood blossomed from the fresh wound beneath Kale’s eye, the blue one.

I could clearly see him fighting not to react. To retaliate would most certainly mean a death sentence for the both of us. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until my lungs began to ache.

With another abrupt blast of power, the demon sent Kale flying. He didn’t get up. The demon turned on me with a gaze as black as night.

“How dare you involve yourself in my affairs? You are no more than a lap dog to my kind, werewolf. I’ll show you what happens to wolves who don’t know their place.”

He raised a hand to me, and my blood began to boil as my circle dissolved. An intense heat, worse than anything I’d ever felt, coursed through me. I stumbled and fell to my knees. I believe his intention was truly to cook me from the inside out.

Thanks to Lilah, I never had to find out.

All of a sudden she was just there, framed in the doorway. Dressed in black from head to toe, she wore a long trench coat and army boots. Her unnaturally red hair shone with an ethereal glow. Eyes the color of a pale orange sunset stared into the fair-haired demon as if they could see out the other side of him.

“And, I’m going to show you what happens to demons who mess with my people.” She said only one other word. The lady never even lifted a finger. “Die.”

Those creepy white eyes widened in shock and the demon shouted, “You!” Before he could utter another word, he began to sink in upon himself. There was a puff of smoke and he was gone. Only a pile of soot remained where the demon had stood.

No fucking way. Demons don’t die. They could be banished but with great difficulty. Incredibly unheard of, Lilah actually took this one out. I don’t mess with demons for a reason. They are the biggest of the bad.

I stood unsteadily, dumbfounded, as Lilah went to Kale. I forced myself to move and joined her at his side. My heart beat so hard against my ribs that it hurt.

“Is he alright?” I asked. I looked down at Kale. His left eye was swollen, but otherwise, he didn’t look too bad, just a little roughed up.

“Oh yeah,” she glanced at me with a critical eye. “Are you?”

I shrugged. I’d be fine. Lilah grasped my injured hand gently and passed the blood stained skin beneath Kale’s nose. I was too in awe of her to protest. I could feel the strange power in her touch.

Kale snapped upright suddenly and reached for my arm with a snarl. I jerked back, and Lilah put her hand on his chest. After a moment, he blinked a few times and relaxed. When she stepped back and dusted her hands off, I realized she was essentially wiping the metaphysical remnants from her skin.

She waited patiently, until he was steady on his feet, and then she gave us a nod and the briefest of smiles. It wasn’t exactly friendly, but it worked for me. Before either of us could say a word, she’d retreated into the hall and disappeared.

Chapter Six

I didn’t run as a wolf that night. Instead, I poured a glass of my favorite red wine and sunk appreciatively into a hot bubble bath. Blue bruises decorated my skin in a variety of places. The worst was my back, where I’d hit the mirrored wall. A good sleep would make a world of difference in the healing process, if I could get one. I wouldn’t say that I’m an insomniac so much as sleeping took up time that I didn’t have.

Kale and I had vacated the hotel immediately after Lilah, though we never caught up to her. We’d come closer to hell tonight than either of us had realized. I’d never been so glad to be safe inside my own home. Give me a vampire to deal with any day, but keep the demons in hell where they belong.

The water was cool by the time I pulled the plug. The approaching sunrise cast my bedroom in a faint, cozy glow. I turned the television on to a station that played sitcoms from the 80s and was asleep before the sun broke the horizon.

I hadn’t dreamt about it for years, three at least. And yet, I recognized it as if I’d never left. I was right back inside my worst nightmare, the most horrifying moment of my life so far.

I was my sixteen-year-old self again. I stood at the top of the stairs in the house where I’d grown up. It hadn’t always been the happiest of homes, due to ongoing conflict between my parents, but I’d learned to feign ignorance early on.

I looked down at the scene of destruction and death on the floor below, and for a minute, I couldn’t breathe. The front door hung ominously on one hinge, and it was a mess of deep scratches. Bloody trails and crimson splatters adorned the white and taupe walls. My mother’s screams thundered through my ears. My heart raced, and my breath caught in my throat, as I watched the next few moments play out in a wide-eyed stupor.

The large black wolf quickly silenced the incessant shrieks. It pounced on her back and sunk its powerful fangs deep into the back of her neck. Her blood covered its furry muzzle, and its eyes were wild, beyond monstrous.

My father and younger sister lay dead in the kitchen. I couldn’t see them from where I stood, but I knew. I’d heard their dying cries as well.

My hand flew to my mouth in an attempt to muffle the sound of my loud, terrified gasping. Even as I told myself that, this time, it wasn’t real, the blood-hungry beast below fixed me with cold eyes and darted up the stairs.

I turned to run as I had so many times before, but with a snap of great jaws, he caught my ankle in a crushing grip and threw me tumbling head over heels down the stairs. When I hit the bottom, I jerked awake with a start.

Sweat had my t-shirt clinging to me, and I accepted my aching muscles as a sign that I’d really woken up. I looked around hesitantly, half expecting the wolf to come snarling out of the shadows of my room.

Some nights the dream went on longer. In the years right after the attack, I never woke up until his fangs were buried in my throat, tearing skin and muscle away from my esophagus. That had never happened though.

By the time the wolf had gotten to me, it’d already had its fill. After landing at the base of the stairway, I had curled myself into the fetal position to protect my face and throat. Its fangs sunk into my back just twice before it disappeared through the broken front door.

I lay there for hours, alone with the cooling corpses of my loved ones. The call to the police had been one of the most horrifying moments of my life. I knew the authorities would think I was crazy if I told them the truth. I instead told them that I’d been out and had come home in the middle of the attack. I lied. I said I was unable to get a good look at the murderer.

I shook off the remnants of the nightmare. It seemed to cling to the fabric of my mind like age-old cobwebs. The kind that had been there long enough that they could never truly be dusted away.

The digital clock on the nightstand informed me that it was just past noon. I opened my bedroom curtain wide and allowed the sun to bathe me in its comforting warmth. My body ached and stiffness had set into my muscles as I slept. I stretched and groaned though my back already felt better.

“You look about as good as I feel,” Kylarai said when I entered the kitchen.

“Thanks for that.” I shrugged and went for the freshly made pot of coffee. “I think more people tell me when I look like shit than when I actually look good.”

“Sorry, I’m not exactly at my best either. Didn’t sleep worth a damn.”

“I’d like to say I slept but I think I just went back in time.”

“Attack dream?” Ky raised a questioning eyebrow. I nodded. “I don’t think they ever really go away.” She spoke as if she knew all too well. “Of course I can’t imagine that it helps when you don’t know whatever came of him. It might make a big difference if you knew he was dead.”

Easy for her to say, I thought. She’d blown the head off of the werewolf who was stupid enough to attack her. It was the first and last time she had ever wielded one of the shotguns her husband kept around the house.

“Yeah. I suppose.” I stared numbly out the window into the backyard as I stirred sugar into my cup.

A squirrel ran across a tree branch and leapt from one to the next. I wasn’t fooled by their cuteness. My grandmother had once told me a story about finding squirrels in a bird’s nest eating the legs off the baby birds. I’ve hated the little monsters since.

“Have you ever thought to talk to Veryl about it? Maybe he would know something.” Ky suggested as I took a seat across from her at the table. “You’d think a werewolf like that wouldn’t go unnoticed by him.”

She had a point. Perhaps Veryl would have some information on the wolf that had attacked me. But, did it really matter now? And, what if he still lives? Would I be able to live my life carefree, or would I become obsessed with settling a score already a decade old? I debated giving Veryl a call, but as the sun would have it, I’d have to wait until dark. Pushing the thought from my mind, I sipped from the precious, steaming hot coffee.

“What’s on your agenda for today?” Kylarai asked, successfully changing the topic.

I looked at her, prepared to deliver a mental to-do list, and realized I didn’t have one. “Nothing actually. For once.”

“I just have a few business calls to make, and then I’m free. Want to get out, do a little shopping or something?” Kylarai got up for a refill before rummaging around in her briefcase. “We can grab dinner after.”

If I’d been challenged to remember the last time she and I did regular girl stuff, I’d lose. Kylarai had been working some long hours lately. It really had been some time since she’d gone out.

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon. Tomorrow night was the full moon and the most powerful twenty-fours of the lunar cycle. Most of us wouldn’t be human, might as well enjoy it now.

“That sounds excellent. I wouldn’t mind a little shopping. There was a really cute pair of heels at the mall a few weeks ago. I never had time to try them on.”

When Ky disappeared into our small office and closed the door, I decided I’d better jump in the shower and get ready. I wasn’t really keen on walking around in public wearing the worst pair of sweat pants I own. But, even as I massaged conditioner into my long, agonizingly straight hair, the scenes from my nightmare continued to replay inside my head.

* * * *

I stood staring at a lilac sundress. It would have looked great on me if I had legs a mile long, but, let’s just say, I didn’t add it to my collection of things to try on.

“Alexa.” I heard my name whispered loudly from the changing room around the corner.

Kylarai stood behind one of the heavy, red velvet curtains. Only her face peered out at me. At my approach, she opened the curtain enough for me to slip behind it.

“What do you think?” She asked as she spread her arms, as wide as the small space would allow, and twirled. She wore a pale blue dress that ended just above the knee. The color gave the illusion that her grey eyes were also blue. A form fitting bodice and spaghetti straps made it simple but in an elegant way.

“It looks beautiful,” I said, envying the other woman’s height. She had a good four inches on me, which made all the difference when it came to buying pants. And, that lilac sundress. It’s harder than one may think to find petites.

“Really? You don’t think it’s squeezing too much in here?” She indicated her generous cleavage.

“That’s the point, Ky.”

She cast me a playful glare and turned to examine her behind in the mirror. “Ok, you can go now.”

I returned to browse through the sales racks and actually managed to think only about what I was seeing, particularly that silky red skirt. I examined the V-cut of it before shaking my head and putting it back. A long black evening dress near the doorway caught my eye. Though I did not intend to buy it, I was drawn to look.

My hackles rose, just for a moment, as if somebody was watching me. I cast a glance around the near empty store. Nobody. I glanced out the open door into the fast-paced mall beyond. A mother struggled by with three small children. A teenage couple holding hands and a pair of mall security guards passed by. No one stared at me. Even as the feeling began to fade, I couldn’t shake the strange energy that taunted my senses.

I was relieved when Kylarai appeared, dress in hand. “I haven’t bought myself something nice like this in ages. I know I’m going to feel so guilty about this later.” I followed her to the cashier as she chattered on but stared back over my shoulder. “What’s wrong?” She asked suddenly.

“Nothing. Just spaced out. Sorry.” I shrugged. There was no point in ruining the day with some paranoia.

“My legs feel like jelly,” I said when we finally flopped into the car with our bags stowed in the backseat.

I never did buy those shoes. Instead, I had come across a sexy, little black dress. A combination of silk with lace trim, it hugged my every curve, as if tailored for me alone. The fact that it was strapless had caused me some hesitation. After Kylarai’s reassurance that my ample breasts would hold it up just fine, I succumbed and handed over my debit card. Aside from that, I dropped more money than I should have at the bookstore, one of my favorite places to shop. And now, I was ready to call it a day.

“Do you want to stay in the city for supper or head back to town?” I asked. When she reached to change the radio station, I smiled through the twinges of irritation.

“You want the steak from Lucy’s, don’t you?”

“It’s been awhile. And, it is past supper time.”

“That’s fine with me. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to Lucy’s for steak and drinks.” A few more turns of the dial, and she stopped on the local hip-hop station. I tried hard not to howl from the pain it caused me.

“Kylarai, I can’t stand this station. My car, my radio. Why don’t you ever drive anymore?”

“Your car is newer.” She shrugged. “And, mine is a bitch on gas.”

After some friendly bickering, we settled on a station that we could both live with, easy listening.

It was going to be the start of the full moon at midnight, which encouraged loose and reckless behavior. I could already feel the crackle of the moon’s powerful pull on the air.

Upon pulling into the parking lot of Lucy’s Lounge, Ky inquired jokingly as to why I wasn’t wearing my pretty new dress. Not in a million years would I wear a dress like that to a place like Lucy’s. I was more than happy with what I was wearing. The baby doll tee I wore stated simply “Bite me.” My black velvet skirt was cut above my knees in the front, below in the back. It was comfortable and easy to move in.

The second we stepped through the doors, the sea of smells was an assault on the senses. My eyes adjusted quickly to the dull lighting, and though all I could see was a crowd of faces, I could feel every shifter in the place. Shaz was working the bar. Two other town Weres were shooting pool on the far side of the room.

Amateur exotic dancer night was always a hit with the guys, occasionally too much of a hit. It was only once a week, but it had a tendency to be the most interesting night to show up.

I knew that Arys was in the swarm, but I had yet to see him. I didn’t doubt that he knew I was there.

We weaved our way through the tightly packed bodies. The side of the Lounge with the pool tables didn’t have as many free seats, so we headed for a table on the other side, near the stage.

I followed Kylarai as she led the way through the thick mass of people. She looked great as always, dressed simply in pinstriped pants and a white, strapless top with her trendy locks framing her round face. Her eyes sparkled with the moon energy and her own lively nature.

Flashing lights battered my eyes from the stage, where a buxom blonde strutted her very topless self around to one of the latest Top 40 songs. Hoots and hollers followed her, and a handful of men crowded around the edge of the stage and waited for their turn to slip a bill into her tiny g-string. The testosterone was thick on the air. I wrinkled my nose at Kylarai in distaste.

I felt the vampire’s eyes on me. He’d found me first. Once I felt him, I could pinpoint where he was. He sat closer to the stage, off to the side with a few of his poker buddies. He looked right at home in the bar, dressed all in black. His raven hair was just the right amount of messy.  I could feel the fire in the smoldering look he gave me from across the room. I knew that, though his eyes were on me, he monitored the occupants of the room just as surely as I did.

He motioned me over, but I shook my head and crooked my finger, a signal to come to our table instead. After a few words to his buddies, he pushed his chair back and came our way. I wasn’t sure why my heart chose this moment to beat so fast.

“Why are you so nervous?” Kylarai asked me. She leaned in close to be heard over the music.

Even if she couldn’t hear my heart pounding, then she could surely sense my unease. Before I could reply, he was within earshot.

“Arys, hey. How are you?” Kylarai greeted him warmly. “Nice to see you again.”

“Good, thank you. And yourself?”

I feigned interest in the show on the stage while they exchanged pleasantries. The blonde was now writhing on the floor sans g-string. I was willing to bet my money that most of these amateurs were not really so amateur after all.

“How about you, Alexa? I’m glad you stopped in tonight.” He turned those deep blue eyes on me, and I tripped over my tongue a few times before I could reply.

“Oh really?” I gestured to the empty chair between Kylarai and me. I put on my best neutral expression and prayed that he couldn’t hear my rapid heartbeat. “There isn’t already enough here to keep you busy?”

He grinned and glanced briefly at the stage, but the spectacle didn’t hold his attention long before he took the offered seat. After decades of dancing girls, I was sure he’d seen much better than this. I had a much bigger appreciation for classic burlesque myself.

“There are a great many snacks to be had on a night like this.” He gave a low chuckle that seemed to stroke the nocturnal side of me. I was curious and drawn, as both human and wolf, to the sinister nature of his darkness.

“I don’t find that hard to believe.” I used my drink as a good distraction, a chance to look away momentarily. The waitress paused at our table so I ordered another.

When I looked back at the vampire, an obvious hunger burned behind his eyes. Was it my imagination, or did he study the pulse in my throat?

The blood of a shape shifter was intoxicating to vampires. Some had been known to form addictions to it, though that was rare. It gave them a hell of a high. I’d heard werewolves talk that way after their first taste of human flesh and blood, obsessed and addicted. It was unnerving.

“Tonight I’m feeling in the mood for something else, something…lupine.” Arys let the words hang on the air between us as I tried desperately to swallow the lump in my throat. Kylarai excused herself to the ladies’ room, and I felt my cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.

“Arys, what in the hell was that?” I hissed once she was lost amidst the crowd. “Don’t talk like that in front of Kylarai. It implies something that we aren’t.”

“But should be.”

“What?”

“Don’t deny it, Alexa. You felt it. I know you feel it right now. The way the need pulls you. Your living wolf wants to touch my undead power and run through the world of the dark-,”

“It isn’t real,” I interrupted. I shook my head and downed the last of my drink. I used looking around for the waitress as a distraction. I was afraid to fall into those sapphire eyes.

“It is.” He grabbed my hand, and I felt the urge that raced through my veins like fire. It didn’t force the boundaries of my control, but it was unrelenting in its persistence. “It’s as real as you and me.”

It was. I could feel it under the surface of my being. The rush itself created a longing, and I was starting to learn that our own personal powers went much deeper than the surface.

Arys’s fingers traced light circles in the palm of my hand. A heat wave flowed down my arm, followed by a tingle, the sensation of the energy building. Common sense told me to pull away while everything else screamed for more contact, more power.

“I can’t do this.” I whispered the words, but he heard me. Without replying, he leaned in and before I could react, turned my face to him as he boldly kissed me.

The roar in my ears left me deaf. As he deepened the kiss, a doorway opened for our two differing energies to meld.

He tasted faintly of blood, and I liked it. His fangs pierced my bottom lip, and an exhilarated thrill shot straight to my groin as he ran his tongue over the small wounds. The metal of his lip ring was cool against my tongue as I tasted him.

The power began a steady climb, but finally my rational mind took over. I broke off the kiss as the waitress returned with my drink.

When she’d gone, I turned to Arys. My heart pounded in my ears. “This is dangerous. We’re playing with fire here.”

“Then, let’s extinguish the flame.” Was Arys out of his mind? What was he expecting from me? “Let’s get out of here.”

“No. I’m not leaving right now. I’m going to find Ky, and then I’m going to shoot some pool.” I needed to escape the situation.

The next girl to dance was one of the local Weres that ran with us on occasion. I certainly couldn’t watch this. I used the moment to stand up and gather my things.

“I’m sure you should have enough to keep you entertained.” I filled my hands with my purse and drink so that I couldn’t possibly fulfill the longing to touch him again.

“Not a chance. You haven’t seen the last of me tonight, Alexa.” He leaned close. His breath felt warm against my ear. The heady scent of him tempted me to change my mind. “With a hunger like yours burning, I plan to be around when it burns out of your control, when you need someone to quench it.” With that, he gave me a wink and sauntered back to his table.

I stared after him for a minute. I was hard-pressed not to just drop my things and abandon self-control. I did hunger. I’d attributed it to the moon, combined with natural human and animal instincts. But, this was different. This was a similar need with a different outcome. I wanted to know what that outcome might be, as frightening as it was.

I found Kylarai. She sat at the bar and visited with Shaz. I was suddenly stricken with worry, afraid that Shaz had seen Arys kiss me.

I had no commitments, but I was wary of hurting anyone’s feelings. The smile, which he beamed at me when I walked up, told me that he’d seen nothing. Despite having no commitments, I couldn’t shake the guilty feeling.

The customers never relented, so I didn’t get a chance to speak with him long. Kylarai and I spent the next couple of hours shooting pool and enjoying some of that savory steak that I’d been eagerly anticipating.

In the back of my mind, I kept going back to Arys, to the wonderful way the power breathed over, around and through us. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, which also led me to think about Shaz.

It was different with Shaz, different not only because we both shared the same supernatural power, but also because I feared an emotional attachment with him. I didn’t feel that Arys would ever look at me that way. It was nothing more than a power trip for him, too, with nothing deep-rooted to destroy. I didn’t want to take that chance with Shaz. He’s family.

We’d decided to call it a night around one o’clock. I’d had more than my usual to drink. I got successfully tipsy. I didn’t tell Arys that I was leaving. We’d just left the building and rounded the corner to watch for a taxi. I cursed about having to leave my car.

They came out of the dark. Three men moved to form a partial circle around us. One of them stepped forward to act as ring leader. The stranger stood before me and looked me up and down with a judgmental grimace under a greasy coif of hair. He looked almost forty, too old for stunts like this. He leered down at me and puffed on a cigarette.

“Tell me where to find Raoul Roberts.” He ground his teeth together as he spoke. His eyes were extremely bloodshot, and he looked as if he hadn’t slept in days.

“Who?” I blinked up at him with my best vacant-eyed expression.

“Don’t fuck with me. Somebody told me that you would know where to find him. Raoul Roberts. Where is he?” His fists clenched and unclenched, and I fought the urge to head butt him right in his insipid face.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now if you’ll excuse me-,”

“You’re not going anywhere until you tell me where he lives. He killed my wife, and I’m not going to rest until I take him apart with my own hands. You don’t want to be the only thing preventing that. I don’t have a problem starting with you.”

I said nothing and shouldered my way past him. What I should have done was drop him, right then and there. The slap came out of nowhere, and I tasted blood inside my mouth. I hadn’t anticipated the hit.

Kylarai was in his face before he could blink. I don’t think he even knew it was her that hit him before he was wiping blood from his broken nose.

He stumbled back, but his friends never budged. If things got ugly, I was more than sure we could handle it, but I always preferred to walk away when it came to foolish humans.

The other two guys looked at Kylarai uncertainly. They were second-guessing their choice in confronting us. As I braced myself for a fight, I cursed Raoul inside my head.

Julie Price’s husband stared at Ky dumbfounded before he launched into action. He came at her fast, and I watched his eyes go from enraged to stunned as she easily caught his fist. With an audible crack, she twisted his wrist until he cried out.

“Is there a problem here?” A low, velvety voice came from behind me. The vampire had found me after all.

Price’s two buddies wasted no time in fleeing. I guess they didn’t want to have their faces rearranged by a girl, much less Arys. Price howled his pain but backed away at Arys’s approach.

They fled under the watchful gaze of the vampire. I was amused and annoyed at the same time. I wanted them to be running from me, not Arys.

“Well, I guess we’ll just be getting a cab then,” I said, turning towards the street. Arys grabbed my arm and spun me back to face him. His eyes were serious and seemed to dare me to argue as he touched a hand gently to my stinging cheek.

“Correction. We will walk Kylarai to a cab. You and I have some unfinished business to attend to.”

“You know this perfect timing stuff - riding in to save the helpless damsel in distress - is really getting old.”

“You know I don’t think you’re helpless.”

“Then why the sudden appearance every time some asshole with his dick in a knot makes trouble for me?”

Silence. He just stared at me with those deep blue orbs.

“Ok, Alexa, I’m out of here,” Kylarai called from twenty feet away where a cab was pulling to a stop near the curb. “You coming with?”

I wanted to say yes and leave with Ky whether Arys liked it or not, but that was only to spite him, not because I didn’t want to stay.

“No. I’m not.” I didn’t take my eyes off of the vampire. A devilish grin slowly spread along his handsome features. “Leave a message on my cell when you get home so I know you made it ok.”

“I’ll see you at home, Alexa. Be careful.” The teasing look in her eyes said she meant the vampire.

When she closed the cab door, I was alone with my whiskey-encouraged, moon-inspired decision and a power-hungry vampire.

Chapter Seven

With Arys, I didn’t have a sole intention in mind. I wasn’t on the prowl for someone to relieve me of moon-related desires, and I wasn’t lonely. What kept me walking beside him went deeper than either of those things: Power.

I declined his offer to get a cab. Instead, I insisted we walk the few blocks to his bachelor bungalow under the wide-open sky. I needed to feel the moon on my skin and the night in my veins.

We walked along a bike path and forced some aimless small talk. Energy shifted keenly between us as we ambled through the warm summer night. I could smell the common town jack rabbits in the empty playground across the street. The town was quiet.

I expected to feel awkward or uncertain as we drew closer to Arys’s house. Instead, anticipation thrilled me, and my inner beast waited eagerly. As a heady glow enveloped me, my senses heightened to a painfully delicious extent. The faint evening breeze encouraged my wolf and called me to run.

I longed to touch Arys, to open that strange door between us. I ached to know what we were playing with.  I yearned for a taste of his superhuman power, but the driving force wasn’t really me. This was something bigger than the sum of our power, greater than the two of us combined.

We’d barely locked his front door when he pressed me against the wall. His body felt warm and ready next to mine. I’d resisted the urge to give in so many times already, but now I just let go. I needed to know the outcome of submitting to Arys’s pull instead of fighting.

He allowed me no time to take in my surroundings. At his aggressive touch, my wolf leapt to meet him and a wave of adrenaline crashed through me. As his lips touched mine, our powers collided. Energy rushed around us, white noise that grew by the second. His soft tongue sought mine, and I knew that his need was as great as my own.

Arys tangled one hand in my hair, tugging urgently at my clothing with the other. His touch was possessive and rough. I gasped when he caressed my bare skin, stroking a bold path down my abdomen.

“Arys wait,” I breathed. My lips fought to form the word. I wanted to move further into the house, away from the entryway. I had yet to take my shoes off.

“I know you want me, Alexa. I can feel your wolf calling to me.” He buried his face in my hair, and I felt fangs graze the sensitive skin along the side of my neck.

I shoved him off me and kicked my chunky wedge heels off. “Let’s go inside.”

He stared at me like a hormone-fueled teenager who couldn’t understand the word no.

Even as I sauntered into the heart of the house, the power tried to persuade me to reconnect the broken touch. I didn’t get very far before Arys pulled me back into his arms. A gentle breeze of electricity stirred around us as I lost myself in him. The energy built with each touch and encouraged the next.

In the back of my mind, I wondered what exactly it was that we were conjuring up. Maybe we should stop. I made to pull away, but Arys kissed me. The passion sent a fire racing through my soul. I wanted to take him, right there in the living room. Instead, he led me to the bedroom.

The king size bed was in the middle of the room.  With its lavish, fluffy pillows and deep comforter, Arys’s bed looked like a marshmallow just waiting for me to dive in. I was disappointed when he steered me away, but desire and instinct drove me. I focused solely on the vampire that made my blood boil. I needed him to put out the fire that we’d ignited.

Engulfed in passion, I stripped off my own clothes. His hands caressed every piece of skin that I revealed. I couldn’t recall if he’d rid himself of his clothing or if I had done it in my frenzy. I had no semblance of rational thought left at the forefront of my brain.

With dark, potent need, I clung to Arys. He picked me up and slammed me against the wall with a satisfying bang. Braced against the wall, I growled with hunger, ready for him.

As Arys slid deep inside me, a wave of power crashed over us. With our bodies joined, the power seemed to weld us together in our union. It was like that last puzzle piece finding its place.

I flashed back to Lena’s battery metaphor, and a glimmer of fear crept in, but it was too late. I was in his mind, just as he was in mine. Images flashed through my brain like a strobe light. Arys’s memories flooded me with too much information. I wished to close my eyes against the onslaught, but it ran deeper than vision.

I saw blood and pain in his memory, much that he’d taken and more that he’d given. And heartbreak. I was intrigued by the heartbreak. I’d never looked at him that way, like someone who had feelings beyond blood thirst. I had only seen the vampire, not the man.

I experienced the sensation of what he felt when he killed, the ecstasy that he felt each and every time. I saw Arys walk away from a kill with renewal and a grin, but I also saw the blood tears and the regret. The shame that he’d once again fallen into the trap of temptation.

Sweat dripped down the side of my face, and my hair was damp with it. I could feel him in my mind. I couldn’t have shut him out if I had tried. Despite all of it, he didn’t slow his pace as he thrust into me with a sense of desperation.

My fingertips were sticky with his blood. My claws had bit through his flesh as I held him to me. If it pained him, he gave no sign. I cried out as we spiraled toward climax. Our crescendo of buzzing power neared the breaking point.

I was painfully aware of the overflow of energy. It seeped into the objects in the room, as it sought a place to expend. A clock radio on the nightstand turned itself on at full volume and quickly fizzled out, fried. The ceiling light turned on before exploding, sending thousands of tiny shards onto the carpet. I gave a small yelp as one struck my foot. The lights down the hallway followed suit, and I could hear the TV in the living room turn on full blast and then a loud pop.

“Alexa, can I…?” Arys’s breath was hot against my ear as he whispered my name urgently. His pace quickened, and I felt myself hurtling fast towards that ultimate finish.

When it hit, I climaxed with the greatest intensity that I’d ever experienced. It smashed into me with the heaviest metaphysical weight that I’d encountered during a physical act. The strangest sensation accompanied it, something that hurt deep inside my mind as it stripped away any barrier left between the vampire and I.

I heard the howl that tore out of my throat but didn’t identify it as me. In the same breath, Arys sank his fangs deep into that soft hollow above my collarbone. I arched my back, and as the howl died out, it turned to cries of sheer joy. A sound low in his throat echoed me as he sucked and licked at the bloody wound. It hurt so badly but it felt so good.

I wrapped my legs tightly around him as he carried me to the fluffy bed, careful to check for glass before setting me down.

Everything in Arys’s house that had run on power of any kind had been blown far past capacity. We had completely lost control. The disastrous potential of that much power alarmed me.

With our nagging metaphysical energy spent, we were left with the hum of residual power in the room and the continued sexual enticement of the moon, which I gladly gave into. Arys was more than happy to quench that thirst as well. We remained entangled in one another until just before dawn, when finally we lay exhausted.

I lay there amidst the down blankets and the satin sheets, breathless. My mind scrambled to make sense of everything that I’d seen and felt. I had been unprepared for the experience. A complete bearing of souls was not what I’d had in mind. Arys broke the silence first.

“That was a trip.” He gave my hand a squeeze.

I lay, collapsed on the bed beside him, staring up at the ceiling. The blood still roared through my ears, and I shook slightly, whether from a chill or from aftershocks, I wasn’t sure.

“Really Arys, what the hell was that? That was so far from normal.”

“Why, thank you. You were damn incredible yourself.” He laughed, and I gave his arm a halfhearted slap. With all that had just taken place, I was surprised that the atmosphere was so comfortable.

I knew the things that Arys had seen inside my mind. He knew my secrets, my hopes and fears. I said a silent prayer that I could trust him with that.

“Seriously though, did you know it would be like that? A complete sharing. I can’t imagine how that could happen.” I was insistent despite the fangs that now nipped playfully at my throat. When he bit at my breasts, I pushed him back to force him to reply to me, despite the tingle that grew low inside me again.

“No. I never would have guessed it would be something that I couldn’t block. When our powers joined, it tore away any mental barriers between us. I’m not sure I can say I would have done it had I known we would share everything.” He pushed my hands down and pinned them against the bed. “But now that it’s too late, we might as well make the most of it.”

Arys’s lips made their way to one of my breasts. His tongue traced circles around my nipple as he chuckled wickedly. His eyes met mine, and he asked, “Can I taste you again?”

The fact that he wanted permission to bite me spoke volumes in terms of respect. I didn’t need to answer, though, as I played with his feather soft black hair. Enough had passed between us that words didn’t seem important.

After a moment, his fangs sunk deep into the fleshy underside of my breast. A sound escaped me that was both pain and pleasure.

“Do you treat all of your lovers this roughly?” I asked with a hint of teasing. My breath was stolen as his fingers sought out the warm, inviting place between my legs.

“Of course not. You’re a werewolf,” he replied as if that was explanation enough. His tongue lapped at the blood he’d spilled, and I strained against him, wanting more than he was giving.

“You’re high. High on power and werewolf blood.” My voice sounded terribly lazy. Arys looked up at me with a crimson smear on his lower lip. His eyes burned with a predator’s glow.

“Funny comment coming from a lady with such stunning wolf eyes. Howl for me, Alexa. I want to hear how much you love this.”

I did love it. His touch rocked me in ways I never thought possible. As much as I wanted him to scratch the itch inside me again, I wanted answers.

“Do you know what’s happened to us Arys? I need to know. I don’t know enough.” My words stopped, and I dug claws into the sheet beneath me as his mouth replaced his fingers, hot against my core.

“What do you need to know? Power wants to be used.” He spoke slowly, and his lips never left my flesh. “And enjoyed in the meantime.”

“Ok, no more talking,” I groaned. My questions temporarily forgotten, I urged him up so that he kneeled over me.

A sinful smile curved my lips as I gazed up at his hard body. He was more than ready for me again, and I growled my frustration when he didn’t immediately take me.

“Arys,” I murmured. “Don’t play with me, boy.”

“Still not satisfied, Alexa?” He rubbed his rock hard shaft against me playfully, and I made a noise that could have been a purr. I had been satisfied three or four times over now, but the hunger for him was far from fulfilled.

“Not yet. Why don’t you hurry up and satisfy me? Again.” The pleading note to my words made me grimace. The wolf would beg for it, under the right circumstance, but the woman in me never would.

If his snake-like grin was any indication, he loved hearing it. He wasn’t as aggressive as the first few rounds. This time, the softness frightened me. I associated soft, gentle sex with feelings and emotion. After everything we’d willingly and unwillingly shared, insecurity was beginning to creep in.

Arys’s room was heavily curtained to prevent even a sliver of sunlight through, so when the dawn broke, he paid it no mind. Around seven, I decided that I should be getting home.

“You know, Alexa,” Arys said thoughtfully from where he lay on the bed watching me shimmy into my skirt. “This could be huge for us. Imagine what we could do with that kind of power.” He grinned slyly.

“Like what? Wait. Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know what you’re thinking.” I slipped my shirt over my head and tried uselessly to finger comb the tangles from my hair. “Arys, about the memory thing…”

“I think that was a little traumatizing for both of us. Let’s just agree to keep it confidential.”

I nodded, uncertain. “Speaking of keeping things quiet-,”

“You don’t want the wolf pup to find out.” Arys nodded knowingly, and I cringed. “Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”

“Thank you.” I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I didn’t know why it meant so much to me to keep this quiet. In part, the sex had a lot tied into it that maybe shouldn’t be public knowledge. Also, there were certain people, like Raoul and Shaz, that, for very different reasons, I didn’t want to know my personal business.

“I’ll see you later, Arys,” I called from where I’d stopped in the washroom. Pulling the glass sliver from my foot proved more painful than when the damn thing had gone in. I cursed and swore until the little shard had successfully found its way into the garbage. The debris and glass was appalling in the light of day.

“You can count on it. Do you need me to call you a cab or anything?”

I walked through the house calling back that I was fine with walking. I wanted to walk home rather than call for a ride because I needed the time to think. I dreaded the car retrieval of shame I’d have to do later. The night had revealed so much but had created more confusion as well. As I closed the door on the mess, I felt guilty about not cleaning up, but he’d insisted it was no big deal.

The second I closed the front door behind me and turned to face the day, my eyes burned and watered madly. I fished around in my purse until I produced sunglasses, which didn’t do much to help other than hide my wolf eyes. I spent the first ten minutes of my walk furiously wiping my eyes. To passing motorists, it must have looked like I was crying.

I started feeling shaky and nauseous. I hungered, and it wasn’t a fat, bloody steak that I longed for but the taste of human blood. My stomach hurt, and I had to pause near some brush where I heaved but threw up nothing. What was going on?

My shaking hands were again becoming claws, and I felt my fangs fill my mouth. The wolf was fighting to break free, and I wasn’t sure why right now. I felt little control over myself suddenly, and I was scared. I began thinking that perhaps Arys and I truly had played with fire.

Chapter Eight

I’m still not sure how I made it home, but I did. I felt increasingly worse as I walked. More than once, I had to stop, wracked with pain in my abdomen.

Shortly after eight, I fumbled my way into the house with clawed hands. Claws are a real bitch for opening doors. The more subdued lighting inside was a relief to my burning eyes.

Removing my shoes proved such a difficult task that, in the end, I gave up and just kicked until they flew off. Each one smacked the wall with a thud that broke the morning stillness.

I was dizzy, and everything began to spin. Rocked with bloodlust, my stomach churned. It wasn’t my hunger. I wasn’t the one who thrived on the blood of the living.

I staggered to my bedroom. My clawed hands left scratches on the walls as I went. After hugging the toilet in my en suite bathroom did nothing to ease the pain in my guts, I crawled to my bed. I was overcome with weakness before being overwhelmed in a sea of black.

I was out for a solid nine hours during which I had the strangest dreams. Sometimes, I saw Arys’s memories through his eyes, and others, I watched as a bystander. My brain seemed to be trying to make sense of the multitude of information that I’d absorbed earlier.

I saw Arys as a man, a human man. He’d been engaged to be married more than three hundred years ago. His fiancée had been a simple beauty, but he loved her dearly. She reminded him of his mother.

His mother… Everything changed, and now I saw his mother with her rouged cheeks and highly pinned hair. I was confused, and I wanted to wake up. Nothing was making any sense to me. It was so random.

I got a taste of Arys’s horror and fear when he realized the woman who’d seduced him for the evening was a vampire with wicked intentions. She wasn’t the one to turn him though. No, that was somebody else. Something was missing. What happened to the fiancée?

My sleep was fitful and disturbing, and when I finally awoke, I was slick with sweat. Kylarai was sitting at my desk using my computer. I sat up and threw my blanket off. My tongue was dry when I tried to speak.

“How are you feeling, Lex?” She asked. She approached me tentatively and perched on the edge of the bed. I could see the flood of questions in her eyes. “You better have a damn good story.”

I still wore the clothes that I’d worn last night, but I was thankfully free of fangs or claws. I struggled out of my shirt and threw it on the floor near the laundry hamper. Then the skirt followed before I met Kylarai’s eyes.

When I sat in my under things, I turned to her. Like a true best friend, she held a glass of ice water out to me.

“Thanks,” I said, after wetting my parched throat. The word came easier than I’d expected. “I feel … awesome.”

“Seriously Alexa, what happened to you last night? Did Arys hurt you?” Her gaze was fixed on the wound near my collarbone, and I could see the assumptions forming.

I reached up and touched the bite. It was crusty around the punctures, and it ached at my touch. I made an attempt to get off the bed, but my head spun, so I sat back down. “No, he didn’t hurt me. I really need a shower.”

“Ok, he didn’t hurt you. So you’ve just recently become a donor?” There was no denying the vehemence in her voice.

“Ky, please. Don’t be like that.” I made a second attempt to get off the bed, and this time my head didn’t swim.

“Well, forgive me for being suspicious, but wouldn’t you be? You look like shit.”

“Fantastic.” I pulled some clean clothes out of my closet and turned to the bathroom. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but honestly, I don’t think it was the physical nature of things. I think it was the metaphysical.”

“How so?”

“If you’ll be the best friend a girl could ever ask for and make me some coffee, I will tell you all about it after my shower. Promise.”

The hot shower felt great even though it set fire to every sore spot I had. I shampooed my hair and lathered my body twice, careful to remove any trace of Arys’s scent from my skin.

The vampire bite, however, had not entirely healed. If I arranged my hair just right, I could most likely hide it. The bite on my breast looked the same but both wounds were clean and should heal as if they’d never happened.

Kylarai stared daggers into me when I entered the kitchen. She looked at me as if I was hiding something. She listened attentively as I recounted the previous night’s events from the time I left her.

I left out the most private and unnecessary details, but her raised eyebrows said she could guess. When I told her about the energy overload in Arys’s house, her eyes really widened.

“I’ve never heard of any such thing. That’s amazing.”

“And bizarre. I don’t know what to make of it. I felt terrible after. And so… hungry.” I was hesitant to tell her that I had actually hungered for human blood, but I trusted her, so I shared.

She looked thoughtful for a minute, chewing her pouty lower lip. “Interesting. That could be something to play with.”

“Could be dangerous, too. It really freaked me out. I’m going to ask Lena about it.” I finished my first cup of coffee in a few large gulps and poured a second. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this but-,”

“I know. Don’t say anything. But, you still have to face Shaz with that bite mark. Better think of something good.”

“I’ll tell him its work related.” Even as the words came out of my mouth, I felt bad about them.

“Do you think anything weird happened to Arys after you left?”

“No idea. Only one way to find out.”

“He was an equal participant too. It should work both ways.” Kylarai pointed out. My biggest concern was that he would dream of me as I had of him. It kind of creeped me out to picture it. “Therefore, he would probably experience some of your weaknesses like you did his.”

“But what are our mortal weaknesses to someone who has passed beyond that?” It nagged at me because something didn’t fit. She shrugged. She had no more to offer than I did.

I spent a lot of time hovering over the bathroom sink, splashing cool water on my face. My body was conflicted, and it shifted back and forth between a cold and hot sweat. I cursed a series of things all the while, needing a place to point the finger and lay blame.

I began by blaming Arys. This had to be all his fault. If he hadn’t been after me, pursuing my living power as if it were a treat to snack on, this wouldn’t have happened.

From there I moved to pinpointing the moon. The lunar cycle had influenced my poor decision. Inevitably, I came to rest my accusations solely on my own half-assed attempts to resist temptation. But, the power had called, and after resisting for so long, I gave in. Like a fool.

My face was still dripping over the sink when the doorbell rang. I sucked in my breath and willed my stomach to stop flip-flopping. I dried my face and prepared to leave the security of the bathroom. I sure hoped our visitor wouldn’t mind my t-shirt and sweat pants attire.

“Shaz is here,” Kylarai called. “It looks like he brought us dinner.”

When I rounded the corner of the kitchen and was greeted by Shaz’s characteristic grin, my hand actually flew to my neck to ensure the bite was hidden by the t-shirt. I was ashamed and afraid. Would he smell it?

Ky was already digging into the greasy bags of Chinese food and pulling out Styrofoam containers. The scent of ginger beef, rice and steamed vegetables teased my senses, and I was suddenly starving.

“You came to feed us? Awesome! I was just wondering what to order for supper,” Kylarai said as she grabbed plates from the cupboard for the three of us.

“Well, I figured, since I never really got a chance to talk to you guys last night and we haven’t done this in awhile, I should treat.” Shaz replied as he helped himself to our cold beer stash in the refrigerator. Was it wrong to check out his cute rear end while he bent over?

“The bar was busy last night.” I tried to sound casual and wondered if I sounded suspicious instead. Despite having showered, I worried that he would somehow scent Arys on me. “Julie Price’s husband assaulted me in the parking lot. He was bound and determined to find Raoul.”

“What?” Shaz looked up from the box of chicken balls he was attacking. “Are you kidding?”

“Hell no,” Ky laughed. “The bastard slapped her across the face so I broke his damn nose.”

“You just beat me to it.” I interjected and stuck out my tongue at her.

“Holy shit. I always miss the good stuff being stuck behind that damn bar.” Shaz shook his blond mane so that a stray lock fell into his eyes.

“It would have been better if Arys hadn’t shown up so soon. That chicken shit Price took off too fast.” My eyebrows must have risen in alarm at Kylarai’s mention of Arys’s name because she quickly went on. “But I guess its best that he took off. Things could have gotten really ugly.”

“I wonder if he ever found Raoul.” Shaz began to reach for a fortune cookie, but I playfully smacked his hand away. He knew it was bad luck to eat the cookie before the end of the meal.

“I doubt it. He didn’t seem to be too coherent.”

“Mmhmm,” Ky nodded. “He was a mess. But, that makes sense considering he did just lose his wife.”

“I would probably want a piece of Raoul, too, if I were him.” I spoke between mouthfuls of beef. I felt like I hadn’t eaten in weeks. “I already do.”

“Well, you’ll have your chance tonight. I’m sure the death of an ex-lover won’t be enough to stop him from running during the full moon.”

I looked at Shaz thoughtfully while I chewed. I could only assume Raoul would show up. Usually, we ran as a pack at midnight, which was still hours away.

The voice of the newscaster on TV carried to me from the living room. The news had been background noise until I heard the name Sheridan Boyd. I stopped chewing and, when they continued to chat, held my chopsticks up for silence. The news anchor rambled a little spiel about her body being found this morning in a dumpster behind a popular city nightclub.

“Isn’t that another of Raoul’s exes?” Kylarai’s eyes were huge with incredulity. I merely nodded.

When we had finished eating, I dialed Raoul’s number, effectively quieting Shaz and Kylarai. He didn’t answer, but he screens his calls.

“I’m on my way over,” I said when the voicemail picked up. “If you have company, get rid of them. You don’t want witnesses for this conversation.”

“Uh oh,” Ky’s tone was teasing. “Things are going to get ugly.”

“Yeah,” I couldn’t prevent the sigh that escaped me. “Lucky me.”

Before I left, my curiosity won out, and I broke into my fortune cookie. ‘A new friend will prove too good to be true.’ That was reassuring. I didn’t have any new friends.

They offered to come along, but I needed to speak with Raoul alone. Too chicken to ask Shaz for a ride to my car, I called a taxi from my cell phone once I was outside. I was glad to see my shiny red ride waiting for me at Lucy’s, untouched.

Raoul’s house was dark except for one light that glowed faintly from deep within. The driveway was empty of cars so I took that to mean his Jaguar was in the garage. He couldn’t put me off with an illusion that nobody was home.

I was careful to park a few doors down and scour the area. When I rang the doorbell, I called out that it was me. Inside, I heard nothing but silence. I sensed someone on the other side of the door just before it cracked open.

“Hurry up and get in here,” he growled, stepping back just enough to allow me inside.

“Well, aren’t you a grumpy old wolf?” I thought he’d appreciate that.

“I’m not old. What do you want?”

“That’s no way to talk to someone who just fetched your ass from jail. And, may be stuck doing so again.” I stepped inside and kicked my runners off. He locked the door behind me and frowned at my baggy sweatpants.

“Again?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. Why else would you be hiding here under lock and key?”

“All I know is that Richard Price has been asking around about me. He thinks I murdered his wife.”

I couldn’t help but frown. He didn’t sound all that broken up about it, but his dark eyes were red rimmed. He looked tired when he added, “Yeah, I heard about Sheridan if that’s why you’re here. I’m surprised the cops haven’t come for me already.”

“Why would they?” I asked.

This is it, I thought. If he admits his involvement, I’m washing my hands of this.

Then, a memory hit me. During my first year as a werewolf, another wolf, older and stronger than I was, wanted me for his own. I had made it clear to him that I wasn’t interested in being his pack run playmate, and he’d attempted to take me by force.

Raoul had stopped him, beat him until I thought he was surely dead. That wolf had never risked so much as a glance in my direction again. He left town soon after.

Perhaps, Raoul knew how to drive me absolutely insane. Perhaps, he knew how to piss me off royally. Still, he was pack, and as much as I hated it, I owed him one.

I was suddenly embarrassed. Arys had seen that memory.

“Don’t they always blame the ex-husband or ex-lover?” He asked and startled me out of my thoughts.

“That’s because it always is the ex.” I met his eyes evenly. I had to.

“Do you think I killed her?”

The silence that settled between us was heavy and uncomfortable. But, in that moment, looking into his hard and unflinching gaze, I knew he was innocent. I couldn’t scent even a hint of a lie on him.

I replied honestly, “No. I don’t.” He swallowed hard then, as if he’d expected to hear otherwise. “But because I don’t, I need you to answer a question. Why would another one of your lovers turn up dead?”

Raoul paled considerably and took an involuntary step back. I could hear his quick intake of breath. “Is this an accusation? How the hell would I know?” His voice began to rise.

“Because if you didn’t do it, then someone is setting you up.”

I’ve never seen the poor guy look so distraught. I followed him into the kitchen, a chef’s dream, where he poured himself a scotch on the rocks. When he offered, I declined. My stomach was starting to feel fluttery again.

“Julie was a great woman and fantastic in the sack,” he said before draining his glass in one swallow. “But, I didn’t love her. And, there’s no piece of ass so good that it’s worth a murder charge. I haven’t even seen her in six months or more. Even longer with Sheridan.”

“Do you have any idea why someone would want to frame you for either murder?”

He refilled his glass and seemed to stare off in thought. “No. I can’t think of anyone.”

I didn’t like the way his negative energy stung my skin. It was similar to the irritation of a mosquito bite. My own personal power instinctively grew as if to shield the unwanted assault. “So, there is absolutely no way that you are involved.”

“I told you that I was here the night Julie died. With Belle.”

I chose not to address his words directly. “And last night?”

“In the city. At a business function.”

“Alright then, Raoul. But, the question remains, who hates you enough to dedicate their existence to destroying yours?”

When he finished his third scotch and reached to pour another, I laid a gentle but firm hand on his.  I pulled it away from the bottle. I saw something then in the ebony eyes of my former Alpha that I’d never seen before. Fear.

“Alexa, promise you’ll help me if I tell you this.” He gripped my upper arms in desperation. He surprised me, and I barely suppressed the urge to fight.

“I’m helping you by being here. Now, get off me.” I shrugged out of his hands. “So, spit it out.”

He nodded and stepped back. He rubbed his hands together as if my skin had burned him. “Someone broke into the house about a week ago, while I was at work. By the time the alarm company dispatched police, they were gone.”

Now I could see where this was going. It wasn’t looking good. “What did they take?”

“Personal belongings: A wristwatch, some photographs, and some jewelry, a ring with a wolf’s head to be exact.” He swallowed hard, and I was beginning to understand why.

“That’s all? Your computer, TV, everything else of value was left untouched?”

“Completely.”

“Ok, Raoul. I’m doing my best here to be loyal and supportive, but if there’s something you’re not telling me-,”

“You said you don’t think I did it!”

“I’m just saying you can’t hide shit from me. I will find out. And, then you’ll be on your own.” I meant business and felt incredibly annoyed. “You probably messed with the wrong woman, and this is the outcome. You know what they say, ‘Hell hath no fury…’”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Another silence ensued, but more comfortable than the last. I became aware of the itch starting beneath my skin. The pull of the moon created a warm glow in the pit of my stomach. Soon, the need to shift would be upon me. If I concentrated on Raoul, I could feel his wolf waiting. He needed the release, too.

“Why don’t we grab a coffee and head back to my place?” I readied myself to leave and risked laying a gentle hand on his forearm.

His gaze fell to where our skin touched, and I resisted the urge to pull away. “I can’t thank you enough, Alexa. I don’t know how I managed to secure your trust, but I am truly grateful. Considering our history, I don’t deserve this.”

Alarm bells went off in my head. He wasn’t sucking me back in, not now. “We’re pack.” I shrugged it off and swallowed hard. “Now, let’s go run with our wolves.”

Chapter Nine

Raoul wouldn’t leave with me, but I refused to go until he promised to show up, with a tired, “I’ll be in the clearing by midnight.”  We often met there in the years since I’d vacated his place. He offered no further explanation, and I didn’t prompt for one.

I stood in the kitchen at home and gazed out the window. Across the field, the silver moonlight illuminated the outline of Shaz and Kylarai as they trotted toward the trees. I had said that I would be right behind them.

I wasn’t feeling so hot. Since I had left Raoul’s, the hunger had been carving out my insides like a dull blade. The craving for human blood tore through me like a sickness, and at one point, I doubled over in pain. Waves of nausea wracked my body, and I gasped for air, clutching uselessly at my stomach.

Arys’s hunger ate at me like a disease. I began to understand why so many vampires chose to take the kill. I’d do anything to make the undying need stop.

The clock on the stove approached midnight. The part of me that was wolf felt confused and irritated. Tonight was supposed to belong to my wolf, who didn’t have time for this.

Clad in only a velvet robe, I let myself out on to the back deck. Determined, I fought back the blood sickness that didn’t belong to me and focused on the wolf that did. I closed my eyes and breathed the night air deep into my lungs. It was cool and crisp. It made me feel alive.

I allowed the robe to slip down my body and pool at my feet. The power of my wolf reached for the moon. The change broke over me, and I shifted quickly and smoothly. The pain in my guts ceased as I took off at a run.

Werewolves, my pack, filled the clearing. Most of the dozen or so local shifters waited there, many of them in human form. Some sat in the grass talking while others stretched or wrestled playfully.

And as he had promised, Raoul stood in the center of them all. I was glad to be in wolf form. I wasn’t a fan being nude in close proximity to Raoul. He stood there beneath the moonlight, unashamed in his naked glory.

Belle began to make her way to him from where she sat with one of the younger males. Typical. I intercepted her just because I could. Her place will never be at the center of the circle with the Alpha. At least, not until she can best me in a fight, the good, old-fashioned way.

Raoul met my eyes and nodded. He didn’t even so much as cast a glance in Belle’s direction as he gracefully went to his knees. By the time, he touched the ground he was a striking black wolf. He fled the clearing with Belle hot on his heels in a pathetic attempt to keep up.

Kylarai and Shaz appeared out of the shadows behind me. Ky’s deep brown fur contrasted greatly with Shaz’s brilliant white and my ash blonde.

The three of us ran with a few others. We frolicked under the midnight sky until we picked up the fresh scent of a deer. I’d much rather hunt something a little less cute and a little more evil, so when they veered off to follow the trail I went my own way.

Shaz came back to me, and we soon found ourselves stalking small animals through the brush, just for fun. A good chase was exhilarating and didn’t hurt anybody. We flushed out a few gophers and gave chase until they squeezed their fat little bodies down a hole.

Even as I enjoyed my time with nature, I regretted that my reprieve was only temporary. I welcomed the escape. I ran with abandon, but I could shake neither the phantom hunger for human blood nor the fear that raced through me.

Human blood. The thought called up a memory. I didn’t like seeing through Arys’s eyes. His memories were beyond disturbing.

He was in bed with a young, dark skinned woman. I was looking down at her perfect, slender neck. Even in the pale light of an oil lamp, I could easily make out her pulse leaping against her creamy skin. Only the thinnest barrier separated my lips from the crimson river that flowed through her veins beneath. I bent to kiss that warm pulsating spot on her throat, and she pulled me closer, eagerly. I was going to kill her.

I bit deep, fatal. Enraptured by my power, my victim sought only to draw me closer as the life pumped out of her body. A struggle was preferable, but this quiet complacency was nice, too.

The grip of the vampire’s memory was broken as my muzzle hit the dirt. Shaz had successfully caught me unawares with that pounce. His playful attack sent me sprawling, and when I got to my feet, I was angry.

Irrational rage filled me, and a deep growl erupted from my throat. Shaz’s ears twitched, and he looked at me with confusion. Blood and death, they filled me, and I could already taste his blood. I could see only the invigorating rush of hot, violent death.

When I rushed him, I had very little sense of self and a need for blood that I had never known. He realized, as I reached him, that something wasn’t right. He met me with his lips peeled back in a snarl, but fear shined in the depths of his jade eyes.

The impact of our colliding bodies broke the stillness surrounding us. The wind rushed out of my lungs as we went down and rolled. On my feet, I rushed him again, but a part of me asked what the hell I was doing.

The scent of blood hit the air, and my stomach cramped. Hunger swarmed me until I was drowning in it. I saw only through the vampire’s eyes. Need drove me, and I fought hard for Shaz’s throat.

His powerful jaws snapped inches before my face and drove me back. I circled wide and prepared to spring on him again. When I leapt, however, I quickly found myself going nowhere as pain shot up my spine. I thumped heavily to the ground and whirled around.

Raoul gripped my tail with strong hands. He was in human form, but he bared his fangs at me. With one great heave, he flung me away from Shaz. All four of my feet left the ground as I flew a good twenty feet through the air. So much for healing up those sore muscles.

Before I could get to my feet, Raoul was on top of me. He straddled my upper body and pressed my face against the ground. He had me trapped. I couldn’t get up.

My every instinct screamed for me to remove him metaphysically, but in my wolf form, my skills were greatly restricted. Instead of struggling against Raoul, I stilled under his weight. I submitted.

My face stung, and my tail ached. I cursed both Arys and myself up and down. I needed to talk to Lena about this.

“Alexa?” Raoul’s voice came low in my ear. “Have you lost your damn mind?”

I was hoping he didn’t expect a verbal reply. There was no way that I was going to shift with his naked ass on top of me.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re beyond this kind of loss of control.” When I made no move to fight, he slowly began to release his hold on me.

“Is she ok?” Shaz’s voice. He’d shifted fast. Even after what I’d just done, his first concern was still for me.

My heart broke, and I knew, suddenly and exactly, how bad I’d really fucked up. Power like Arys’s and mine was a curse before it was a gift.

“She seems fine. Other than the rabid bitch mentality.”

“I’m not sure what happened. I was just playing around, and she snapped.” I could see Shaz shrug as he came into my line of sight. “Don’t poke the bear, I guess.”

It pissed me off how they spoke as if I wasn’t there.

“I think it’s more like, don’t tease the werebitch,” Raoul said, and I felt my anger begin to bubble again.

He wasn’t sounding like someone who needed my help. He looked down at me and said, “I’m going to let you up now. No sudden moves.” As if to enforce his meaning, the jerk dragged a clawed finger across my throat before releasing me.

I have never felt as humiliated as I did right then. Without looking at either of them, I turned tail and fled into the night. I ran blindly for hours, until I could run no more. Nearing sunrise, I was thoroughly exhausted and finally headed for home.

Kylarai met me as I stepped through the patio door. She wore a look of concern and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. I could take a wild guess that she’d heard about my temporary loss of sanity.

Before she could open her mouth to speak, I burst into tears. I felt ashamed, and it made my gut ache to think about hurting Shaz.

“Alexa…” she was hesitant. It seemed as if she wasn’t sure what to say. Her lips formed a small “o” of surprise, and when I wiped my eyes, my hands came away red.

Blood tears, only vampires cry blood tears.

“I don’t know what’s happened to me, Kylarai.”

“You need to talk to Arys. Maybe he’s not well either. Maybe he needs help, he could be dangerous like this.”

I gave her a look that clearly indicated she wasn’t helping. Arys was already dangerous. “I need to call Lena. She has to know something.”

Ky nodded but said nothing. She seemed to be having a hard time meeting my eyes. I went to the bathroom to wash my face, but my reflection stopped me dead in the doorway.

My eyes were a sparkling vibrant blue. That sapphire blue belonged on someone else. Red streaks stained my cheeks, hideous and mocking. Unnerved, I forced my feet to work so I could stare closer into my face in the mirror.

“Holy shit,” I breathed, horror struck. I didn’t look like me. My deep brown eyes were now the color of Arys’s eerie vampire orbs. A shiver crawled up my spine.

“How are you feeling?” Kylarai spoke from the open doorway behind me.

“Not like myself. If that wasn’t already apparent. How’s Shaz?”

“Worried. I had to force him to go home. He wanted to stay here until you showed up, but I wasn’t sure that was a good idea.” Ky shrugged and did her best to keep her expression neutral. “He was pretty torn up. He blames himself for setting you off.”

“You didn’t tell him about Arys?”

“Of course not.”

I slammed my hands down on the counter in frustration. The sound of wood splitting did little to soothe me. I generally accept my mistakes, but this time, I’d really blown it.

“Son of a bitch! When was the last time I did something so stupid, Ky?”

“Are you looking for a real answer or a fake “there there” answer?”

“Real.”

“It’s been a long time. Probably, the last time you slept with Raoul.”

Ouch. I’d asked for honesty, though. Count on a good friend to never let you forget the dumbest things you’ve ever done.

“Ok. So there have been things worse than this. I just have to find a way to work through it.”

Ky gave a scoffing laugh. “I’m glad you’re being so positive about it, but would you mind sharing with me why you tried to bleed Shaz? What the hell happened to you out there?”

With a long, shuddery breath, I told her about Arys’s memories and the insatiable bloodlust. Her expression never changed, but I felt the shift in the atmosphere. Was she putting herself on the defensive? A little part of me died when I realized Kylarai was afraid of me.

“Well, that sums it up,” she said when I’d finished. “You need to speak with a few different people. But, it’s up to you who is first on that list.”

Despite sunrise being just an hour away, I couldn’t sleep. I just couldn’t stop thinking about Shaz. Long after Kylarai had gone to bed, this time locking her door, I lay awake staring at the ceiling.

Maybe, Shaz was awake. I rolled out of bed and pulled on some jeans. I grabbed my car keys and neared the front door, when I sensed him, on the other side. He lingered as if afraid to knock.

Afraid he would leave, I pulled the door open quickly.  He just looked at me expectantly. Instead of stepping inside, he reached out with a gentle hand. His fingers deftly brushed the hair away from my neck. Before I realized what he was doing, he’d tugged the strap of my tank top down and exposed the vampire bite in the hollow of my collarbone.

He sounded resigned when he said, “We need to talk.”

Chapter Ten

“How did you know?” I winced as the words came out of my mouth.

“Let’s just say, when I found Arys gnawing the legs off a dog, he took a moment to mention it.”

“What?” For just a split second, my heart seemed to stop. My mind had trouble making sense of what I just heard.

“Let’s go grab a coffee. I’ll explain in the car.”

I couldn’t believe what he told me, or at least, I didn’t want to believe. On his way home, Shaz came across Arys on a side street. He’d killed his neighbor’s dog, torn it limb from limb. According to Shaz, he’d exhibited all of the signs of a newly turned werewolf. He had been irrational and unsuccessfully fighting the urge to tear things apart.

“I’m not kidding you Lex. He had fangs on the bottom as well as the top. He blamed it on the two of you being together. I didn’t believe him.” Shaz risked a glance in my direction. “But, he told me the bite should be proof enough.”

I didn’t know what to say. I felt guilty. This was not how I wanted him to find out.

“Is he ok?” I hated asking but I had to know. “I mean, did he hurt anyone?”

“He’s fine. I took him home. Other than the dog, I’m pretty sure no one was eaten.”

We went through the twenty-four hour drive-thru at the coffee shop, and then Shaz drove us down to the duck pond on the edge of town.

We parked but didn’t get out of his little Chevy Cobalt. The silence dragged as I struggled for words.

I stared at the large fountain near the center of the pond. I would have watched the sunrise from the bridge that crossed the pond, but unfortunately, I was lost amidst clouds of pain and uncertainty. The hurt Shaz tried to hide didn’t escape me. His eyes betrayed him.

“Look Shaz-,” I began. He cut me off before I could spit out another word.

“I don’t want your apology, Alexa, or whatever excuse you are going to offer me. You don’t owe me any explanations.” He looked at me with ice in his gaze, which chilled me to the bone. “I know I have no claim on you.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to explain what happened that night. I need you to know.” I didn’t say more than necessary. Shaz sat quietly and stared into me as I told him about energy bonding with the vampire. “Don’t mistake the point here, Shaz, please. There is no emotional connection between Arys and me. It was just the power.”

He blinked a few times before responding, and I wished I could snatch back those last words. “Just the power?” he asked. “You still have the mark from his bite, and you’re telling me it was just an energy exercise. No Lex, that doesn’t sound intimate at all.”

I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me, so I said as much in a bitter, sharp tone. I couldn’t please everybody, and I was getting tired of trying.

“You know I have feelings for you,” he yelled suddenly, and I sat in stunned silence. “I know you do. But, we are not together, and no matter how jealous I am, no matter how much I wish it was me in his place, I have no right to say so or act on those feelings.” He wiped his eyes to destroy his unshed tears. “But, God, I need you to know.”

A nervous sweat trickled down my spine, and I swallowed hard. Yeah, I was aware of the attraction between us. It was mutual on many levels. But, I was in no way ready for his confession. My heart pounded in my ears.

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted.

“Don’t say anything.”

“I have to. I have to make this right. Or, is it too late for that?”

“What can you do, Alexa? Turn back time? I can’t expect you to cater to my needs. You are your own woman.”

The way he looked at me when he said that made me feel tainted, like damaged goods. My head ached in confusion, and I hugged myself tightly.

“I fucked up, Shaz. That’s all I know. I don’t know how to make it better. I don’t even think it’s possible. And now everything is all messed up, and I regret my stupid decision for so many reasons.”

I blinked back tears, fearing they would be red. My eyes had been brown when I had crawled into bed, but the worry gripped me just the same.

“Is it because you made a mistake or because I found out about it?” He asked, knowing the answer already.

“Both.” I was honest. “The last thing I want is to hurt you.” I silently fumed at Arys. He had known damn well that I didn’t want Shaz to find out, particularly not from him.

“It’s not my place to be hurt. I feel like I’m over reacting by being as upset about it as I am.”

“No, Shaz. You’re entitled to your feelings. There is no sense in denying them.”

The small car felt huge all of a sudden. The space between us felt like a canyon opening up, dividing us. The air felt fuzzy, and I needed to open the window to allow in a fresh breeze.

The sun broke on the horizon. We were awash in an orange glow, but the magnificence was lost on us as we both looked inward to personal wounds.

That moment cut deep. I had done something that could never be undone, and I may have effectively killed anything bigger between Shaz and me. I looked at him.

Sadly, I couldn’t recall the last time that I had been in his arms. We had been so close. We had once touched one another with a familiarity and comfort reserved for lovers, though we never had been intimate.

When did it stop? I couldn’t remember, and I felt all the sadder. I did this to us.

I felt sick with fear. Surely, he could smell it on my skin. Everything in me told me not to try, but I couldn’t deny the sudden need to touch him, to feel his warmth and gain comfort from it. Selfishly, I needed to know we were ok.

He turned to look at me when my fingers brushed his, but he didn’t pull away like I expected.

“Alexa, I can’t…”

“Please, don’t say it.” I heard the tears in my voice. I couldn’t hold them back. When they fell, they were just tears, crystal clear.

With a tender touch, he wiped each one away as it fell. He said nothing. He simply allowed me to release my guilt and sorrow with each wracking sob. Drawing me close, he stroked my hair.

“Tell me we’re ok” I whispered as desperation seized me. “Can you promise we’re ok?”

A deep sigh escaped him, and he slumped against me. Who was I to weep like the victim when I was the victimizer? He owed me nothing. But, what he gave me was worth everything.

“We’re ok.”

Chapter Eleven

I stared at Arys’s house for a really long time before I got out of the Charger. I easily imagined striding up the walk and ringing the bell, but doing it was a whole lot tougher. The sun had just disappeared from the western sky. Only a pale glow remained at the start of another perfect summer night. I planned to catch him here before he left for the evening.

I was on my way to talk to Veryl and meet a new client about a potential job. I didn’t have time to run around town right now. But, I needed to see Arys. A glance at the dash clock told me I should hurry, but I still had time. Or did I? Maybe I should just go to work and deal with this later. Duty called.

No. I was being cowardly, and thankfully, nobody was there to see it. My heart pounded from the anxiety, and a cold sweat broke over me. I stepped out of the car and steeled myself against the power inside me. It recognized his presence. I could feel him within the walls of the house. The little hairs on my arms stood on end, and I wished I’d brought a sweater to throw over my tank top. Dread settled in the pit of my stomach.

I rang the bell but got no response, and I wondered if he was trying to get rid of me. The door swung open suddenly, catching me off guard.

“Back for more, Alexa?” He greeted me with a big shit-eating grin plastered on his handsome face. His dark hair was wet and messy. He wore only jeans. I hoped that I wasn’t gawking openly as I imagined running my hands over his hard, bare chest.

“Hardly,” I managed to say despite the aching inside me. In that moment, I wanted to spill blood, his and mine, to bask in all of our power, to reach the heights that we hadn’t yet dreamed possible. I went to take my first step towards him but snapped back to myself. I gave myself a shake to clear my head.

“Would you like to come in? I didn’t really take the time to give you the grand tour during your last visit. I just had the place redecorated last month.” His midnight ocean eyes spoke volumes. He made no attempt to hide his lust as he ogled me from head to toe and back up again.

Something didn’t feel right. The air buzzed with our power, anticipating.

“Come on, Arys, you know why I’m here.” He stared at me like a feline on catnip, and I resisted the urge to smack him upside the head.

“I assume it’s to explain to me why I made a chew toy out of Mrs. Olson’s dog last night.”

“You say that as if I know.”

“Don’t you?”

“Of course not!” I was incredulous.

What the hell was he trying to insinuate? That I had done this on purpose? I shouldered my way inside and fixed him with eyes blazing with anger. “You’re not the only one suffering, Arys.”

“Oh?” He cocked his head to the side and studied me. I told him about the previous night: the blood tears, the eye color and the memories plagued with bloodlust.

He knew all too well. A glint of something new and unsettled haunted his eyes.

“I think the memories may have been the worst part,” he said, and I frowned, insulted. My memories couldn’t have been worse than his. His were much more gruesome. “But then again, perhaps it was the pain.”

“The pain?” I asked. I wanted to hear his side now.

“After you left in the morning, I slept through the day. I woke, and everything hit me.” He seemed to sober considerably as he spoke. “I was hungry but not just for blood, for the rush of running on four legs and the thrill of being one with nature. I couldn’t shake the need to hunt, to tear into a fresh, meaty kill, so soft and warm.” He paused for a minute.

He was sickened, but I found that funny considering his way of survival. I nodded and encouraged him to continue.

“That wasn’t the worst part though. The worst part was the change.”

“The change?” I was flabbergasted.

“Well, the need to shift would be more precise. It was like a wolf had been trapped inside me, scratching and biting to get out. Only I couldn’t let it out, Alexa. It burned. God, it burned. I thought that was it for me.”

I stared at him with a terror-stricken expression. We had been inside one another’s minds, seen each other’s souls, but I didn’t realize the exchange had truly been to the core. This was so not funny.

“You had the need to change form?” I shook my head. This was dangerous. I anticipated a backlash of some kind, but a wolf trying to tear itself from a form unable to shift was downright scary.

“I’m surprised claws didn’t spring from my fingertips. I could feel them, like torturous little needles pricking right beneath the surface.” Arys shuddered then and stared at his hands as if they were foreign objects. “It ate at me for most of the night. I went to Lucy’s Lounge but couldn’t sit still. I had to get out of there.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I cast a glance around me as if searching for the unspoken answer.

I had called Lena earlier, but she’d been busy with her store and only had time to scold me for acting impulsively. Lena had used some pretty colorful language to describe our actions. “Loss of control is your undoing every time. It’s all about security, Alexa, mental shields. I can’t stress that enough.”

Lena added that the real problem wasn’t the power itself. We’d bonded. We’d joined on a metaphysical level, which could last forever or until one of us was dead.

“What do you mean bonded?” Arys’s reply sounded similar to the one that I’d given Lena.

“We didn’t just call power. We bonded our own personal powers which created something else entirely. Some of this is never going away.” Why did I feel so insulted by the suspicious look he wore?

“How bad is it really?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged and cast a glance around his country-style kitchen. It didn’t look lived in enough. “I guess we find out.”

“Well damn. I bet you could take down a lot of vampires with that tactic.”

“What the hell are you saying, Arys? That I did this on purpose?” I took a step toward him, and he stood his ground.

Staring down his nose at me with those steely blue eyes, I remained unflinching under his predatory stare. It was my stare.

“The thought crossed my mind,” he admitted. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for you forever and this is just too good to be true. I still want you though.”

His admission was shocking. I went on as if he hadn’t said that, but the pressure inside me was beginning to strip away my control. I couldn’t be here. I had a meeting.

“There is a plus side to this,” I stammered. “Lena said we should be able to call on each other’s power now, like vampires can when they create a blood bond.”

A vampire formed a blood bond at siring, by draining a human to the point of death then feeding the dark blood in return. However, two totally unrelated vampires could share blood. The bond would let them access one another’s thoughts and power whether together or apart. Vampires never created a blood bond lightly.

“We didn’t exchange blood. I took yours, you didn’t take mine.” His gaze dropped to my throat, and I felt my breath catch. My stomach knotted at the memory. He licked his lips, and I knew he was remembering the taste of me.

“I know, but I still took your power.” My head began to cloud with the energy surrounding us. “I’ve got to get out of here. I have a meeting I’m going to be late for.”

I turned to go, and his hand on my arm made me pause. I closed my eyes and said a silent prayer: Please, no temptation. The need to writhe naked in his arms was overpowering me.

“Will I see you tonight?” His hypnotic gaze stared into me, and my knees went weak. I knew what he was really asking. But, it was just power. There was no love behind it.

“Why did you tell Shaz?” The words spilled out of my mouth before I could catch them. I hadn’t really meant to ask.

“How could I not? He found me eating a dog on the side of the road.” Point for him, he had me there. I was just pissed about Shaz finding out from somebody else.

“Just forget it. It doesn’t matter.” I turned to go before he could lure me any farther into the house. “Did you get cleaned up, ok?”

Arys ignored my attempt at casual conversation.  He reached around me and opened the front door. Before I could escape, he drew me into a warm embrace and just held me for a long moment.

I feared it would stoke the fire between us, but it didn’t. The embrace was a need that my wolf could not deny.

Arys had a renewed sense of loss and longing that had not been there before. Gently, I disengaged myself from him and touched his cheek. With the barest touch of my lips on his, I turned to go.

After I left Arys’s place, an unexpected flow of hot, guilt ridden tears seized me. I wiped my eyes and knew my mascara had run down my face. Son of a bitch. The last thing I wanted to do was walk into the office all cry–eyed.  I’d either get questioned or comforted, or both. I dreaded the thought.

I had this nagging guilt that I couldn’t shake. I had to put my personal life aside. This was time to be professional. Or, as professional as one can be when getting paid to hunt and kill things.

Jez got out of her Jeep as I pulled into the small parking lot. She paused and waited for me to park. Her gold curls were tied up in a high ponytail atop her head, and she wore little makeup. She didn’t need much. She was stunning. I was momentarily envious of how great her long legs looked in blue jeans.

“How’s it going?” She greeted me as she puffed quickly on a cigarette.

“That shit will kill you,” I replied, sounding more like Kale than myself.

“So I hear.” She ground the butt into the driveway with her heel and followed me inside.

On Sundays, the accounting business next door was closed, and the street was blessedly deserted. The only sound was Lilah’s phone ringing down the hall.

Jez gave me a knowing wink and headed to her office, while I turned into the kitchen to make some coffee. I considered going after her to talk about Shaz but decided it could wait. I had an appointment in twenty minutes, so it had to wait.

The coffee began to brew, and I breathed in the wonderful aroma. There is no scent quite like that of fresh coffee.

Jez’s voice carried to me faintly down the hall as she made a phone call. Minutes later, she turned up the steady beat of a heavy metal song. My head ached slightly from my brief crying stint, and I looked to the coffee pot for the solution to my problems. I poured a cup full of steaming coffee, and too lazy to add cream and sugar, padded down to Veryl’s office.

The door was slightly ajar in open invitation. I poked my head in. He would have sensed my approach anyway. He sat behind his old, elaborately designed desk, my favorite piece of décor. Despite the phone pressed to his ear, he inclined his head toward the seat across from him.

Veryl was the type of man that nearly all women find attractive. His short chocolate brown hair was streaked with the barest trace of silver, which only added to his distinguished presence. His clear blue eyes beamed at me as he informed the person on the phone that he had to attend to business.

I knew that I had his undivided attention when his gaze swept over me slowly, agonizingly so. I was dying to spit my questions at him but felt obligated to make small talk first.

“You’re in early tonight.” He commented. His rich voice was deep and melodic. “Expecting somebody?”

I nodded, as I looked at the paintings behind his desk. “Yeah. I figured I’d take it easy tonight after the last few assignments I’ve had. Been a little on the rough side.”

“I think you enjoy it, though.” Veryl’s slightly hawk-like nose was angular and intimidating when paired with the studious expression he now wore. “Standing so close to the flame can be hypnotizing in its draw. It can also kill you. Be careful with that outlook, Alexa. It has destroyed many that I have worked with in the past.”

“I know. I blame my personal life for that,” I offered lamely. When I didn’t say more he knew better than to prompt. Veryl is absolutely the most professional person that I know.

“So what is it that brings you to my office?” He shuffled through the papers on his desk and produced a copy of the day’s paper. He handed it to me.

The headline screamed that police may be after a serial killer after the murders of two women in the past week. I skimmed the article. They referenced Raoul as a suspect, but the write up seemed to be based more on hearsay that factual truths.

“Not this,” I said as I handed the paper back to him. “Raoul didn’t do it. I’ve seen him a few times this past week. I know for a fact he could never have killed Julie Price.”

Veryl shifted languidly in his chair, stretched his arms out, and cracked his fingers with a sound that chilled my bones. “I don’t have to tell you what’s going to happen if he is somehow behind this or if he ends up being convicted.”

No, he didn’t have to tell me. I knew that Raoul would be put on the extermination list, treated like the vampires raping young girls of both their blood and innocence or the Weres that just didn’t know how to pass up fresh meat. A conviction would put Raoul behind bars where he couldn’t hide his true nature.

“Someone’s setting him up, Veryl. I can only ask that you let me keep an eye on this situation for now.” I met his eyes, seeking the wisdom within. “At least until I can figure out who is behind it, and why.”

“I can’t make you any promises, my dear, but as of right now, it’s in your hands.”

Great. That was just what I needed to hear and more than a little irritating, since it had nothing to do with my questions.

“Ok, the real reason I’m here: I’m trying to find information on the werewolf who killed my family.”

The blank look that passed over his sharp features was not quick enough to disguise the moment of recognition in his eyes. He knew something.

“Alexa, it’s been years. Can’t you just allow sleeping dogs to lie?”

“If you’re trying to tell me that the bastard is still alive then no, I will not. I keep having the nightmare, Veryl, and if you know who it is, anything at all, I need to know.”

Fingers poised into a steeple, he smiled softly as one might smile at a child who refuses to give up. “I cannot say whether I know of this wolf’s existence or not, but, I can advise you to forget about it. I completely understand what it means to live out your life with doors that remain open and questions that are unanswered. But, trust me, this is better left that way.”

I stared at him, stupefied. I couldn’t believe he was giving me the whole “ignorance is bliss” crap. “You know who it is.”

His brow furrowed as we stared at one another. I had the distinct feeling that he was weighing his words before speaking. What was he hiding from me? And most importantly, why?

“I know that you need to leave this alone. I’m sorry that I can’t say anymore about this matter. If you choose to continue to seek this wolf out, that is entirely your business. But, I will not help you.”

And, that was it. That was all he was willing to give me, and his answer only fueled my need to know rather than put a damper on it. What choice did I have? I had to accept his silence.

A thought came to me then, and I sat up straighter in my chair. “What about Lilah?”

He stared at me quizzically but gestured that I should continue. I told him about the demon encounter. A look of understanding passed over his strong features.

“And, what do you want to know about her?”

“For one, how the hell does she have that kind of control over a demon? Just how old is Lilah anyway?” I was being snoopy, but I was dying of curiosity. I’d seen what she did to that demon, and I wanted to know how it was possible.

Veryl smiled in amusement, and I felt like a childish student. “There is more history to that woman than you can imagine. Though it’s not my place to reveal her business, I can tell you that not many things in this world have authority over demons. She is just one of the few that does.”

Wait a minute, only angels have authority over demons. That and other, more powerful demons. Considering Lilah was a vampire, I doubted she was angelic.

“She’s a demon?”

“Is, was, whatever you prefer. It’s not something that should be common knowledge. I’m sure you understand.” The phone on his desk rang, and he looked at it pointedly before meeting my eyes again. Yeah, yeah, I can take a hint.

I went back down the hall to my own office but left the door open so I could hear the doorbell. My mind was working in overdrive as I replayed the image of Lilah’s quick dispatch of that demon. Who, or what, was she, exactly? How powerful could she possibly be?

I hit play on my voicemail. Two new clients requested a meeting, and the client that I was currently waiting for confirmed.

I was pretty sure she was a vampire, not only from the time-honed, silky voice but also the late hour of the meeting. I seldom had a vampire as a client. They tend to take care of issues with a personal touch, so I was intrigued.

I was clicking through my email inbox when the door chimed. I turned off the monitor, and I went to greet my latest potential business associate. Through the peephole, I saw a dark haired woman. She appeared to be alone. I didn’t sense anything out there but her, and she was definitely a vampire. I slid the two dead bolts back and opened the door.

“Miss O’Brien?” That angelic tone poured forth from her as I grasped her offered hand.

It was tiny, smaller than my own but icy, cold, and strong. She had a grip that bragged of inhuman strength, yet she was gentle, careful not to squeeze too hard. She was a very delicate looking woman, petite with a ballerina’s figure. Her dark brown hair, almost black, was layered so that it fell stylishly around her face and shoulders. She had a small but cute nose and strong cheekbones. A long black dress coat covered what looked to be a party dress. Her shiny, silver high heels gleamed in the bright overhead lights.

“Please, call me, Alexa. Come inside.” As I stepped back to allow her entry, I felt strangely as if I knew her from somewhere.

“Thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice. I truly appreciate it.” She clasped my hands suddenly in her own as if to convey her gratitude. It startled me, and I took an involuntary step back.

“I’m sorry,” she said, a pale hand covered her mouth. “I didn’t mean to intrude in your personal space.”

“That’s alright.” I resisted the urge to wipe my hands on my jeans. She could know neither the extent that I felt her undead power nor how it tickled me in places that couldn’t be scratched.

I turned to lead her to my office and said, “Have a seat, and I’ll see if I’m able to help you.”

She froze at the entrance to my office door. Her eyes darted down the hallway to where Jez was working. The door to Veryl’s office was now closed. Jez’s music continued to scream down the hall at us.

“My partner is working down the hall, in her own office. Everything you say here, including your visit itself, is strictly confidential.”

A wave of anxious energy trickled from my guest to me, and I was surprised that she’d let it escape her. She hadn’t fed yet, which worried me. Vampires are much easier to talk to after they’ve taken care of their carnal urges.

Once she sat down, she began to relax, but a tightness in her shoulders told me that she was anything but calm. Her coal dark eyes peeked out at me from beneath a fringe of bangs. Her eyes were as black as Raoul’s and striking against her alabaster skin.

“I must apologize, again. I haven’t properly introduced myself. Please, call me, Cat.” When I frowned, she supplied, “Catherine. It’s short for Catherine.”

I wondered why she preferred the shorter version, but I pressed my fingers together and asked, “So, what can I do for you, Cat?”

Despite possessing the grace and skill of her vampirism, I could easily feel her sudden anguish. I was concerned but not alarmed. She should shield better than that. I was perplexed. She was powerful enough to squelch such displays. Vampires don’t exhibit a lot of emotion, particularly not around strangers.

“I’m not sure how to begin, Alexa. I’m a little overwhelmed here. I’ve been waiting so many years for this.”

I leaned back in my chair, in an attempt at casual, and said nothing. I didn’t dare read her aura like I wanted, knowing she would feel it. She took my silence as an invitation to continue.

“For several decades now, I have searched the western world for a particular vampire, the one who made me. I have finally found him and would request your services in extinguishing his undead flame permanently.” Her words came in a rush as if she’d practiced them on her way over.

I noticed how her grip tightened on the armrests of her chair. “And, what did this vampire do that makes you want him dead?”

Cat’s lips pressed together tightly. I could only imagine what she was seeing in her mind’s eye. When she spoke, her words only formed with determination. I could sense her effort.

“He loved me and left me to die. I was a fool to believe his lies, but they sounded so beautiful. I wanted so badly to believe in him. He said we were to be together forever. Until the day that we were attacked, and he left me behind to save himself.” Ouch. Cat looked as if she might cry. She bit at her lower lip, and I could see the tiny points of her fangs for the briefest of moments.

“Just say whatever you need to say. Don’t force yourself.” I slid a box of tissue across the desk to her. I didn’t know what else to say.

Cat clutched a tissue tightly between polished red fingertips and attempted to give me a smile. “Thank you.”

She blinked a few times, and the vampire control was back. “It’s still emotional for me. I really thought he loved me, but then when our house was under siege, he escaped through a passage that he had never told me about. He arranged the entire attack as a way to get rid of me. I never imagined such betrayal was possible.”

Her voice broke then, and I saw the weakness in her, oh so well. I’d never seen a vampire look so beaten. It wasn’t in their nature.

“Why would he do that? Do you have any idea?” I shrugged and brushed a stray blonde strand away from my face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say.”

When she met my eyes evenly again, I could see the pain etched in the depths of her ebony gaze. “He had no use for me anymore. I think he regretted turning me. I was no longer any more than a forgotten play thing.”

The guy sounded like a total prick. I was shocked by what I was hearing. It just sounded so selfish and cold. But, I mean, we were talking vampires.

“And, what about the blood bond?” A shiver ran up my spine as I flashed back to my own recent bonding experience. “Could you not reach him that way?”

“Not at all. He shut me out completely. I’ve never been able to breach the block.” That was interesting. This vampire must be incredibly powerful.

“Alright, so what is it that brings you to me, specifically?”

“I hear you’re the only werewolf in the civilized world to possess some of the vampire’s attributes. After looking for so many years, I’ve finally found him. Here.”

She knew about me. Word was getting out, and that worried me.

“And? You really want me to take him out?”

“Isn’t that what you do?” She looked at me like I’d just told her the place was an ice cream shop.

“Yes, but I have a few general rules. First, you must fully understand that you’re asking me to kill him. Another, you must really want irrevocable death, not simple retribution. Finally, my final decision is entirely based on my personal discretion.”

Instead of replying, she slipped an envelope from inside her coat and pushed it towards me. “Is that enough?” She was all business. “I can get you more if you need it. I wasn’t sure how much you would charge.”

With a brief glance, I estimated twenty-five thousand dollars in cash. “No. It’s plenty, but Cat, you must realize that I can’t just randomly kill. I need more information on this guy.”

She dropped a large manila file folder on my desk with a thwap. “Everything you need to know about him is in there. If that’s not enough to earn him a death sentence, then I don’t know what is.”

Something triggered in me, and I looked more closely at her. “May I ask why you don’t confront him yourself?”

She looked as if I’d slapped her. Her face paled as much as it possibly could, and her mouth dropped open. Recovering quickly, she cast her eyes downward.

“I could never. I have neither the courage nor the will to kill him myself. I loved him so deeply. To look into his unfeeling eyes after all this time may be too much for me to take. It’s been so long.” Her tone grew wistful as if her mind went to a happier time in her life.

I used her distraction as an opportunity to flip open the file folder, but the instant that I saw the photo on top of the sheaf of papers, I froze. I could barely keep my heart rate from soaring. I pulled the folder closer so that I could get a better look at the black and white picture.

It was old. From the style of dress, it appeared to be way before my time. The photo itself was from a wedding. Bridesmaids wore their hair in high curls and posed in extremely large skirted gowns. The bride, an unknown beaming blonde, smiled up at her handsome husband as he kissed her upturned hand. My eyes quickly skimmed over the groomsmen, each dressed in the same black suit with fringes of white lace peeking from beneath the cuffs. But, the groom held my attention.

Though his black hair was very short and he wore the same suit as the others, I stared at Arys while he happily fawned over his new wife.

I realized then I had recognized Cat from his memories. What in the hell?

“That was the most recent photo I could find of him.” Cat said as she noticed my intent stare. “I think he started using a new alias shortly after killing her.” She gestured at the photo in my hand, and I dropped it.

“And, what was his name when you knew him?” I murmured, as I fought to tear my gaze away from the picture. It mocked me from where it sat as surely as it mocked Cat. I was feeling both stupid and thankful. Thankful that I didn’t take Arys’s blood, didn’t complete a blood bond with him. I’d fucked up enough without linking us mentally.

“His real name is Sindarys Ainsley Knightingale.”

“Knightingale?” I heard myself say.

“An old family name. They were royalty once, or so he said.”

She didn’t continue, and I chewed my lip. “And, you’re sure that you want me to kill him?” My voice squeaked, and I hoped that she didn’t notice my unease.

“I don’t suppose you’d rather bring me his naughty bits in a jar?” The faintest of smiles played around her lips, and I forced a small laugh.

“I’m sorry, Cat, but you sound like you still love him.” I almost stopped when I saw her face fall. “Do you really want him dead?” Please say no, I chanted inside my head.

“I love who he pretended to be. But, I accepted long ago that was never really him. He’s nothing more than a lying, womanizing murderer who thinks of nothing but himself.”

I nodded slightly. I could agree with some of that. She looked like she was about to say more, but her mouth snapped shut, and she shook her head.

After a long moment, she sighed and said, “He needs to die so that I can finally escape him. He haunts me constantly, and I would give anything in the world to make that stop.”

I could sense the weight on her, feel the burden she carried around with her, but I didn’t know why. Was her hurt really never going to heal?

Was I really thinking that? If I were in her place, I would be on the hunt for blood, too. But I’d want to do it myself.

“Look Alexa, I appreciate your time, but I really should get going. I’ll understand if, for any reason, you don’t take the case.” She stood, and I held the cash envelope out to her. She counted out five thousand dollars and forced it into my hand.

“Keep it. Read through the file and tell me what you think. I’ve included a few pages from my journal. It seemed better than reciting the past in detail.”

I closed the folder and accompanied her out. “I will definitely read through everything and get back to you. But, I can’t accept your money.” I had difficulty swallowing around the growing knot in my throat.

“Please, I insist. Something for your time at least.” She refused to take the bills when I tried to give them to her.

When she was gone, I sank against my desk in relief. What in the world would she think if she knew that I’d been in the arms of her traitorous ex only two nights ago? I felt sick.

“Holy shit,” I said aloud to myself. I had to look at the photo again.

I had accepted jobs like this before. Vampires were monsters, and no matter what the situation, they usually gave me just cause to kill them. I kill rogues and eliminate problems. It’s what I do. But Arys? I just couldn’t do it.

I was still staring at the black and white, elegantly dressed Arys when Jez appeared in the doorway of my office.

“Hey, I heard your client leave. You want to grab a bite to eat? I haven’t eaten in hours.” She rambled casually, but when she saw my expression, she snapped her mouth shut and came closer. “Are you ok, Lex?”

“Hell no.” I handed her the picture and waited for her reaction.

“This is Arys.” She let out a low whistle. “He cleans up pretty good. Where did you get it?”

“He’s my new target, if I decide to take the job.”

“You’re kidding.” Her eyes never left the aged image in her hands. “You didn’t say no?”

“I didn’t know how. Jez, he left her for dead. I couldn’t very well tell her the truth.” I sighed and held the file folder open for her to drop in the picture. “She left a bunch of dirt on him that I really don’t want to know.” Besides, everything was already hidden in my memory now. I didn’t really want to access it.

“But you’re going to read it anyway.” There was no question in her tone.

I nodded. “She paid me to. She also said she’d understand if I don’t take the hit. And of course, there’s the whole curiosity aspect.” I shrugged, and we fell silent.

After a moment of eyeing me, Jez cleared her throat. “Do you think there’s anything in that folder that will change your mind about taking the hit? I mean, it may very well solve your little energy bonding problem.”

I met her mischievous green eyes and found no trace of humor within them. She was dead serious.

“You’re an evil woman, Jez.”

“So I’ve been told.” She produced a set of car keys with a loud jangle. “Let’s go eat. I’ll buy.”

Chapter Twelve

The radio DJ spoke of sunshine ahead for the rest of the day with a chance of showers overnight, perfect sunroof weather. With it slid wide open, I cruised the streets with the summer breeze in my hair. The scent of rain was light on the air, hours away yet.

My bag, with Cat’s unread file, sat on the passenger seat. I had yet to work up the gumption to read even the first page. I just wasn’t ready yet.

Not only that, but I was on my way to see Raoul. First things first. He’d left half a dozen messages on my home machine after finding my cell phone voicemail full. Nothing linked him to either murder, but he was having kittens over the whole thing nonetheless.

I still wondered if he wasn’t being melodramatic or putting on some kind of act. He wouldn’t normally come undone, but I suppose if my exes were dropping like flies, I might be worried, too.

Somebody had it out for him, though, and I wanted to know why. That seemed like a better question than whom. A number of people could have a grudge with Raoul, and they would most likely be completely justified in it.

All too soon, I stood on Raoul’s front step and crossed my fingers in the hope that he would have stepped out. The door swung open unexpectedly, and a large hand jerked me inside before I could blink.

My wrist stung where he grasped it, and I glared up at him until he let go. I rubbed the sore spot and frowned. I don’t react well to being manhandled.

“I don’t want anyone to see you here. They would probably just think I’m going to murder you and have the police here in a heartbeat.” When I just gave him a suspicious look, he added, “I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Well that line is sounding more convincing every time I hear it, but if Belle is going to be your key alibi, consider it an open and shut case.” I wrinkled my nose at Belle’s heavy, lingering perfume. “Is she gone?” I couldn’t sense her physical presence, but I had to be sure.

“Yeah. I asked her to leave before I called you.” Raoul ran a hand through his disheveled hair. He looked tired. The dark circles beneath his eyes indicated he hadn’t been sleeping well.

“I want to help you, Raoul, but we’re running out of time here. No more games. Tell me who you think is doing this.”

“Alexa!” The growl that spilled from between his lips made the fine hairs on my arms stand on end. “I don’t know. Why are you so insistent that I know who is doing this?”

I studied him long and hard before replying. He met my gaze, unflinching and bold. I couldn’t count how many times over the years we had stared at one another like that. Too many.

“I just get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me. Why would anyone do this? Why not just kill you and get it over with, if they have it out for you so bad? Why go to the trouble of ruining your life first?”

“I’ve been asking myself that very same thing. I do not know,” he said between tightly clenched teeth. “But, I’d sure like to get my hands on them.”

I paced the length of the living room and then paused to examine some photos on the mantel. “If the killing continues, you’re going to end up in prison. Or dead.” Most of the pictures displayed a much younger, human Raoul with his family. He didn’t see them much anymore. He was pretty touchy on the subject.

I knew he was being less than honest about something, but I couldn’t place a finger on what. He may be telling the truth about his innocence in the murders, but I was sure I smelled a rat.

“How do you expect me to be of any help if you insist on keeping me in the dark?”

“Who said I need your help?” The look he gave me was so full of scorn that I had to do a double take.

“You’re kidding, right?” Staring at his childhood photos, I wondered briefly what had happened. Surely, he didn’t start out in life as such a prick. “Well, forgive me for running over here when you called. Fool me twice, I guess. Shame on me.”

He made a frustrated sound and rolled his eyes at me. “Don’t get all female and defensive on me, Alexa. I should be able to take care of myself.”

A laugh bubbled up and poured out of me before I could rein it in. So, this was about Raoul’s fragile ego. Well, I sure as hell was not about to help him stroke it.

“Alright then. When this killer finally makes its way to you, then I’ll assume you’ll handle it yourself. After all, Lord knows how well you handle everything else.”

My jibe didn’t go unnoticed. Raoul grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him. I almost dropped the small wolf statue that I’d been examining. “And, just what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

We both knew exactly what I meant: he’d ruined our relationship. When Raoul had first taken me into the pack, I’d been grateful for the support and guidance. But, when I’d spent more time in his bed as a playmate than anything else, my innocence died. I distrusted him on every level. True, he had stopped me from being assaulted and abused, but that debt was paid, as far as I was concerned. I had no reason to forgive him for making me a toy. Over the years, Raoul proved himself a misogynistic chauvinist.

I glared pointedly at the large hand that squeezed my arm. “Get your filthy paws off me.”

“I never let him hurt you.” The energy behind his words shot through me like a scorching flame, and I jerked my arm away. I contemplated asking him who he was really mad at here.

“No, you just scored from me willingly what he was going to simply take.” So much for asking questions. I’m a self-confessed sucker for an argument when I know, without a doubt, that I am right.

“What did you want me to do? Kill him?”

I blinked at him, dumbfounded. This was the man that dared to call himself an Alpha anything?

“Yes, Raoul. I was a teenager, for God’s sake. Yes, I wanted to see the bastard dead! I wanted you to make him beg for death. But, you proved that you’re full of empty threats and capable of nothing.”

“And what did you prove, Alexa? That you’re no more than a ruthless murderer, always ready to extinguish somebody’s flame?” He smiled as if he believed he had me there.

“I proved that I get things done, and that I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty when it means taking care of business.” I tsked and shook my head sadly at him. “Maybe you’re not cut out for this werewolf gig after all.”

“Oh, fuck off, Alexa.”

I rolled my eyes at his blatant immaturity. I honestly wasn’t sure why I bothered with him at all.

“And on that note, I’m going to keep this visit short and sweet before I overstay my welcome.”

If I didn’t leave now, I was going to explode. The fire inside me was nowhere near burning out, and his button pushing wasn’t helping. If he touched me again, I was going to pop. Something about his energy set me off, in a way that nobody else’s could. He left the bitter sting of betrayal in places that could never be wiped clean.

“You’re leaving?” For the first time since I arrived, he showed an actual interest in my presence.

“Well, I sure don’t want to get in the way when your soon-to-be murderer arrives to dispatch your egotistical ass to the dark side. But, if you cut me into your will, then I might come back to dispose of you properly when it’s over.” I resisted the smile that tugged at my lips.

“So that’s it then. Alright. I know you think I deserve as much.” Raoul actually paced the length of the room once, then twice. I ignored him, turning to the doorway for my shoes.

The atmosphere grew smothered from his sudden anxiety, and I fought to resist it. Freely exuded, loose energy can become an intoxicant, and lately, it didn’t take much to over stimulate my senses.

“It doesn’t matter what I think, Raoul. It’s a waste of our time to even have this conversation. Keep your secrets, but leave me out of it when they catch up to you.”

I pulled my car keys from my pocket, and nearly lost a twenty dollar bill in the process, the one he’d given me. I had been planning on spending it on lottery tickets, hoping to win the big one so I could rub it in his face.

I continued, “Look, it’s my pack duty to back you up, but if you don’t want my help, then my hands are tied.”

He seemed to weigh my words, scan them for sarcasm. Satisfied, he gave me a lecherous smile that I recognized with a sick feeling. This wasn’t about to get any better.

“You really want to help me?” His low chuckle gave the room an eerie quality. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

With my defenses raised, I tensed for what was coming. “Don’t waste your breath on my account. Please.”

He must have moved when I bent to slip my shoes on because he suddenly felt much closer than before. Against my will, my heart began to race as the air shifted around us.

“What has it been, Lex, three or four years since you’ve been in my bed?”

“Is that all? I haven’t kept track. It really doesn’t mean anything to me anymore.” I bit back all of the things that I wanted to say. I should have said nothing in the first place.

“Hey, you said you wanted to help. I’m simply refusing to beat around the bush. I’m not interested in rehashing the past either.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Getting laid is your biggest concern right now? You, sir, are a lost cause.”

“That’s not fair. I could be a dead man walking, and you expect me to avoid the greatest things in life while I’m still able to enjoy them? Not a chance.” He didn’t really believe his days were numbered. His arrogance wouldn’t allow it.

“Nice try. I hope you don’t think I’m hard up enough to take you up on that.”

His dark eyes narrowed, and the desire to leave was unbearable. I wished desperately for him to get out of my personal space.

“I don’t suppose you would be with a young thing like Shaz. I’ll bet he’s a real aim-to-please kind of guy.”

I made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh which earned me a dirty look. Of course, he would assume that Shaz and I were lovers. He wouldn’t be the first to think so, but he would be wrong. Still, I didn’t like being reminded of the awkward intimacy between me and Shaz. I hated the fear that I had now destroyed it for good.

“I don’t stick my nose in your many personal affairs. I’ll thank you to stay the hell out of mine.”

“Fair enough.” With another step, he closed the remaining space between us. With a forward tilt of his head, his black hair fell like a silky curtain against my face. “How about we cut to the chase then?”

I fought to deny the resurgence of a memory, a time when I’d known the touch of that soft hair on my naked flesh. I was resisting the impulse to scream so intently that I expected my skull to burst into a million little pieces. I needed to calm down. Losing control wasn’t an option.

His breath was hot on my neck as he nuzzled my hair and breathed in my scent deeply. The soft tip of his tongue was wet against my skin as he licked the sensitive spot beneath my ear. A sigh escaped me, and I flashed back to another time and place. Though it was the same wolf in the same house, it was all wrong.

Raoul thought he could seduce me with the lusty power of the werewolf. Perhaps he could charm the pants off a human or even a new Were, but I’d been seduced by the ultimate vampire, and Raoul just couldn’t compare to that. At just the thought of Arys, Raoul’s touch ceased to hold any sway over me.

“That’s never going to happen.” I gently pushed him with both hands. He resisted and pressed me into the wall. “I’ve got issues you can’t even begin to understand. Trust me when I say, you don’t want to play with me anymore. Stick with Belle, she’s more your type.”

The negative energy of his sudden anger pushed against me, and a menacing temptation to play with him taunted me from the cooled depths of Arys’s magic. I wanted to manipulate him like the pathetic animal that he was, until I’d consumed all that he had to give: blood, anger, fear and sex. I just could suck him dry. The promise of pleasure encouraged the sadistic urge, and I licked my lips eagerly when he brought his face to mine.

I thought he was going to kiss me, so I was caught between relief and outrage when he bit my bottom lip instead. I tasted blood, which fuelled my sudden fury. The power flowed from me in a casual and effortless gesture that I’d seen Arys do many times. It had taken scarcely more than a thought to throw Raoul against the far wall.

I was pleased at the ease of wielding Arys’s power. From the sound that Raoul made against the wall, I’d thrown him harder than I’d intended. I could feel an icy wave shoot through me, and I shuddered as Arys’s power licked my insides.

I broke the energy that held Raoul, and he fell to his knees on the floor. He was speechless, a rarity for him. The weight of his wide, dark eyes bore into me. A series of emotions swam in his dark stare. His glare triggered my defenses, and I tensed. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I never expected what came next.

“Get out.” Raoul got to his feet, unsteady.

“What?”

“You heard me. Take your secrets, your vampire powers, or whatever the hell that was, and get the fuck out. That certainly explains what you did to Shaz, you crazy bitch.”

“You know it’s not vampire powers. You’ve seen what I can do.” I was so full of shit, and we both knew it.

“You couldn’t do that before. And, certainly not without breaking a sweat. There’s the door.”

I stared uncertainly at him. I wasn’t sure if I should leave or not. I wanted to refuse and force him to listen to me. However, the heavy scent of fear oozed from Raoul’s large physique. He was afraid of me. The realization came as a shock. I had to turn away from his frozen black gaze. I’m not sure whose dignity I was trying to preserve, his or mine, but I wasted no time in getting out of there.

Though Raoul may not have known it, I was terrified too. I enjoyed it when Arys’s power surfaced within me, but at the same time, I wasn’t myself. Was living as a vampire always so Jekyll and Hyde?

Frustration rode me, and I drove half-blinded by anger. I didn’t know where I was going. I just drove.

When I came to a stop, I was parked outside of Shaz’s apartment building. I had instinctively run to seek solace from the only person that I felt I could. My finger froze, poised above the buzzer labeled 204. What was I doing here? Would he even want to see me? I thought about leaving, but I had nowhere to go with the burden inside me. I let my finger fall on the button.

I waited in stark silence. After a moment, I reached for the exit to the street, expecting no response. With a series of crackles, the intercom blared to life. Shaz’s voice sounded fuzzy and far away.

“It’s me,” I said uncertainly. A deafening buzz indicated that the security door was unlocked.

I waited for the elevator as I nervously rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans. I can’t count how many times I arranged and then re-arranged my hair on the short ride to the second floor. My heart raced. I stepped into the hall, and the elevator doors slid shut behind me.

Deep breath.

He had cracked open the door in anticipation of my entrance. I worked hard to keep my footsteps even. My legs felt like jelly. As I grew near, I took in the overwhelming scents of coffee, fresh laundry, and Shaz. With a light knock, I went inside.

“Hey.” He looked up from where he stood loading the dishwasher. His smile was friendly, but I could see the reserve within it. “How are you?”

I closed the door behind me, kicked off my shoes, and left the false comfort of the entryway. My smile was forced, and I knew that he would see right through it.

“I’ve been better. You?”

I willed myself to hold it together as my throat grew tight. He knew me too well. Despite the awkwardness, something in his stance changed. His eyes softened, and he put down the plate he was holding.

I would not cry. I repeated the words in my head as if to will them to be true. A guilty little piece of me didn’t want his sympathy. I didn’t deserve it. His compassion would be my undoing.

He crossed the small space between us in a few strides. A finger under my chin drew my gaze to his, and I looked into his calm, sea green eyes. I hated myself for the concern etched in their depths.

“Tell me,” he spoke softly. He searched my eyes intently.

Between fighting the emotional outbursts that threatened, I told him everything: Raoul’s advance and how I had scared us both, the strangeness of the power exchange, and the vampire who’d wanted Arys dead. I caught a glimpse of satisfaction on Shaz’s face when I mentioned the hit job on Arys, but he hid it before I could be certain.

Before I saw it coming, Shaz pulled me into his arms. I expected his embrace to be stiff or distant, but instead, it was warm and inviting. The hand that gently stroked my hair was more possessive than I ever remembered it being.

“You are not Superwoman, Alexa,” he said at last. “Stop feeling like you have to take care of everyone. It’s not all within your control.”

He took my hand in his and led me into the living room. I sat down on the noisy leather couch while he produced a mug of hot coffee from the kitchen.

“Thank you.” I stared into the hot, creamy liquid. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here. I have no right to show up here crying on your shoulder.”

“Of course you do. We’re pack. We’re friends.” He smiled, and his voice had dropped lower when he added, “You know I always wanted to be your other half.”

My heart twisted in my chest, and my next breath actually hurt. Unable to speak, I squeezed his hand and wished that he knew what he really meant to me, though it was still hard to come to terms with myself. Why must I make one hell of a mistake to realize what I should have already known?

“If I could take it back…” I choked on my words. “It would be you.”

“Stop punishing yourself. Self-loathing doesn’t look good on you, Lex. You’re a free woman, and I don’t have the right to make you feel like you did something wrong.”

“But, I did. And, I’m afraid that it cost me more than I even know.”

“Like what?” He edged closer, and I was lost in the clean, natural scent of him.

“You.”

Silence. The beat of my heart echoed in my ears. I longed to touch him, but I feared that he would pull away. Instead, I kept my hands to myself.

Time stopped.

For one magical moment, he kissed me with such fervor that I spilled my coffee on the beige carpet. I pulled him closer but allowed him to control the kiss. My head was a mass of confusion, but right then, it just felt so naturally perfect. I felt like I was learning a lesson in head versus heart. He nuzzled my throat and breathed in my scent. I melted against him.

“You know what I think?” He whispered after what felt like a long time. “I think you should tell Raoul that he’s on his own now. Don’t risk yourself for something he brought on himself.”

Shaz was ticked over Raoul’s unwelcome advances, which pleased me regardless of our situation.

“I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“There’s no sense trying to help him. For all we know, he really deserves what’s coming to him.”

“Maybe.” I nodded. Raoul certainly wasn’t the nicest guy. I could believe that someone would have a just grudge against him.

Since I continued to anguish, Shaz changed the subject. “Hey, why don’t we order pizza for lunch? We can hang out here and watch talk shows all day like we used to. Maybe play some video games?”

I smiled at the memory. We’d once spent an entire week like that. In the heart of a Canadian winter, the blizzards had kept traffic off the highways. Commuters were stuck at home that week, a weeklong snow day for Stony Plain.

“Sounds great. Chicken and mushroom with honey garlic wings?” I was surprisingly hungry at the mention of food. “And some pizza bread.”

The afternoon went by too fast for my liking. A couple episodes of Jerry Springer and a handful of court shows held our attention as we stuffed ourselves with pizza and wings. Shaz made another pot of coffee that we sipped, curled up together on the creaky couch. We laughed and giggled our way through a session of Guitar Hero. As I laughed with Shaz and pretended to be carefree, I felt rejuvenated.

After successfully beating him on battle mode for the third time in a row, I chortled, “In your face.”

He responded by grabbing me in a move faster than my eyes could follow. Our plastic guitar controllers went flying. I squealed as his fingers deftly found that one ticklish spot between my ribs. To escape, I threw myself to the floor, but he followed me down and pinned me beneath his weight.

I looked up into his bright green eyes. They held an affection that I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. He continued tickling and held my wrists above my head as I wrestled to break free.

“Shaz, please,” I begged in a high, pleading note as desperation set in. Too much tickling could end very badly.

“Who’s the dominant wolf now?” He growled playfully in my ear.

A series of soft knocks on the apartment door caused us to freeze. After a heartbeat, Shaz jumped up. The sudden absence of his body heat caused goose bumps to break out on my skin.

I didn’t realize that I had been vibing off of him until the energy fell away. The metaphysical remnants remained like a coating of fairy dust on my skin.

Shaz flipped the lock, and I rolled over on to my stomach to push myself to my knees. I was in direct view of the door and didn’t want to be seen splayed out on the floor.

A woman’s voice called out brightly, and a brunette with a ponytail and a grey tracksuit burst into the entryway. She threw her arms around Shaz excitedly, and my breath caught. I tugged my top to cover my belly.

“How are you? I thought I’d come by and see if you want to catch a movie or grab dinner later.” She stopped suddenly when she noticed me. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you had company.”

Shaz looked awkwardly at me and made a strange gesture in the air between the brunette and myself.

“Casey, it’s nice to see you. This is Alexa O’Brien. She’s a very good friend of mine. Lex, this is Casey Edmonds. She lives in the building here.”

Casey’s dark eyes flicked to me on the floor and noted the shirt that I tugged back in to place. I saw the assumption in her eyes, and I encouraged it. I fixed my hair as well, as if she’d interrupted something. Maybe it was catty, but Shaz hadn’t mentioned any lady friend, and my cheeks were burning.

“Nice to meet you, Casey.” I got to my feet and went to her, hand extended.

She tossed her wavy ponytail and sniffed. I knew she didn’t want to take my hand and, when she did, it was with the barest of touches. I resisted the urge to crush her flimsy human fingers in my grip.

“You too,” she murmured before turning back to Shaz. It was an obvious attempt at a dismissal, and I felt the energy around us begin to grow hot with my anger.

“Would you like to come in for coffee?” Shaz’s fingers worked furiously through his platinum hair, a nervous habit that he’d had as long as I have known him.

His gaze jumped back and forth between us, and I knew he’d either dated her, slept with her, or both. Why did it make my insides churn? I squashed all feelings of jealousy before I had to admit to myself how bad it was.

“No, thanks. I’m just on my way to the gym. Why don’t you give me a call sometime when you’re free?” Casey slid a sidelong glance in my direction, and then she gave him the look.

I barely restrained the desire to tear her eyes out. Power began to hum softly around me, and both Shaz and Casey reacted to it.

He knew exactly what it was, and his jade eyes narrowed in warning. Casey began to fan herself saying, “It’s hot in here, Shaz. You should turn the air conditioning on.”

“It is on,” he replied. He quickly added, “Maybe it’s broken. I’ll have the superintendent look at it.”

“You should.” She flashed me a brittle, cold smile and finally turned to leave.  I sighed aloud. I hated her.

After she forced Shaz to promise to call later, he closed the door and turned to face me. Guilt defined his features, and I looked away, embarrassed by my jealousy.

“Sorry about that. I wasn’t expecting her to come by.” The moment was wretchedly awkward. The sound of the forgotten video game played loudly in the quiet apartment. “We only went out once. Nothing happened.”

“Don’t, Shaz. You don’t owe me an explanation.” And didn’t I know it? It was hard to swallow even a taste of what I’d inflicted on him.

“I want you to know that I didn’t mention it because there was nothing worth mentioning.” He shrugged, and his voice grew soft. “I only went out with her because I thought you and I never stood a chance.”

“It’s ok, Shaz. I’m the last person in the position to be demanding answers. It’s none of my business.”

He accepted that reluctantly. He nodded slightly, but I knew that he wanted to say more. Less than ten feet separated us, yet I felt like we were a world apart. I’d gotten so used to keeping people at a distance that I still didn’t know how to let anyone in.

“You want to finish the game?” He brushed past me into the living room, and the repeating music stopped.

“I’m done. I’ll be seeing colors in my dreams as it is.”

He chuckled and turned the PlayStation off. The apartment went silent. “I should probably start getting ready for work anyway.”

“Well, thanks for entertaining me. It’s been a while since we got to do this. It was nice.” I was doing a rotten job of maintaining eye contact, but I felt weird and knew he would see it in my face. Of course, he could sense the rapid beat of my heart.

“It was.” Shaz leaned casually against the wall as I gathered my things to leave. “So why don’t we go out sometime? On a real date, I mean.”

In turn, I sensed the blood rushing through him. His cheeks were flushed, and I couldn’t hide my smile.

“You’re asking me on an official date?”

Thinking back briefly, I couldn’t recall ever having been asked out on an actual date. My teen years and early twenties had been chaotic enough without romance of the human variety. After the last week, I was astonished that he even wanted a date with me.

“Yes. I’m asking you on a date. Dinner, on me.”

“And after?” I dared to ask playfully.

He shrugged. “Catch a movie, go for a run, park and make out. Whatever you prefer.”

Energy shifted between us. At the core of me, where the power of my werewolf lay rooted, I felt him. Like a shadow that I could feel but not see, his wolf lingered, hesitant to reach for me.

The vampire in my energy made him pause, and I hated that. I knew the touch of his skin as well as I knew the silk of his fur or the musk of his scent. I longed to pull his wolf around me like a blanket to drown out the energy of the grave. Everything with Arys felt more wrong when I was this close to Shaz’s pure, untainted aura.

But, I couldn’t force out what I had allowed to become a part of me. It scared me to the tips of my toes to think that I might not ever be able to.

“I would love to go on a date with you, Shaz.” I giggled slightly and felt like a total moron. I heard him release the breath he’d been holding.

“Great. How’s Friday?”

I would have ditched anything to say yes to him in that moment. As I scanned through my mental calendar, I was already free that day.

When we’d confirmed that he would pick me up at nine on Friday, I crossed the threshold into the hall and turned back to say goodbye. I loved that he was just there, close enough for me to feel.

His breath was warm and inviting. His kiss was chaste but tender. Still, I felt his hunger leashed beneath his calm surface.

My heart skipped a beat when, just as fast as he was there, he was gone. Only his scent lingered to tease me as I waited for the elevator. I was one damn confused werewolf.

Chapter Thirteen

I simply didn’t want to face anymore of Arys’s evil. I’d avoided Lucy’s Lounge and had carried the manila folder around for three days without cracking the cover. It did nothing to alleviate the growing confusion or the guilt over leaving Arys to fight the shift on his own. I wanted to pretend it would just go away. Instead, avoiding the vampire made the newfound power and the blood thirst more pronounced rather than subdued. It itched and clawed at my insides.

Rather than face Cat’s thoughts on Arys, I screwed around for as long as I could justify it to myself. Menial tasks like tidying the kitchen counters and folding laundry grabbed my attention easier than ever before, and I dragged the chores out until I had nothing left to keep me from the folder. Well, the walls could use a fresh coat of paint but I had to draw the line somewhere.

I had no excuse to avoid Cat’s evidence any longer. The cream-colored folder lay open on the desk in the small office I share with Ky. Sounds from late night television murmured quietly from the small TV set in the corner. A glass of my favorite red wine stood tall next to the sheaf of papers, awaiting my return.

Finally, I stared at the folder and thought, Arys is a vampire who enjoys it. What more do I need to know? Bothered by the prospect of a reason to take Arys out within those pages, I took a large, un-lady-like gulp of wine first.

Even my knowledge of the vampire’s bizarre memories didn’t prepare me for what I discovered on the series of crisp, white photocopied pages of Cat’s journal. Before reaching the end of the first page, I was sitting up a little straighter in my chair with rapt attention. As I read, his memories began to take form inside my mind.

Catherine had written about her time as a new vampire with him. Her tales of seduction as a key component in inevitable murder resulted in a spattering of goose bumps along my arms. The wheels turned faster in my brain as I tapped into his memories of those same events.

Arys fed on much more than blood alone. Like a cat with a mouse, he drew out his excruciating game in order to savor it completely. Most of his victims were more than a quick snack. He used seduction and fear as an intoxicant, vital to his feeding process. Arys rarely took blood without the kill. In his earlier days as a vampire, he had little regard for the value of human life and used no discretion when choosing a victim.

As I read, I began to get the impression that Catherine had been nothing more to him than a victim gone wrong. He had never meant for her to survive him. Not only did he continue to bed his victims after forming a relationship with her, but he also encouraged her to do the same.

Arys loved to swim in the heady sexual energy of his lovers. I knew this personally. Their pleasurable responses generated higher energy production for him to consume. It made perfect sense, and yet I couldn’t shake the heavy feeling that formed in the pit of my stomach.

Apparently Arys was no stranger to torture. Much of his enjoyment came from terrorizing his victims into hysterics. He took the most enjoyment from bleeding them tauntingly slowly. Though his methods were tasteless and cruel, they never crossed into the level of gruesome that I’d come to associate with human crime. How very reassuring.

My eyes flashed back to the previous page. I hadn’t read anything that I hadn’t already seen inside his memories. Even the girls who resisted ended up begging for fulfillment or death.

Bottom line, the vamp got off on the lust and terror of his victims before he killed them. In fact, he went to great lengths to draw it out for extended periods of time. Once he’d consumed all of his victims’ sexual energy, a show of fangs and a little bloody torture generated a whole new kind of energy. Fear is the ultimate undoing of any predator. Feel it, and it’s already too late.

Blood alone contains enough pranic energy for the sustenance of a vampire. Adding the often underestimated power of extreme lust and fear to the mix was like eating a five course dinner for every meal. It definitely explained his immense power but not his reasons why.

Chills ran down my spine at the thought of being his victim. Whether consensual or not, his victims loved every moment of the fire he ignited within them, just like I had. Even as I remembered, a tingle jabbed at my core, and a drizzle of adrenaline rushed through me. Had he ever intended to kill me? Or, was the obvious fact that I wasn’t human enough to keep me off his food list?

Thinking back on every exchange between us, it had always somehow been about the metaphysics going on beneath the surface. I couldn’t pinpoint one time when the energy hadn’t simmered when he was near. I wondered how much of my attraction to Arys had been natural and how much was his metaphysical influence. With sudden realization, I noticed that I was gently caressing the faint scar of his bite.

“Son of a bitch!” I shoved my chair back with a squeaky roll of wheels and narrowly avoided knocking the wine glass over.

Now that I felt like just another conquest to the power monger vampire, I was both embarrassed and pissed off. Mostly at myself. I couldn’t blame Arys for seeing me as something he wanted to sample. I blamed myself for letting him. I’ve played this game before, and dammit, I knew better.

I hemmed and hawed for a minute, uncertain about disturbing Kylarai in her room. I wanted to burst in there rambling a mile a minute about what a fool I am. Was it love I wanted from Arys? Hell no. But, I had expected respect.

“Power! That’s all that the bastard wanted from me.” I pounced on Ky the second I heard her door open.

“Excuse me?” She attempted to set a pot of coffee to brew while I waved papers in her face.

“Here.” I shoved one particular sheet into her hand. “Read this one.” Screw confidentiality. This case was personal, an exception to the rule.

I watched her eyebrows rise as she read about the night both Arys and Catherine had lured a young married couple home from the theatre. As she took in the tale, she didn’t pause or look up.

Cat’s description of the effects of so much energy had stirred a response low in my body. In the game Arys played, sex wasn’t the main act at all, merely a method of foreplay.

“Well that explains why he’s so damn powerful,” Kylarai said, repeating close to what I’d thought myself. “But really, he can’t be the only vampire acting as an incubus to increase the high.”

“You’re not surprised?” I stared at her incredulously.

“Not really, Lex. He’s a vampire. Do you expect him to ask politely if he may drain your essence away with your life?”

I gaped at her open mouthed. Why did I suddenly feel like I was overreacting?

“Look.” She touched my arm gently. “It makes sense that you feel betrayed, but you can’t hold his nature against him. The past has nothing to do with you. If I were you, I’d tell this Catherine person that you can’t help her. And, do it before she finds out you’re doing her man.”

“I am not doing him. All I was to that jackass was new power to consume.” I crossed my arms over my chest. I shuffled my feet angrily and sniffed at the tantalizing aroma of brewing coffee.

“Would you rather have just been sex to him?” She eyed me skeptically, and I met her gaze evenly.

“Yes.” I didn’t even have to think about it. “That’s what it was to me. I didn’t go after him with ulterior motives.”

Kylarai practically laughed right in my face at that, and I bit back the rant on the tip of my tongue. “You liar.” She even went so far as to jab a finger at me in the air. “It was all of that spiced up power that had you so hot for him in the first place.”

“What?”

“If he’d been human, there is no way you would have given him more than a passing glance.” She turned to take two mugs out of the cupboard. “You’re so hopped up on the juice yourself that you don’t seem to realize that you’re seeking it out, too. Though, perhaps, your reasons differ from a vampire’s.”

Dumbfounded, I stared as she poured coffee into each mug and handed one to me. “Do you really think that?” I spoke to fill the space, but part of me knew that she was right.

Arys could barely look at me without causing my senses to burn for more. Could it be that I wasn’t a victim of his seduction, but an equal partner in my own right?

“You know it’s true. It doesn’t take a psychic to feel the energy increase when you’re in the same room as a powerful man.”

That was partially true. Both Raoul and even Shaz had stirred the metaphysical side of me. Not every vampire or shifter did though.

“So you’re saying I got as much out of our encounter as he did.” I nodded. The pieces were starting to fit. I didn’t particularly like it.

“Exactly. Which means you could never have been his victim. He didn’t kill you or even try because you aren’t food. You’re an equal. You gained as much as you gave. And, we both know you were a willing participant.”

A sudden blush spread across my cheeks. I tucked the paper back into the pile and marched back to the den.

Dammit, Kylarai always got to be the insightful one. Something in me felt abused by Arys simply because I’d been unaware of his deep need of power. I was desperate to blame him for my wanton desire, for my betrayal of Shaz. Disappointed in the loss of my fury, I closed the folder. The rest of Cat’s diary pages would stay unread.

After procrastinating for a few minutes, I called the number that she’d left for me and left her a voicemail declining the job. This case was about a broken heart that had nothing to do with me. In the meantime, I had a ton to think about, my own personal issues.

At half past one, the night was by no means over. After a ludicrous attempt to read a cheesy romance novel from Ky’s bookshelf, I soon gave up. I couldn’t get past the first page. I could do a million things to pass the time, but I couldn’t invest myself in any one of them. Nagging thoughts refused to leave me alone. I couldn’t help but wonder how Arys was doing.

By ignoring our mistake, were we simply making it worse?

The last time that I saw him, Arys was fighting a deep sense of confusion. Having something that he could not control was outside his realm of comfort. For my part, bouts of nausea and bloodlust alternatively wracked me, and though the moments were brief, they were frighteningly intense. But, I hadn’t given in yet. I refused to crumple into longing the way that Arys had. I rode out every surge with willpower and sheer stubbornness. However, everyday, the need to give in to the bloodlust grew stronger. It grew harder to resist.

Determined and curious, I zipped a dark grey hoodie over my black t-shirt with a bright pink Playboy bunny logo. I changed into a pair of hip-hugging, black jeans so I could actually move comfortably. I double-checked that I had both my cell phone and wallet before calling out, “I’m going out.” Kylarai’s response sounded affirmative, so I locked the door on my way out.

I decided to leave the Charger for the night. I was in the mood for a walk beneath the moonlight. The late night walk through the quiet town felt magically soothing. During the twenty-minute stroll to Lucy’s Lounge, I hoped to accomplish some productive thinking.

The nightlife in Stony Plain vastly differs from that of the city center. The streetlights here don’t shine brighter than the stars. Traffic maintains a steady flow, but the vehicles are much fewer and farther in between. And, of course, the only businesses open at this hour consisted of the bars, the 7/11, and the McDonald’s twenty-four hour drive-thru.

A fountain bubbled, and a creek flowed near the small, off-road path. I preferred to avoid the main walking routes. I sought the shadows. The path and the creek successfully wound the length of Stony from the north to the south end. Comforting and familiar, the sound of the creek held a soothing quality.

As I walked, several jackrabbits broke from frozen positions and ran for safety as I crossed through the playground of an elementary school. They didn’t fear the trucks barreling through the street, yet they still feared me upon catching the scent of wolf. I paused to allow them to run without feeling as if I was giving chase. They were too small and helpless. I liked my quarry big enough to put up a fight. In fact, I preferred that they deserved it.

A group of teenagers looked up in alarm when I rounded a bend in the grey stone walkway. The joint they passed was frozen in midair. The kid holding it had the widest eyes. I almost laughed aloud. At their age, I’d been learning how to protect myself from true danger as well as my own predatory urges. What I wouldn’t have given to be a kid with a joint instead.

I couldn’t hide my smile when I passed them. One kid dared to give me a cocky sneer, a challenge. The youthful scent of his blood was tangy and metallic, inviting me to taste it. A brief thought flashed through my mind. How easy it would be to take him right here in a frenzy of blood and fear. The others would try to run, but I’d catch them, too. I forced myself to keep walking and the urge dissipated almost as fast as it had come.

No sooner had I vanished from sight than they resumed their laughter and juvenile jokes. Enjoy it boys. You’ll have to grow up some time.

I ambled on toward Lucy’s until the overpowering scent of fear made me stop in my tracks. Standing in the shadows, I was hidden from view by the tree-lined path as vehicles flew by on the four-lane strip to my right.  I saw nothing out of place.

For a moment, I thought my nose was playing tricks on me, but then the scream came. High pitched and terrified, the helpless sound thrilled me with excitement, bringing Arys’s smile to my lips.

I followed the sound down the gaping black hole of an intersecting path. I suppose I’m lucky that my night vision is damn good. It’s better than that of the two humans that I had smelled in the darkness ahead, and that’s what really mattered.

As I crept down the eeriest bike path in town, I stifled a giggle. My wolf didn’t drive me forward. No, I had succumbed to the intoxicating temptation of the bloodlust. I suddenly wanted it so bad that I could already taste the sweet copper on my tongue.

I didn’t need the whimpering to guide me to the couple.  I could see them fighting near the thin tree line. The scent of fear hung thick on the air, as enticing as bread, fresh from the oven. But, there was also the heavenly scent of pain, which I despised myself for loving.

As I got closer, I realized how dire the situation was for the humans.  They grappled in the dark for control, and one was fated to lose. The she-wolf in me reared her head at that, and a surge of rage hit me as the warm and cool energies of the wolf and vampire struggled for dominance.

“Please, David, don’t!” I heard the shrill and terrified cry, and I saw his hand rise before the deafening smack followed.

“Nothing but a goddamned tease.” Flesh struck flesh, and then I heard a muffled whimper.

The vampire may have gotten more enjoyment out of the fear heavily lacing the air. I on the other hand took greater pleasure in the cocky display of caveman mentality and knowing this guy would die for it.

The barest shred of realism appealed to my quickly fading sanity. I realized that what little was left of my humanity was falling away. Power rode me in an overwhelming rush. I knew such undeniable hunger when the vampire’s appetite rose to the surface. The side of me that was wolf looked on the scene before me with apathy: he was a danger; he had to die. The scent of blood hit me, and the power building in my core broke free.

My head swam as instinct took over, and the beast within was unleashed. When I lifted my victim off his feet with one hand, I only wished he could see me better in the dark and fear me even more. With my fangs bared, a growl erupted from my throat. As I jerked the man away, the woman let out another ear-piercing wail.

Her fear fed my fire like gasoline, and I struggled to say, “Run,” before I reached for her, too. She didn’t have to be told twice. With David long forgotten, she ran screaming into the night. She would need a good twenty minutes to find someone to help look for the monster eating her loser boyfriend.

A cold sweat broke out on my skin, and I shivered despite the warm summer air. Conflicting urges toyed with my emotions, but all I felt was the hunger coursing through me.

David’s attempt at a strangled scream was music to my ears. I smiled and licked my lips. Even in the dark, I could see the whites of his bulging eyes as he fought to breathe around my crushing grip.

“So you don’t like to take no for an answer? Well, neither do I.” I gave him a mind-numbing shake. His sudden resurgence of terror hit me like an overdose. I didn’t need more fear to feed my inner fire. I saw through a red haze. The sky, stars and moon all shone down on us with a blood red glow. I don’t have a clear recollection of sinking fangs and tearing flesh. I know only that David’s noises stopped instantly as his blood sprayed in hot drops, like lava, and spattered my face.

My intention went out the window when I tasted his blood. Any remaining thread of my humanity broke. I blacked out.

It was absolute carnage, nothing like the two neat holes of a practiced vampire. When I came back to myself and took in the scene, a cry escaped me that sounded foreign, like somebody else. I’d killed the wretch of a man, and the remnants of David were strewn about everywhere, most of them unidentifiable. The fact that his head remained just barely attached to his torso was sickening enough. The pile of intestine near my feet had me scrambling backward. I clawed at the pavement in my haste to retreat.

Blood coated the back of my tongue bitterly, and I made it a few feet before vomiting a stream of blood and flesh. My hands and face felt sticky. My heart raced so fast that I expected it to give out. Silent tears zigzagged twin paths down my cheeks as I gasped for air.

My mind was reeling. What in the fuck just happened? Desperately, I tried to wrap my mind around what I had done. I was haunted by how good it had felt, better than any physical sensation that I’d ever known. Once I’d accepted the taunting lure of the vampire’s need, there had been no going back.

I began to sob even as I spat blood and tissue. Crying wasn’t going to help anything so I forcibly bit back my sobs, though the tears refused to stop. I recognized the copper flavor of blood, goddamn vampire tears. My stomach rolled again with nausea and bile rose in my throat. I had to get out of there.

I was scared shitless but not stupid. As soon as David’s girlfriend reached the heart of town, she’d send someone. With any luck, he wouldn’t be found before daylight, but I needed to get the hell away from the scene. I quickly checked for any personal evidence. No human dental records in the world would match any bite marks on the body parts.

My clothes, my face, and my hands were gory. I looked like I had been finger painting with vital fluids.  I had to clean up, but the darkened path led away from the creek.  If I turned back, I’d expose myself to the light from the main road. Out of the question. I’d have to get back home without anyone seeing me.

Deeper in the darkness, away from the main road, was another intersecting trail. That one however led only a short way to a residential sidewalk and ended. I glanced over my shoulder to the headlights on the busy street. I had no choice but to take the quiet residential streets.

My legs moved with preternatural speed as I hopped fences, ducked in between houses and slunk through the dark alleys. I stopped twice more to vomit. By the time that I arrived at home, I was dizzy and nauseous.

I didn’t even consider going inside. If Kylarai saw me like this, she might just kick my ass herself. I worried that I was losing my mind. I had to ask myself if what had just happened was real. It already felt like a faded dream.

Unfortunately, the moment I entered the garage and looked at myself in the Charger’s side mirror, it became painfully real. My wolf eyes glowed with an eerie light in the dimly lit garage. Thankfully, they were my wolf eyes and not Arys’s dizzying blue orbs.

The bright red smear across my mouth had turned brownish red around the edges. My blonde hair was chunky with red and pink tissues. I swore softly, but I wanted to pitch a damn fit.

I blamed Arys for all of this. He had to have known the risks far better than I did. Damn him for adding to my already screwed up existence.

Careful not to touch Kylarai’s white Escalade, I went to the small sink near the workbench. For the first time, I was glad that the man who had built the place had thought of it. I stripped off my bloodstained sweater. My t-shirt beneath was unblemished. With a sigh of relief, I ran the water until it was warm and cleansed every spot from my hands and face. I wasn’t happy about rinsing my hair with no shampoo or conditioner, and it really sucked that my precious toothbrush was in the house. But, if I went in, Ky would try to stop me from going back out, and I wasn’t risking that.

Something was drawing me to Lucy’s Lounge. Whether it was my inherent need to throttle Arys with my bare hands or something else entirely, I wasn’t sure.

After stashing my bloody sweater in a gap behind the stairs, I studied my black jeans. The few splatters were barely noticeable on the dark denim. They would do for tonight and would join my hoodie in the burn barrel tomorrow.

I got in the Charger and backed out of the garage. I hoped that Ky wouldn’t hear the mechanics of the garage door. I’d just have to explain later.

* * * *

Arys was nowhere to be seen, but I felt him as strongly as if I were standing right next to him. A strange sensation told me that he sensed me, too. I cast my gaze around frantically for him. Something didn’t feel right, like someone was out of place.

I felt Shaz’s eyes on me, and I turned to give him a wink and a smile. I couldn’t read anything in his expression, which gave me pause. I would have approached him if the pressing line of patrons hadn’t stood in my way. He didn’t look exceptionally distraught or beckon me over, so it couldn’t be that bad.

When I didn’t immediately spot Arys downstairs, I began to ascend the wide staircase. A rush of coolness stirred the hot bar air behind me. I turned to face him, suddenly on the offensive.

“You son of a bitch!” I cursed Arys from where I stood on the third step looking down at him.

His midnight eyes widened as he took in my blood-scented jeans and damp hair, now drying in dread-like chunks of blonde and gold.

“You killed a human.” It was a comment, not a question. The Goth rock music boomed all around us. His words reached only me. “What have you been up to, Alexa?”

“Why don’t you tell me? You’re the one skilled in cold blooded murder.” I glared at him. I tried so hard to blame him, even as I tasted the blood that lingered on the back of my tongue. He fixed me with a hard stare and, though my temper faltered, I refused to back down.

“What in the hell are you on?” Arys grabbed my forearm and jerked me down the stairs. He pulled me against him and forced me to crane my neck. He looked into my eyes. “I never forced you into anything, and you know it. Did I blame you when I slaughtered Mrs. Olson’s dog?”

I raised an eyebrow at him and made a face that indicated how stupid I thought his statement was. After a moment, he relented.

Arys admitted, “Ok, I did blame you. But now, I blame us. But seriously, we have more important issues at hand.”

“What the hell can be more important than the fact that I just tore a man apart? Literally! He’s probably been found by now.”

“When you say you tore him apart, you mean…”

“I said literally, didn’t I? I mean just what I said. I left the fucker in pieces, ok?” His eyes sparkled with gruesome curiosity, which disgusted me enough that I had to fight back another wave of nausea.

“As much as I’d love to hear all of the sweet and, I’m certain, juicy details, I’m afraid we have bigger problems.”

“Like what?” I didn’t really want to hear what he had to say. In fact, I had made a mistake by coming to Lucy’s at all.

“Like the hit job on me that you’ve been thinking about taking.” He said it so matter of fact.

Dumbfounded doesn’t even begin to describe my instant reaction. I stared up at him like he’d slapped me as I took a step back. Shit. Good news travels fast.

“What?” I mumbled, glancing around anxiously for whatever was out of place. My poor attempt at casual had bombed, but I forced myself to maintain eye contact. “I was never going to take the job.”

“Don’t even try it. If we weren’t facing a shit load of trouble right now, I wouldn’t hesitate to take a bite out of you. But, that will have to wait.”

I was constantly finding myself thankful for the noisy din of the bar. Music, laughter and conversation created the perfect lull of background noise.

Before I could ask what he meant by trouble, my sense of unease grew as an angry energy swirled all around us. I felt vampiric energy approach me from behind and whirled to find Catherine descending the steps. She glowered at us with more hate than I’d had directed at me in a while.

“Alexa!” She was all too happy to see me. “I thought I sensed your presence. Good. Now I can kill the both of you, which only seems fitting considering the circumstances.”

“Cat, please. We can discuss this rationally.” I kicked myself for the remaining humanity that enabled me to feel compassion for a vampire that I seriously suspected of mental illness. “It’s not what you think.”

Her dark eyes narrowed on me, and I felt my chest tighten under the pressure of her fury. How I became “the other woman” was beyond me. I studied Catherine’s absolutely evil stare and felt ashamed. I’d worn a similar expression no more than an hour previous. A shiver tore down my spine.

“Don’t try reasoning with her,” Arys said as he grabbed my hand. He yanked me behind him, away from the crazed vampiress.

His touch caused a visible spark of sudden power between us. It looked like an extreme static zap but much brighter and stronger.

“Whoa,” I gasped, jerking my hand out of his grasp. Was he absolutely insane? This wasn’t getting any better.

I couldn’t tell if Catherine had even seen the spark. She was now staring so hard at Arys that I was glad to be the other woman rather than him.

“Cat, honey,” Arys purred, and I couldn’t help but look at him in surprise. “Let’s not be irrational, my dear. We are in public.”

Her glare grew in its intensity, and it took all I had to keep my eyes on her. Only a woman truly in love could exude so much pure venom. Either that or she was insanely obsessed.

I wanted to just let fly with a good smack up side Arys’s head, but that wasn’t going to discourage Catherine. Though, it might have changed me from foe to friend in her eyes.

“Don’t waste your pathetic charm on me. I’ve come a long way since I was your play thing.” A slow grin played about her ruby red lips.

“We’re going outside, Catherine. Whatever you want to do, you can do there. I won’t let you endanger innocent people in here.” Arys’s voice was low and firm, but she heard him as well as I did.

If looks could kill, he would have fallen into ash at my feet. She glared daggers that even made me want to squirm.

“How dare you speak to me as if you place such value on life? You’re the devil who taught me to take it, ruthless and without mercy.”

“That was a long time ago.” Arys’s voice was soft, persuasive. He was full of shit, and all three of us knew it, yet the pull to believe him was strong. The bastard was good. “Things have changed since those days. It’s time to move on.”

That was clearly the wrong line. Catherine’s eyes seemed to sparkle suddenly, and she was alive with power, but not her natural vampire power. No, this was foreign magic, borrowed rather than owned. Where was she getting it?

“This has been a long time coming, my dear Sindarys.” I saw him visibly flinch at her use of the name. “I cannot wait to watch you turn to dust.”

Every part of me braced for the vampiress’s blow, knowing it was coming. We had to get outside. I began inching away from the bottom of the staircase, toward the rear exit.

Instinctively, I wanted to lock eyes with Shaz across the bar but didn’t dare. Like any supernatural, Catherine would be aware of every Were in the building. She had no beef with him, and I had no good reason to involve him.

“You don’t think you’re going to get away, do you?” Catherine turned on me. “You, who let me confess my heartbreak to you about the very man you, yourself, are bedding,” she declared dramatically before holding a dainty hand to her mouth.

Passersby glanced briefly at the love triangle gone wrong. As a regular patron of the club, I was embarrassed to be involved in the dramatics. Of course, if I could escape the obsessive, manic vampiress unscathed, I could handle the judgmental humans.

“Hold on a minute, lady.” I held my hands up defensively and took an involuntary step forward. Damn my indignant nature. “Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions. I never had any intention of taking the job, and I tried to refuse your money.”

“But, you already had my man. Why ever would you also need my money?” She crossed her arms and tossed her layered locks. “Tell me, Alexa, what would a magically enhanced wolf like yourself want with a womanizing pig like him?”

Catherine didn’t wait for me to answer. Instead, she sauntered down the remaining stairs until she stood directly in front of Arys. I was slightly envious of the five inches she had on me.

“I’ll go outside with you, lover, but don’t try anything funny. I’m not as unprepared as you might think.” Her black eyes scanned the both of us. “Underestimating me would be a big mistake.”

Arys looked pointedly at me, and I realized that he expected me to lead the way. That meant trusting him at my back with Catherine. In that moment, my worry kicked into overdrive, and I wondered if the two vampires weren’t in cahoots against little, old, mortal me. Did I really think that little of Arys? Well, kind of, yeah. But, considering the scenario at play, I had no choice but to turn and head for the exit.

I took in as much of the freely exuded energy in the bar as I could. It felt warm and reassuring. I knew that she had an unnatural boost, but I couldn’t be sure how psychically in tune she was. It wasn’t the same for all vampires. Arys felt me absorb the energy in the room, but I had a feeling that she couldn’t. Whatever was feeding her power, it wasn’t good.

Relief washed through me when I saw the empty alley out the backdoor of Lucy’s. Not even a group of smokers lingered nearby.

I was ready for her … or them. I turned so that my back was to the building, and I faced them both head on. I wasn’t afraid, not yet anyway. At this point, I was still more concerned with the mutilated body in the middle of town.

“Catherine, my love, why don’t you and I leave Alexa to enjoy her evening, while the two of us catch up?” Arys wasn’t fooling anybody, but he sure was trying hard.

His charm slid off Cat like water off a duck’s back. I suppose when you’ve danced with the devil for decades, you learn a few of his tricks.

A blast of red light streamed between the two vampires for a split second as she hit him with a shot of power. When it was dancing in the air around us, I could feel the witch magic mixed with her own. So, Cat had stocked up her arsenal before coming here.

I hadn’t sensed it in my office, so the magic had to be a charm or spell of some kind. I learned everything that I know about spells by watching Lena. I was really hoping that she wasn’t hopped up on black magic, the crystal meth of magic, more or less. It didn’t feel that dark, but one can never be too careful.

“Don’t you ever learn when to shut the hell up? I’m not going to play your game, so save us both the embarrassment.” Cat stalked to where Arys sat on his ass, dumbfounded.

She stood over him so that his gaze met her thighs, and he was forced to look up at her. An attack from behind, though good for me, wouldn’t be good for Arys, and I could hear Jez in my head asking why I was hesitating. I was a jumble of nerves, wary of that moment when she would go too far, and I would have to react.

“Did you really believe that I would never live to find you? I thought you knew me better than that.” She shifted slightly, so that he had to lean back to keep from touching her. Arys looked slightly pained, which I attributed to the proximity of her thighs, which were scarcely covered by her short, trendy dress. Despite the gravity of the situation, a nervous laugh broke free of me.

“What are you laughing at, wolf?” Suddenly, she half turned to face me and let loose with another metaphysical attack. I met it with the energy that I held hot and waiting.

The shot ricocheted back to her. A cloud of sparks erupted where the two energies met between us. The force threw her off her feet, to her knees in the dirt, which didn’t do much for her temper. When she got to her feet, her eyes blazed red. I shouldn’t have let her get back up.

A noise beyond the door of the club had me praying that Shaz would stay inside. I knew he wouldn’t have missed the three of us leaving through the back way. If he thought there was trouble, nothing would keep him inside.

“And, to think, I considered sparing you. No, I guess Sindarys can now watch his lover die first,” Catherine spat before another blast caught me off guard. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, staring up at the night sky.

“That’s it, bitch,” I said as I leapt to my feet. My body ached where the energy had struck, but I was otherwise unhurt. “I don’t risk my neck every night just so I can deal with psychos like you.” With a nasty look at Arys, I added, “Next time you leave someone for dead, make sure they actually are dead, first.” With great self-restraint, I held back on shooting a slap of power at him.

Catherine gaped open-mouthed at me. “I knew you wouldn’t understand, not until he does it to you. He’ll take all you have to give until nothing remains that isn’t bitter and cold.”

“Only if I let him. Which from the looks of you, isn’t going to happen.” I saw her twitch, and with a snap of my fingers, an energy circle formed around me.

“This is between you and me, Catherine,” Arys spoke up, his tone was furious as he wiped the dirt from his jeans. “If you want to finish this, then I’m ready. Leave Alexa out of this.”

He shocked me by approaching the angry vampiress and grasping her tightly by both upper arms. He shook her hard enough to cause her to stumble into his lean frame.

“She should have damn well told me!” Catherine’s voice rose into a yell, and she fought to escape his grip.

She had a point. I should have told her that it would be a conflict of interest as soon as I saw his photo. But, I’d been curious, and my personal interests won out.

“Any woman I take to my bed is none of your damn business. It never has been.” Arys’s voice grew in its intensity, and pulsating anger swept through him. I could feel it from where I stood.

“Of course not. That’s so very typical of you, Sindarys. Still very much the womanizing man-whore I see, even consorting with beasts now. I thought you enjoyed your women with a tasty, preferably dead, ending.”

“What I enjoy is a woman who knows how to stay dead, at least in memory anyway.” Arys spit the words into her face.

Even my guts hurt when I saw her face fall. I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach. I took a clumsy step forward as if to break the painfully awkward moment. Unfortunately, it also broke the shield that I’d created.

Catherine’s attack was instant. She didn’t even look at me. Spitting dirt, I was on my feet again in a matter of seconds.

“Well shit, Cat!” I ground dirt between my teeth and lashed out at her simply from sheer spite, but she was ready for it. She escaped Arys with another assault against us both.

Now that Arys had successfully hurt and humiliated her, she had nothing left to lose. The onslaught of power that descended upon me in an offensive storm had me scrambling to create another circle. The atmosphere around us grew tight with all of us pushing the limits and laws of nature. Dammit, her power source had to have a limit.

Arys gave up the metaphysical fight and launched himself at her. The two of them went down, sprawled in a heap of fists and fangs like a wolf fight.

Any kind of energy attack risked Arys, so for the moment, I only watched because I sure as hell was not jumping in.

“Stop trying to force yourself on me,” he growled into her face. “How many more centuries will you stalk me before I’m forced to extinguish you? This ends now.”

Her sharp nails raked his face, and her pitifully small fists beat at his chest as he hovered over her, lying in the dirt. A struggle ensued, and they grappled until Arys held her tightly by the wrists.

“Have I ever been anything more to you than a nuisance?” Catherine never ceased struggling beneath Arys but from the way she wriggled her skinny ass, I guessed that she was trying to jog his memory. I rolled my eyes. I should have walked away and left them to it.

“Baby, a nuisance is all you’ll ever be. You’re backing me into a real corner here, you know.” Arys’s tone was low and smooth but as deadly as they come. “You’re starting to take my options away. Pretty soon, I’m going to be forced to finally do away with you.”

He said it so easily that I knew he would do it with no regrets. What did that say about how he looked at me?

“Do it then,” she hissed. “It’s about time you finish what you started. You killed me long ago. Finish the job, my love.”

She leaned up just enough to brush his lips with hers, and I choked on the jealousy that was becoming too commonplace for my liking. I watched in extreme discomfort as Arys returned her kiss.

My attention was momentarily distracted by the vibrations of my cell phone in the front pocket of my jeans. A quick glance revealed a text message from Shaz that read simply, ‘If you don’t reply in two minutes, I’m coming to look for you.’

I managed to tap out a quick reply of, ‘Wait, not yet.’ My stomach flipped as the vampire kiss deepened, and I glanced around the alley.

I felt more than awkward and decided that I might as well leave. I’d just taken a step when Arys, in a blur of speed, sank his fangs deep into Catherine’s throat. A strangled cry broke from her as the blood began to pour from the gaping wound.

Everything happened so fast then. Catherine propelled Arys a good thirty feet, where he landed against the back fence of a property across the alley. Judging by the sharp splinter of wood along with his steady stream of curses, that had to have hurt. I shook my head. The poor bastard was simply too much offense and too little defense.

When nothing stood between us, Catherine rounded on me, tattered and bleeding. Her red dress was caked with dirt, and I heard more than one pebble fall from her hair. A softly glowing red amulet had spilled from beneath the neckline of her dress. With blood streaming down her front, she gasped and choked.

Between her madness and her desperation, she was an unpredictable opponent, and I regretted mincing words with her. Still, the scent of her fear tantalized my inner predator.

“You,” she pointed a bloody finger in my direction. “You got to him first. You warned him I’d come.”

“Sorry to break it to you, but he’s not afraid of you.” I advanced on her with a psi ball, warm and pulsing with swirls of gold and blue, in my hand. “This is your last chance to leave here in one piece.” I winced at my own choice of words as an image flashed in my mind of David’s dismembered corpse.

What sounded like a war cry erupted from Catherine, and she rushed me like a mad woman, with her arms stretched straight out in front of her. The pungent aroma of her blood struck me, and my natural power began to grow in excitement but not from the heady elixir of prey. No, I vibed off my foe’s impending doom. As her blood continued to spatter, I could feel her growing weakness.

I let the energy ball dissolve but took the energy back into me. I tensed for the impact of her approach. When she hit me full force, I threw my weight into her, which sent the two of us rolling in a tangled heap. With gritted teeth and years of experience, I ended the roll so that I was staring down into her face.

Blood was beginning to form at the corner of her mouth. I could clearly see the wound that Arys had made, a gaping hole in her jugular that would be hard to heal but not impossible for a vampire of her age. He should have gone for the carotid artery if he’d really wanted to bleed her. Could it be that the dark vampire was unable to dispatch the one that he had once loved?

Regardless, the wolf within me truly loved a physical fight to the death. I lost all control, letting fly a series of blows that would have killed a human. Catherine’s head snapped back and forth, and I thought I had her until she suddenly threw me.

The amulet blazed, and I reached for it, but I was already airborne. I tucked and rolled painfully along the graveled road. Rocks and broken beer bottles cut and slashed at me as I tried desperately to protect my face and head. My bare arms stung as the gravel scraped and burned into my flesh.

I was running out of time. My white wolf was due to rescue me, and the chance of innocents stumbling across us was increasing by the second. There was only one way this was going to end quickly. I’d never had the guts to try it, but I knew it would work for me now. I’d witnessed Kale kill more than one vampire by forcing his energy inside them until the pressure built beyond capacity and the vampire’s heart exploded.

As much as I wanted to lay on the ground in shock and let the rattling in my brain settle, my adrenaline had me up in an instant. I reached out for all of the consumable energy in the vicinity. I could gather some from the natural elements like the moon, stars, and air, but I needed a direct physical link for the attack that I planned to launch. In a dirty back alley with no fertile soil beneath my feet, my power reached out for the one steady energy source that was close enough to touch and achingly familiar.

Arys slowly approached. He looked rough. Deep red scratches formed a diagonal line from the outer edge of his eye to the top of his upper lip. She had just missed raking one of his damn eyes out. The dirt smeared on his face reminded me a little of war paint. His torn clothing added to the savage look in his eyes, so feral that even I grew nervous as he drew closer.

“Back for more already?” Catherine asked haughtily. The tone was forced and cost her a choking cough.

Unlike vampires, I’m not content to play cat and mouse all night, and I wasn’t sure Arys could be relied on to finish her. Worried that she would recover if I waited, I reached out to Arys metaphysically before he was close enough to touch. Our link was going to help me take down Catherine. I drew on Arys’s deep stores of undead power and fed it into Catherine. If I kept the connection, the sudden onslaught of energy would push her past capacity.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I cursed. Surprised that it even still worked, I had no choice but to ignore it.

At first, she just looked plain stunned. I think it took her a moment or two to comprehend what was happening. When the realization dawned on her, she panicked and tried to send the energy back to me.

If I deflected the shot, I’d have to break the attack, and I wasn’t willing to do that. Refusing to lose the stronghold I’d gained on her, I decided to brace for the blow.

A millisecond before it slammed into me, I closed my eyes and tensed, but the impact never came. I opened my eyes to find that my vampire lover had intercepted Cat’s attack with one of his own. A shower of hot sparks rained down all around us, illuminating the dark alley like a camera flash.

My energy was dwindling. I struggled to zone in on a focal point, to pump my power into her undead heart until it could take no more.

“Arys, I need you.” My words were breathy, almost voiceless, yet Cat reacted to my plea as if I already held her heart in my hands.

She was on her knees now, beaten. Still, I pushed into her with all I had. Fire coursed through my veins, and I struggled to take a deep breath. The energy that I channeled pushed my limits, and I fought the urge to crumple beneath the burden.

I steadied one hand to direct the stream of raw power into Catherine. With the other, I reached blindly for Arys. Our link didn’t feel complete. It wasn’t strong enough.

As I sank to my knees, he reached me. He clasped my hand in his and pulled me to my feet.

Everything in me, all that is wolf or woman, reacted to the vampire’s touch. His aura mingled with mine. He seemed to fall into me as if he had always been a part of what I am. A resurgence of strength filled me, and I focused on Catherine with a new fury.

Her mouth gaped, and her eyes grew wide with terror. Our mingled power danced with flecks of blue and gold as it flowed into her. Blood began to stream steadily from her nose and mouth. The whites of her eyes turned a grotesque shade of red, and I resisted the urge to look away. Sparks danced around our joined hands but I felt no pain.

The amulet around her neck went dark. Finally, the last of the fight went out of her. The amulet had supplied the majority of her power. As a vampire, she’d been mediocre at best. Now, she was at the point of demise, and nothing could save her.

No sooner had I wondered when it would be over, than a horrible sound came from her. She shrieked like a wounded animal and looked down on her body. She began to turn slowly to ash before our eyes. I closed my eyes and willed her to stop. I felt her heart pause and then burst.

Like a volcanic blast, her remains showered down around us. Her ashes settled on our hair and eyelashes. The sound of my heart beat loudly in my ears, and I allowed Arys to pull me close.

Catherine’s amulet lay on the ground amid her ashes. Before Arys could take advantage of our intimate proximity, I pulled away and gathered it up in my palm. I turned the star shaped pendant over as I studied it. It didn’t feel like black magic. I’d turn it over to Lena for proper disposal.

Shoving the charm into my pocket, I looked up to find Arys staring solemnly into the ashes. I wanted nothing more than to thump him a good one, but my back muscles ached enough to make me reconsider.

“Don’t try telling me now that you wanted to spare her after all,” I said. Hands on my hips, I dared him to try to placate me. “You could have gotten me killed by that psycho bitch!” I scattered the ashes with a kick.

Arys held up a hand as if to silence me. “I had no idea she would be this foolish, Alexa. I’m truly sorry that you got mixed up in this, but it was purely by chance. Perhaps if you hadn’t been so eager to get some dirt on me, she wouldn’t have made you a target.”

So that’s where this was heading. Of course, that was to be expected.

“You are so absolutely full of shit, my friend. She wanted to take me out because she thought that we’re lovers, which you made no attempt to clarify.” With a raised eyebrow, I added, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you didn’t have the balls to off her, so you had me do it for you.”

A dizzy spell hit me, and I swooned, suddenly light headed. As one whose biological clock was still programmed as living, I couldn’t withstand the same level of exertion that he could.

I blinked, and he had already crossed the small space between us. Strong hands steadied me, and I looked up, into his clear blue eyes. The emotion in their depths spoke louder than the words that he’d never let himself say. One hand gently stroked the side of my battered face before he wrapped his arms around me.

Shaz! I had to pull away before Shaz made this strange moment completely awkward. He should burst through the door any moment now.

“Stop resisting me.” Arys’s lips were warm as they moved against my ear. “We belong to one another. Why deny that?”

Before I could voice my protests to that declaration, he kissed me with an intensity that burned through my body. Our two energies were strangely one, and a comforting calm filled me. Already my strength returned in a relaxing ebb and flow.

I could taste Catherine’s blood on his tongue as it traced a moist line along my lower lip before dipping back inside my mouth. Things tightened low in my body, and I wanted to beg him to take me right there. Knowing how irrational that was, I still had to remind myself that I’d just killed his ex-lover as well as a human being.

A part of me was so pissed at him, and I struggled to allow it to come to the surface. I had to chase him away from me.

I succeeded in breaking the kiss. My hand on his chest kept a small space between our bodies. “Don’t do this right now. I need to be angry with you.”

“No, you need to tell me why you killed a man before you came here tonight.”

The cuts marking his face looked red and angry, and I reached tentatively to brush my fingertips over them. He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch.

“I couldn’t deny the bloodlust,” I whispered. When he looked at me again, his expression was pained. “A young couple were arguing. He was trying to force her-.”

My voice broke and tears pricked the back of my eyes. David’s strangled screams echoed inside my head, and I reached to cover my ears in a vain attempt to shut out the noise.

“Hey, it’s ok.” Arys’s voice was softer than I had ever heard it, and I hated him for his tenderness even as tears rolled down my cheeks in two crimson lines.

He reached out with a gentle finger to catch them before bringing the bloody drops to his lips. “The fucker deserved everything he got then. Don’t feel bad about dispatching a sorry piece of crap like that.”

I shook my head and took a small step back. “That kind of kill, it isn’t my life. You’ve done something to me that I don’t know how to live with.”

The rear exit door to Lucy’s creaked open then, and Shaz appeared, silent and white against the night. He made no move to come closer when he saw the strange tension and Arys’s crestfallen features.

I half expected Arys to blame me, again, for the slaughter of Mrs. Olson’s dog, but he said nothing. Instead, he nodded and let his hands drop as if just noticing that he still reached for me.

“Then tomorrow night, we visit your witch friend together and learn how to live with it.” He made no question of it.

He turned to Shaz and beckoned him to where we stood. “She needs you now. I believe you will be of more use to her than I am.”

Arys turned to go but paused to kick at what remained of Catherine’s quickly dispersing ashes. I made no attempt to stop him. I had nothing left to say. I had blamed him for all of it, and he hadn’t argued.

Shaz came to stand behind me and pulled me into his warm, living embrace.

“Are you ok, Lex?”

I was at a loss for words.  I was physically injured, but the worst of my agony was mental and emotional. I turned in Shaz’s arms, to face him as I attempted to tell him what had happened to me that evening. A rush of emotion overcame me.

“Don’t try to explain right now.” He tucked my head under his chin and attempted to stroke my tangled, filthy hair. “Just let me hold you.”

With the hem of his t-shirt balled in my fists, I buried my face in the warm, familiar curve of his neck and fought back bloody tears.

Chapter Fourteen

Kylarai was ticked at me. No, she was pissed. She cussed me out good. I heard how very stupid I was in more ways than one. I should have talked to her after slaughtering the human. I should have let Shaz keep me out of Arys and Catherine’s fight. I should have done anything except what I did. It really was a shame that she hadn’t had children of her own.

She would forgive me. Shaz on the other hand…I wasn’t so sure.

Shaz and I had sat in the parking lot. Through my tears, I had told him everything. He had listened quietly, nodding and patting my hand as needed. Not once did I find the judgment that I deserved in his eyes. He had already forgiven me for everything.

Apparently, one mother hen wasn’t enough to keep me straight. When Kylarai got tired of chiding, I called Lena. Without telling her that I’d eaten a human, I told her enough to have her insisting that I stop by her apartment. She even agreed to help Arys.

By evening, I was a nervous wreck.

“I can’t believe you’re taking him to Lena’s. Do you think that’s safe?” Kylarai tapped her long, manicured nails on the kitchen table, where I sat looking into my portable makeup mirror. “And, why do you need to look so good anyway? I thought it was just a onetime thing with you guys.”

I glanced up at her. She wore a long, sandy brown suede skirt with a blue V-neck sweater. “What are you all dressed up for? Or should I say, who?”

“Don’t even try that change the subject crap on me. Answer my questions.” She tossed her trendy bob and smiled. “I have a date. With Tom from my office.”

I wasn’t one for Weres playing human with real humans romantically, but I’d be damned before I’d burst her bubble. “That’s great Ky. Why is this the first I’m hearing about Tom?”

“Because, I turned him down the first three times he asked me out. And, you still haven’t set me up with that sexy vampire you work with.” She leaned across the table and picked through my open makeup case. “So, how did Shaz take all of this killing a would-be rapist and dusting your vampire lover’s ex thing?”

“Like a trooper.” I paused to apply mascara to my eyelashes after lining my dark brown eyes with smoky black eyeliner. “Actually, every time I screw up, every time I think I’ve driven the final wedge between us, he proves me wrong.”

Kylarai studied me as I picked a glop of mascara from one lash. “That’s because he’s in love with you.” When I looked up she added, “Note that I said love, not lust.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I don’t deserve him. Believe me, I know.”

“You really don’t.” She chuckled and played anxiously with one of her dangly hoop earrings. “More coffee?”

“No thanks.” I’d had enough coffee in the past day to last me a lifetime.

Ky got up to refill her mug, and I noticed her energy felt as nervous as I was. I smiled to myself. It was kind of cute seeing her all aflutter like a schoolgirl. Maybe I should have set her up with Kale when she’d first hinted at it ages ago.

“Is Arys picking you up tonight?” She asked casually.

“No. I don’t trust him to drive. I’m picking him up in half an hour. When is Tom coming?”

“Any time now.” She glanced at the wall clock that read ten minutes to eight. “This is the first time I’ve been out with a man in ages. I can’t remember how to play the dating game.”

“I don’t think I ever did. But, since I have a date with Shaz coming up, I’d better crack open an issue of Cosmo and get informed.” I shook my head at my reflection and rubbed some red lip-gloss on. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“Did you take that lip gloss from my bathroom?” Ky leaned closer in order to read the label. I pulled away in a gesture of mock defense.

“No. Back off, lady. If you want the lip gloss, all you’ve got to do is ask.”

We laughed together, then froze when the doorbell rang. Her grey eyes grew wide, and she sputtered a sip of coffee as she launched into action. She grabbed her purse, stuck a breath mint in her mouth, and threw her coffee cup into the sink.

“Damn, I’m nervous. Wish me luck.” She hurried toward the front door but called over her shoulder. “Be careful tonight. Don’t let that vampire ruin you for somebody more deserving.”

“I love you, too, Ky. Have a good time.” I smiled as I carefully ignored her pointed statement. I didn’t feel the need to add any words of caution. I knew she could take care of herself.

When the soft clicking of her heels in the driveway had faded, I ambled to my bedroom. I just stared into the closet for a solid five minutes. I was leery of sending Arys mixed signals so I steered clear of any cleavage baring halters or tank tops. Instead, I chose a pale blue Aerosmith baby tee and paired it up with my favorite blue jeans and black leather ankle boots. After running a brush through my long hair, I decided to leave it down and natural. With a spritz of my favorite vanilla perfume, I was ready.

Well, physically, I was ready. Mentally, a piece of me never wanted to face Arys again. I wasn’t sure I could resist him every time he made an advance toward me. Kylarai had been right. I was power hungry, and Arys was a prime source. Together we were dangerous, but we posed the greatest risk to Shaz, and I couldn’t accept that.

With one last glance in the mirror, I checked that my make-up hid my bruising. My cover up was doing a good job with the lingering bruise on my chin. The majority of my abrasions and bruises had healed as I slept, and the remainder looked acceptable.

On my way to Arys’s, I got a good case of the jitters, complete with shaky hands on the wheel. Worries that I couldn’t banish plagued me as I drove. I expected the twenty-minute drive from Arys’s to Lena’s to be uncomfortable closeness and unwelcome discussion.

I’d worried about forcing myself to ring the bell, but Arys stood on his front deck chatting with Mrs. Olson while feigning to sip lemonade. A big wave in my direction told me to stay put. Just as well, I couldn’t look that little, old lady in the eye knowing what really happened to her dog.

Arys quickly wrapped up his visit. He beamed a fangless smile at the tiny lady as she turned to go. I noticed the small bundle tucked under her arm, and a tiny puppy poked its head out of the blanket.

My heart melted. I couldn’t believe that the vampire had done such an unselfish act for another. I was touched, and I resisted the urge to break open my head and forcibly remove the part of me that reacted so strongly to him.

“You disgust me.” The words spilled from between my lips before he’d even closed the car door.

“What? Why?” His eyebrows raised high in surprise. “Because I bought Mrs. Olson a puppy? We both know that Benny can never be replaced, but she’s alone. She needs a companion.”

What in the hell was wrong with me? I’d done so much worse than kill a neighborhood pet, and here I was persecuting the vampire.

“I’m sorry. I’m just a little on edge today. I didn’t sleep very well.” Or very much. I’d been haunted by the attack dream again.

“I hope the wolf pup was able to comfort you last night. I felt he may be more calming.” Arys reached over to grasp my hand briefly in his. His fingertips were cool. He hadn’t fed recently.

“Bullshit. You didn’t want me to leave with him, and you know it.” A few sparks leapt about our joined hands, but they were minimal and did not grow further.

“True. But, I know that he loves you in ways unheard of to both you and I. And, that means more than my personal jealousy.”

An admittance of genuine caring from the vampire? It astounded me to realize how little I really thought of him. And really, who the hell was I to judge? I threw the car in gear and pulled away from the curb.

I wasn’t completely naive. I wasn’t falling for the amazing, sweet guy gimmick. The next twenty minutes were going to involve a lot of swatting.

He took advantage of a minor traffic distraction and slid his hand across the furry seat covers to brush the sliver of skin showing on my lower back. I struggled to pull the back of my t-shirt down but couldn’t because of the angle of my seat.

“You just can’t sit still, can you?” he asked.

He flashed me a cocky grin and reached up to hit the button that opens the sunroof. It irritated me that he helped himself to my controls. I wasn’t surprised when he reached for the radio next.

“It looks more like you can’t sit still,” I said pointedly. We were at a red light, so I gave him a nice, hard glare.

He made a slow melodramatic show of switching the radio station. “You should calm down, Alexa. Your anger is giving me a hard on.”

“What?” My eyes dropped to his lap. I looked away quickly, but it was too late. He’d already seen me do it.

“You heard me. You’re mad at yourself, and you want to be pissed at me. But you can’t, can you?” He poked me in the side, and I flinched.

“Ow, careful. I took a pretty good fall last night. And stop distracting the driver.”

“Tell me what I want to hear.” His velvet smooth voice dropped lower, and I felt it caress me.

“And what might that be?” I stared straight ahead, anything to avoid eye contact, and silently pleaded for the light to turn green.

“That you don’t blame me any more than I blame you. That it takes two to tango and all that jazz.” I saw his casual shrug in my peripheral vision.

Green, finally! I hit the gas pedal, and the Hemi roared. I left a tail-gaiter behind me in the dust. Shoulder checking, I moved over two lanes of traffic as we merged on to the highway.

“Does it mean so much to you? That I believe you didn’t manipulate me into bed because you’re a power hungry player who doesn’t know when to stop.”

“Yes,” he said, “It does. I think you greatly underestimate the respect that I have for you.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. I took a deep breath and focused on the warm summer air as it whipped my hair around my face. The air smelled faintly of rain, and I expected a shower before the night was through.

After five minutes of strained silence, Arys leaned forward and popped open the glove box. My mind raced a mile a minute. I didn’t think I’d stashed anything personal in there.

“Arys,” I said sharply and swatted his arm. “Get out of there. I don’t come to your house and rummage through the drawers.”

“Be my guest,” he replied and held up a portion of a joint. “I didn’t know you were into the mellow stuff. I didn’t taste it in your blood.”

My eyes widened in surprise at his find. “I’m not. I haven’t smoked the stuff since I was sixteen. That’s got to be Shaz’s. Make sure there isn’t any more, will you?”

I noticed a small, European sports car racing up behind me, and I maneuvered over to allow him free rein of the fast lane. Regardless of my night vision, I’d prefer not to bite it in a car crash.

When the little European model had sped by, I glanced over at Arys. In his hand, illuminated by the glove box light, was a speeding ticket I’d received a few weeks prior.

“You’re quite the little bad ass, huh Alexa? I knew it.”

“Would you put that back?” I sputtered, grateful the dim interior hid my embarrassed blush.

He gave me a wink and a grin that I felt to the soles of my feet. By the time we reached Lena’s condo, I was in a hurry to escape the close proximity of the car.

Even as he followed me dutifully into the lobby, I could feel the weight of his hunger like a target on my back. She buzzed us in. The elevator felt too confined, and I practically leapt out when we reached the fourth floor. He merely smiled and gestured for me to lead the way.

Lena greeted me, as I knew she would, with open arms and a warm, friendly environment. “Alexa!” She pulled me into a tight squeeze. “It’s nice to have you over.”

“Thank you so much for seeing us on such short notice. I can’t tell you how bad I feel for intruding on your evening.”

“It’s no intrusion at all, my dear.” She waved us inside. The gold bracelets on her wrist jangled loudly. “I’m more than happy to help you as much as I possibly can.”

Lena wore her characteristic braid down her back and more jewelry than I could ever wear at once. A long denim skirt and a tie dye t-shirt reminiscent of the 60s completed her vintage flower child look.

The small condo apartment was cozy and meticulously clean. The air had a false but refreshing pine scent. She led us into the living room where we sat on an old sofa with a patchwork quilt laid over the back.

After rushing back and forth to the kitchen and refusing my help, Lena had laid out an elaborate tray of tea, coffee and baked goods.

With an apologetic smile, she turned to Arys. “I’m afraid I must apologize, dear. I have nothing to offer that would feed your appetite.”

“Think nothing of it. I appreciate your desire to make me feel welcome.” With an aged grace that I both envied and despised, Arys captured Lena’s small hand within his own and raised it to his lips in a grand gesture. I fought hard not to sigh in exasperation and roll my eyes.

“Oh my,” Lena giggled and turned to me with a smile. “Now what exactly can I do for you?”

I recounted everything for her, editing the details of David’s murder but including the rest. She nodded as I spoke but said nothing. When I finished, she drew in a long breath and looked carefully at each of us in turn. When her eyes landed on Arys, my heart rate began to climb.

“It’s not so different from the blood bond forged between vampires when one creates another. You’ve allowed your passion to draw you into a true sharing of power.” Lena’s features were pinched in thought. “Like I told you before Alexa, sometimes this is the natural order of things, as hard as it might be to believe, it’s meant to happen. A bond like this lasts to the death.”

Negative energy swirled around us, and I noticed Arys suddenly stiffen. I tried to shake off the unease that filled me.

“So a onetime fling is a lifelong hassle?” I almost choked on the words as they spilled out.

Lena rounded on me with a look that had me backing up in my seat. “Hearing those words from you is like a slap in my face. I taught you better than that. You know not to take your powers lightly. I know you do.”

My face burned, and I couldn’t look at either of them. I noted the four different shades of brown in the carpet as I stared at the floor. I did know better than that.

“In Alexa’s defense, madam, the power that results from an encounter between the two of us is extremely potent. It’s unlike anything I’ve known in my three hundred and twenty-eight years.” Arys spoke up, taking my hand in his and banishing my insecurities.

Lena blinked at him, unconvinced. “I’m sorry, dear, but after centuries of sampling the wares, I wouldn’t expect you to resist Alexa. However, I did expect her to resist you.”

Her comment both inflated and deflated my ego. “You’re totally right, Lena.” I stared into my tea. “I was drawn in by the lure of power, and I didn’t look back.”

“It’s in your nature, dear.” She leaned forward and patted my hand affectionately. “Those with innate powers often long for more. It’s as much a part of you as the very air that you breathe. However, like any bonding, there can be repercussions. Selecting the wrong partner can change your life.”

I’d been an idiot to throw caution out the window. Immune to physical risks, I had arrogantly ignored the other potential dangers.

Arys said, “Alright, so we live with it. But, how do we deal with the weakness and urges we’ve picked up from one another?” I gave him a warning look. Ignoring me, he looked directly at the friendly witch.

Taking a long sip of her tea, she gave a little shake of her head. “That is something I’m not quite familiar with, my dear. Many similar stories end with somebody losing their mind, often committing suicide.” Worry creased her brow when she fixed me with eyes full of concern. “Promise me that you’ll be careful.”

“I promise.” I flashed back to the bloody scene on the bike path. Arys looked at me sharply, and I wondered if he had shared my vision.

“My only suggestion is to learn all that you can about each other’s personal strengths and weaknesses. Power must be controlled. Otherwise, it controls you. I’m afraid I can’t help more in that regard. I’ll do what I can to dig up more information for you,” Lena promised with an encouraging smile.

Bound to Arys until death. How was Shaz going to understand this? How in the hell was I going to live with a bloodlust that chose to strike me at random? And, Arys suffered with the agony of the wolf’s need to break free. We were so screwed.

“On the bright side,” Lena added thoughtfully. “I would imagine that if you were able to control the power, you kids would be a mighty force to reckon with.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle when she referred to us as kids. Despite Arys being centuries older than her, he looked young, and so she treated him that way just like Kale.

“Oh,” I said, jumping up to reach into my pocket. “Maybe you can tell us a little about this.” I produced Cat’s red star amulet. It lay cold and inactive in my palm.

I passed it to her, expecting some kind of scrutiny but she merely glanced at it. “It’s just a run of the mill charm. I’d say it was spelled to boost the wearer’s power supply.”

“It certainly did that. The wearer was a vampire. She’s dust now,” I said.

“Then it can be charmed again for another purpose. It’s quite simple really.”

“By all means, it’s yours,” I said. I still had the charm she’d given me last week and had little use for more.

She smiled broadly. “I can always use another charm.” The phone rang from the kitchen, and she excused herself to take the call.

I forced myself to down the rest of the tea. The cogs and pulleys in my brain worked overtime, as I tried to piece together how I’d live with a constant tie to Arys.

“Did you catch the bottom line? She said this could make us a power house.” Arys winked at me, his voice low. Go figure that would mean more to him than anything else.

“Is that all you think about?” I hissed. I could hear Lena in the other room talking in low tones.

“Baby, you know that’s not all I think about.” His smoldering gaze swept over me. My breath caught. “In fact, you’ve already got me thinking along other lines.”

I blew a stray hair out of my face and flashed him a dirty look. “You are so inappropriate.”

He considered me with a self-satisfied smile. “And, yet you love it. I’d be willing to bet that you’re ready for me right now.” He raised an eyebrow and shot me a look that oozed sexuality. A heat swept through my body that nearly knocked me breathless.

If I hadn’t been done with my tea, I would have gagged on it. The energy rose between us, and I knew, if we touched, I would lose control.

I hungered in more ways than I’d ever known before that night with Arys. I could smell his blood rushing hot beneath the surface of his skin, and I longed to taste it.

When Lena hung up the phone with a small clatter, I realized I’d been leaning toward Arys as if I would have crawled out of my skin to get to him.

“Sorry about that.” Lena returned to the living room, noting my empty cup immediately. “Would you care for more tea, dear?”

“No, thank you. I probably have more caffeine in my veins than anything else.”

I helped her clean up the dessert trays, but the time grew late. “We’ll get out of your hair now. I’m sure you’d much rather be in bed.” Arys took my lead and ambled to the doorway.

I drew Lena into a quick hug, but I could smell the blood in her veins. Hunger soared ravenously, and I sent a panicked look over her shoulder to Arys.

“Thank you, again, for all of your help,” he called from the entryway. The heady swoon of bloodlust shattered, and I stepped away from her before it hit me again.

“I don’t know how much help I was, but I’ll do some digging and see what I can come up with.”

I slipped into my shoes and thanked her again. We turned to go. I’d been holding my breath. The hallway was empty and unnaturally quiet. I stumbled and fell against the wall, but Arys steadied me.

“Are you alright?” His gaze searched me.

I had to think about my words. The bloodlust picked away at me, but I shoved away from him to hit the elevator down button. When I heard the mechanics engage, I turned to face him. A light sheen of perspiration broke out on my brow, and I wiped it away with the back of my hand.

“I am not alright. Why didn’t you feed tonight?” I gulped the stale hallway air and longed for the fresh outdoor breeze.

“I didn’t think I needed to.” He eyed me carefully as I slumped against the wall.

I held tightly to my stomach as it cramped and growled. The hunger was intense; much like it had been the previous night when I’d lost control. A mix of emotions stormed my system.

I smiled wickedly and crooked my finger in invitation. The elevator arrived with a ding, and the doors slid open. Arys grabbed my hand and pulled me in after him. He eyed me carefully, as if I were the unpredictable one.

“I wonder if feeding would have kept this from happening to you,” he said thoughtfully.

“And me shifting will alleviate your need.” I felt giddy, as if I’d had too much wine.

“Possibly.” He appeared thoughtful but was easily distracted when I licked my lips in obvious invitation. “You’re a dangerous woman, Alexa. I don’t think you know how powerful your allure is.”

“Well, it’s not my allure that has me itching to feel you.”

I reached for him, the contact of our skin producing an electric tingle throughout my body. A gasp escaped me when a jolt filled me with pleasure. He sighed. All resistance left him as he grabbed me tightly in a bruising kiss.

The elevator slammed to a stop, and I startled until I realized he had stopped it. I wasn’t keen on the locale, but with the silky softness of Arys’s skin beneath my fingers, I could make do.

Where our skin made contact, the sparks burned. My fingers pushed under his t-shirt, and ten steady streams of energy hummed against his bare skin.

The warmth of his mouth found what remained of the previous bite wound above my collarbone. My pulse beat hard beneath the surface. He lingered there, and I froze. I remembered what his fangs felt like buried in my flesh. The matching scar on my left breast throbbed in time with the other. Pressed tight against him, I still didn’t feel close enough.

His hands were low on my hips. They brushed the sensitive patch of skin just below my bellybutton. If I were a werecat, I would’ve purred right then.

I knew he wasn’t going to bleed me right there, but damn, I wanted him to. The hunger swept through us like a hurricane, and I tugged at his shirt to feel more of him.

His lips hovered over the healed bite, his tongue played lightly around it. As I neared the point of no return, he pulled back.

“If you do this now, you’re going to regret it later.”

For a moment, I was confused. My thoughts followed the wolf’s instincts rather than logic. Why would he stop now?

I blinked at him. “What?” I asked in a sultry tone.

“Think about it, Alexa. You don’t love me. You love the wolf pup. If we keep going down this path, you will lose everything with him.”

He was pulling away because of Shaz? I fought to wrap my mind around my white wolf. He was in my heart, but my feelings for Shaz were drowning in a sea of power and hunger.

“Since when do you care about Shaz?” I challenged him to have a damn good reason before he rejected me.

“I don’t.” His tone was short and clipped. He moved away from me and pushed a button. The elevator resumed its descent. He added begrudgingly, “I care about you.”

The genuine affection came as a big surprise, like a sudden slap in the face. He was in this for the high. The woman in me wanted to believe that he spoke the truth, but I knew better. My wolf, on the other hand, was outraged. I was an unclaimed female with needs and desires.

The elevator reached the main floor, and the door slid open. Arys glanced at me and headed for the lobby.

“You can’t just leave me like this,” I called after him. “You did this to me.”

Outside, the rain fell in a steady rhythm. I caught up to him halfway to the car. I was pissed that he could just walk away from me. His hunger was bringing me to my knees, and I wanted to slap him or bite a nice chunk out of his thigh.

“Come on, Alexa. This isn’t the time or the place. Get the keys out.” He walked a few steps ahead of me.

The night air was warm, which made the rain bearable and even calming. Though, the coldest shower on the planet wasn’t about to cool me down.

I pulled my keys from my purse, grinned mischievously, and said, “Is this what you want?” I dropped them lewdly into my bra, and I heard myself say, “Come and get it.”

Arys crushed me against the front of the car, and I loved it. Laughter pealed out of me, tinged with the growl of a wolf. On tiptoes, I leaned up to taste him.

He pulled back so that I only made contact with the soft indent beneath his lower lip. As I gently traced his bottom lip with my tongue, I felt him shudder. The power grew between us. He leaned into me again until I lay nearly flat against the hood.

“Stop pushing me, wolf.” His eyes were intense as they bore into me, and he bared his sharp fangs, white in the darkness. “You know damn well how bad I want to give it to you right here. We make the most beautiful combination in every single way.”

I held my breath as he inhaled my scent ever so slowly. Raindrops hit my face and soaked my clothes, but I didn’t care. The car keys spilled out of my top onto the hood. I grimaced inwardly and hoped they didn’t scratch the paint.

I forgot the paint when his sharp fangs grazed the soft spot inside my elbow. He licked the sensitive skin, and tingles raced up my arm. When he broke the skin, a rush roared through me that echoed in my ears.

“Oh, come on,” I pleaded, frustrated with the fire burning out of control inside me.

“There’s one thing, Alexa, this mortal love you have. You need it.” His tongue slid across my skin, hot and wet, and I wondered why his words so greatly contrasted his actions. “In so many ways, you’re mine, but I feel your need for that pup. I won’t selfishly take that from you.”

“Who are you trying to convince?” I asked. My throat was dry, and I licked my lips. The cold rain was doing nothing to cool the heat that continued to rise within me.

“Ok, fine,” he said, meeting my eyes. Drizzle plastered his hair to his forehead. I brushed it away from his eyes. “I know I’ll be the one you blame. The one you resent because you messed up too many times. I don’t want to see that happen.”

“So even pushing me away now is selfish and based on what suits you best. So typically the vampire.”

“That I am,” he growled even as he spread my legs and pressed his hard length against me. “Never forget it, or you’ll be mine forever.”

I considered debating that but thought better of it. He was firm against me, and I drew a shuddery breath, conflicted. The energy buzzed hot around us and contrasted strangely with the rain.

The comforting rhythm encouraged a partial shift. Fangs filled my mouth, and I clawed red lines in his arms with my nails. I was ready to beg or demand, when laughter rang out from eight floors above.

“Hey buddy,” a drunken voice called. “Do your girl already. It’s getting cold out here.”

Four guys stood on a balcony, gawking down at us. A streetlight gave them a perfect bird’s eye view. Arys grasped my hand and pulled me upright. He swiped the keys off the hood, pressed the unlock button, and shoved them into my hand.

“Let’s go downtown. I need an easy victim, and you need-,” he stopped suddenly. He pressed his lips to mine, and his tongue tasted of my blood. “Well, this isn’t the time or place to give you what you need.”

I gave the balcony gawkers a Hemi burnout as I cursed myself for messing around outside Lena’s. Thank God, she hadn’t caught us.

My first stop was the nearest Tim Horton’s for an extra large coffee. All nerves, I couldn’t stop running my hand through my hair. Though the coffee did nothing to calm me, it was soothing nonetheless.

After that, we hit a particularly seedy district of the downtown core, a prime locale for drugs and prostitutes. He promised to be quick. He’d dispatch one of the local vermin, and hopefully, ease my hunger. I didn’t think it would work, but I had my fingers crossed.

“So you want me to wait here?” I asked for the second time since we had parked behind the dingy bar.

“Yes, just wait here. I won’t be long. And, lock the doors.”

I thought he was full of shit but nodded anyway. “Will do, chief.”

Arys blended into the shadows so well that even I could barely spot him. The stereo played softly, which eased the heavy feeling that I was about to watch a murder.

I waited. The scent of coffee filled the inside of the car. My wet clothes left me chilled despite the heat at full blast. The headlights were off, but I wasn’t killing the engine in this part of town for anything. Soon enough, a shape emerged from between the bar and the vacant building next door.

As the shape approached the obscured vampire, it revealed two people. A woman that looked far too young to sell her body, and a man old enough to be her father. Arys grabbed the man by the shoulders and jerked him hard enough to lose his footing. The woman screamed and turned to run. I held my breath, afraid that Arys would stop her, but he let her go. Screams in this part of town rarely garnered response.

The noise from the radio seemed to fade away. I felt like I was watching the scene before me on an old movie reel. The rain and the vampire brought to mind a classic horror film.

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink when Arys pulled the man into his embrace and sank his fangs deep into the human’s throat. Time seemed to stop, and I remembered Arys killing the nameless woman behind Lucy’s. I had liked it then, and God help me, I liked it now.

My predator grew hungry, and I should have been alarmed at my pleasure, but it just felt so right, so natural. My wolf thought nothing of my arousal at the kill.  I, however, felt ashamed to be turned on as I watched the vampire take the man’s life. My self-control barely kept me from jumping Arys the moment that the passenger door opened.

“You reek of lust,” Arys commented. The fresh energy rolled off him and tantalized my senses. “What have you been doing in here without me?”

“Shut up.” My cheeks burned hot. I felt stupid and awkward as two very different natures warred inside me with their differing views.

Arys chuckled, and I used driving as a welcome distraction. I cracked open my window to allow the breeze and raindrops to hit my face as I gave myself a mental shake.

Lena was right. This was about control. Right now, I worried about that snarling wolf who didn’t enjoy being told no.

“Do you need another coffee? Or just a cold shower?” Arys smirked and even in the dim car interior, I could see that he wore not even a drop of blood. That must come with experience.

“I don’t think even the coldest shower would help me now.” I navigated a construction detour before glancing at him again. “Thanks to you.”

“Oh please,” he replied with a dramatic lilt to his voice. “You flatter me too much. Really. It isn’t good for my ego.”

“Isn’t that the God’s honest truth?” I made a sound of absolute disgust, and he laughed merrily.

I got on to the freeway exit that would lead us back to Stony. Before I could cuss out the guy who cut me off, my cell phone rang, startling me. I grabbed the noisy thing expecting Shaz or Ky. Instead, the number on the display made me cringe.

“It’s Raoul,” I muttered. “I wonder what he wants. If my vampire magic is so corrupt then maybe he can just leave a voicemail.”

Arys cocked his head to one side. “Maybe you should answer it.”

I raised an eyebrow to question his sanity, but he just shrugged. My curiosity piqued. Against my better judgment, I answered.

“Hello?” I sounded properly sharp and impatient, but Raoul completely ignored me. His frantic ramble came loud enough for Arys to hear. At first, the only words I could decipher were “Belle”, “shower” and “dead”. Whatever he’d said, it didn’t sound good.

“Ok, you’ve got to repeat that. I can barely catch what you’re saying.”

“Oh fuck, Alexa, I’m so screwed. I should have told you.” His terror put my heart in overdrive. Adrenaline hit me full force. Raoul was a professional, a businessman, and a self righteous jackass. I had never heard him speak like that.

“What in the hell is going on?” I put the phone on speaker as I sped down the highway.

“I’m at home with Belle. We’d been in bed together. I just went to the bathroom … to shower.” His voice broke and he paused. The silence in that moment was deafening. “When I came out …fuck, Alexa, she’s dead. In my bed, as I speak.”

My driving went to shit, and I was thankful for the deserted highway. I was stricken. I felt my face pale. I was at a loss for words.

“Um, ok,” I said, stalling to think. “How long ago was this? Is anyone in the house?”

“I just found her. Nobody’s here. Not anymore anyway. I know I’m a jackass for saying this but, will you come?”

I met Arys’s calm gaze and found no answer within it. “Alright.” I white-knuckled the wheel. “We’ll be there in twenty minutes. Hang tight.”

“We?” Despite his fear, that one didn’t slip past him.

“Yeah, Arys is with me. And I’m not walking in there without him.” I was hoping he didn’t mind that I’d volunteered him.

“Fine, whatever. Just come. I’m calling some of the guys for added security. See you soon?”

“Yeah, see you soon.” I turned my phone off with a beep and focused on the dark road.

“And you’re perfectly certain that this werewolf isn’t offing all of these women himself?” I could hear the grin in the vampire’s tone.

“Well, I was. I mean, I really don’t think that he is. You don’t mind coming with?”

He dragged out the silence to make me sweat. I thought he was declining until I sensed him reach for me in the dark. I didn’t wave him away. I was worried, and I let myself take comfort in his touch. His fingers lingered softly on the small bite inside my elbow.

“Anything you need, Alexa, I’m there.”

Chapter Fifteen

When we pulled onto Raoul’s street, two of our pack, Zak and Julian, approached the door. They were best buds who clashed over every little thing. Raoul glanced outside suspiciously before he rushed them inside. He paused when he noticed the Charger crawling along the block.

Without burnouts or tire squealing, I parked three doors down. I shivered when the breeze hit my damp clothing. Arys ambled casually as he followed me up the walk.

“Hey,” I said before we reached the door. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this, but nobody in this house needs to know all of the ways we’re connected.”

Raoul wasn’t quite sure what to think of me as it was. If he knew that I had full access to Arys’s power, he’d probably tell me that he could handle impending doom all on his own. Or, would he? Raoul knew he needed help, or he wouldn’t have called, not this time. Raoul’s face was visible from the window, and he looked like a nervous hen rather than the bold wolf.

“So, you don’t want them to know we’re sleeping together and can share power like a vampire and wolf hybrid that even Hollywood couldn’t dream up. Got it.” He flashed me a sly wink and pinched my ass.

“No, no, no.” I held up a hand. “We are not sleeping together. We slept together. Past tense. And, funny comment coming from a guy who turned me down less than an hour ago.”

“Right.” Head cocked to the side, he studied me pensively. I didn’t like it. “That was different. You needed your hunger quenched. Your desire was under influence. When you come to me under your own free will because of your own feminine wants, that will be different.”

“Oh,” I scoffed. “Like it was my own free will the last and only time?” It had seemed pretty power influenced to me.

“Wasn’t it?” He asked with a grin that spoke volumes of wickedness. Before I could reply, he rang the doorbell, which left me to choke on my retort.

The scent of death struck me, and my heart rate increased. Arys glanced at me with a puzzled expression. I wondered what he was sensing that I might not be. There was a negative energy lingering around the place that screamed of hate and vengeance.

I swallowed hard. Inside, I would look at Belle’s dead body. There was certainly no love lost between us, but this was not what I wanted.

“Thank you for coming.” Raoul attempted to play nice but eyed the vampire skeptically. “I wouldn’t have if I were you. Not after the way I treated you last time.”

I waved off his apology before the moment got more awkward. Blood and violence coated the atmosphere inside the house with a thick, uncomfortable energy, and I wrinkled my nose in distaste. One of my own lay dead.

When Arys followed me inside, both Julian and Zak did a double take. Few Weres liked dealing with the notorious vampire. He was known for his ability to make life unpleasant for others when the urge struck him. Not one of them offered him a hand in greeting.

“So what the hell happened exactly?” I looked around, but the elaborate sitting room hadn’t changed since I’d been there last.

“You guys want to man the front and back doors?” Raoul’s dark eyes flicked back and forth between Zak and Julian. “I’m going to show Alexa upstairs.”

I swallowed hard and stared at Raoul. The most powerful werewolf in our pack was pale and shaky. Even a human could have smelled his fear. He knew what was really going on here, and I vowed to get it out of him before I left.

He led the way upstairs. The air was thick with Belle’s blood. My stomach tightened, and I fought the urge to cover my mouth to avoid tasting the air.

“I swear, Alexa, I just left her for a few minutes.” Raoul hesitated outside the door to the master bedroom. “The only evidence that someone else had been in the room was the open window. We’d had it closed.”

It had been a long time since I’d been in Raoul’s bedroom. Thankfully, this was no time for embarrassing memories.

To my absolute astonishment, Arys stepped forward and laid a hand gently on Raoul’s shoulder. “Don’t feel like you have to go in there again. We can take it from here.”

“Yeah, Raoul,” I added. “Don’t torture yourself. Maybe you should call Fox to get a place prepared for Belle.”

Fox Matthews, a city werewolf, specializes in medicine. He helps with injury, illness and, unfortunately, death. We can’t go to human doctors with vampire bites and claw marks. With Fox’s help, we had laid more than one wolf to rest within the trees and forests beyond town. Belle would be in good company.

Raoul looked at us with obvious relief but slowly backed away from the door. “Sure.” He nodded and grasped the railing at the top of the stairs. “I’ll make some calls. Maybe make some coffee. Do you guys want any?” He paused, looked at Arys then shook his head. “Sorry.”

“Make coffee. Use the phone. We’ll be down in a few minutes.” I rushed him downstairs. His nerves created a raw energy that bit at my skin in all the wrong places.

He descended the stairs and turned the corner before I reached for the door handle. The knob was cold and smooth in my hand. I must have held it a split second too long because Arys tried to step in.

“Do you want me to go first?” he asked. When I shot him a dirty look, he added, “It’s not personal. I never knew her. Well, except for that one time.”

My cheeks grew hot, and I shoved the door open with more force than was necessary. I couldn’t believe he was joking at a time like this, or at least, he damn well better be joking.

I took in the sight of the bedroom and forgot my irritation. I almost slipped on something slick as I stepped through the doorway. If Arys hadn’t been within grabbing distance, I would have landed on my butt in the mess.

“Oh, this is a nice one,” Arys remarked, completely unaffected.

He gave the murder scene before us an all-appraising glance, like an artist surveying the latest creation of another. I knew the things that he’d done in his time. I saw them through my own eyes. Arys had done so much worse than this.

I started at the foot of the bed, unable to look at her face yet. I could only recognize Belle’s bleached blonde hair, well, what remained blonde anyway. Most of it was stained a tragic red.

Blood covered the duvet on the bed as well as the wall behind it. I wondered how Belle had that much blood. A trail of splatters fell in a line across the expensive grey Berber carpet. Even her pretty, pink toenail polish was dotted with scarlet smears. I was dying to take a deep breath but the air was rank with the sickly sweet scent of werewolf blood.

Two gaping wounds caused the entire mess. One ran straight down, from her surgically enhanced breasts to her pubic region. Although exceptionally straight, a few jagged tears indicated that a clawed human hand had created the slice.

The other wound was in her neck. Her throat was torn wide open, exposing gruesome tissue and bone. Her vacant blue eyes had rolled up to stare at the ceiling.

“Oh God, Belle.” The words slipped out, and I reached to touch her but didn’t.

I stared at Belle for a long, silent moment. Finally, I pulled the blood stained sheet to hide her nakedness. My hand lingered, and I trailed it through her silky locks simply because she was one of my own. As I gazed down into her dead stare, I was livid. Someone dared to take what Raoul and I protected. His human lovers weren’t mine, but Belle, she was pack. Somebody was going to pay for this.

“Tell me what you feel,” I breathed.

“You don’t feel anything?” Arys asked and stepped nearer.

“I feel a lot of things. But, there’s so much here, and the smells are overwhelming.” The energy in the room created a swarm of sensations, a fuzz inside my head. I waved a hand to indicate the carnage around us. “I’m not quite sure what I’m feeling. Something is off.”

He studied me as he slowly walked the room’s perimeter. “The blood scent overpowers your Alpha’s fear, but the rage… It lingers everywhere.”

He stopped near the bed and looked down at Belle. He saw something that I couldn’t see, which created a metaphysical itch that ate at me.  His thought taunted me like an idea on the tip of my tongue.

“Who would do this?” I asked, not expecting an answer, but I felt the weight of Arys’s questioning stare.

“Somebody with a serious vendetta. Your Alpha has been a really bad boy. You really can’t pick up that energy?”

“He’s not my Alpha.” I crossed my arms over my chest, which only drew the vampire’s eyes to my breasts. “Yes, I can feel something, Arys, but I can’t identify it. I have been around for two and a half decades. You’ve seen centuries. Don’t make me feel inferior just because I don’t know what I’m sensing. It smells human, but it doesn’t feel that way. It’s hard to pick out anything beneath the blood and death.”

His hands came to rest on my forearms, and he gazed deep into my eyes. The now familiar heat within my core began to grow at his touch. He pulled my arms apart despite my childish resistance and gave me a slight shake.

I frowned. “Arys, what are you-,”

“Sh.” He placed one finger lightly on my lips to silence me. “Loosen up. Concentrate. Seriously, Alexa, listen to me.”

I wanted to listen, to allow his voice to draw me in. I leaned into his touch and savored his cool power.

“Shake off the need to be wolf,” Arys continued. “Smell, sound, sight…these things won’t serve you here. You have to go beyond those senses. Tap into what makes you more than wolf or woman.”

Even amid the death and destruction, my eyes closed of their own accord. The overpowering smells that crowded my sensitive nose seemed to dissipate as I saw the world through an aural haze. I opened my eyes, and Arys’s midnight blue aura shone faintly around him. My own yellow gold surrounded me. I gave a small gasp. The two energies reached for one another. They formed a small arc between us like a rainbow of swirling golden blue.

I shook off the fascination of our entwined auras and concentrated. I was able to clearly isolate the remnants of energy left behind by both Belle and her killer. I felt Arys. He shielded me from the trauma that danced among the energy shadows. I could see nothing, but I didn’t need to see her because I could feel her. The killer I sought was female and neither human nor wolf but both. The energy was new to me, but with Arys’s touch, I found the idea: Hybrid.

I must have said the word aloud because Arys nodded and repeated it. I blinked a few times, and my link began to fade. I lost sight of our auras.

“Did you see that?” I asked with a giddy excitement in my tone. “Our auras joined together like some twisted, poison vine? I mean I’ve seen it in the color of my psi balls but that was crazy.”

I felt a little silly. The metaphysical high hit me on a physical level. Arys’s serious expression only enhanced my self-consciousness.

“See it? No. I can see it when we work energy, but just now? No.” Ever so slowly, he ran his hands over my aura, scant inches from my body. He didn’t touch me, but I felt his touch inside me, like a tickle. “I can always feel your aura drawing mine, like magnets.”

Arys’s eyebrows drew together. I could see the wheels in his brain turning. He was intrigued. Why could I visibly see it, and he could not?

“You never saw the colors just now? Blue and gold? Nothing?” I’d so easily slipped into third eye view, and my nerves buzzed, as if needles poked every inch of my body. I squirmed.

“What? No, nothing.” He paused, glanced down at Belle and then back at me. “I think it’s because I am undead, on the other side of the plane from the living.”

Nodding, I turned to the bed to draw the dirty sheet up over her head. I would have closed her eyes, but the shock in her frozen expression made me reluctant to touch her.

“Ok, let’s go talk to Raoul. See what he knows about a wolf hybrid.” I’d seen enough.

“What does it look like?” The vampire’s cool touch on my arm caused a small spark. “Our auras, I mean.”

In his jaded gaze, I clearly saw his envy. I had an ability that he did not. I hid the smile that caused my lips to twitch as we descended the stairs side by side.

“They arc like electricity between us, connecting us in the center.” I vaguely indicated the lower chakra region on my body and didn’t miss his sly grin and nod.

“Of course,” he purred low in my ear. “That’s only fitting.”

“Get off,” I growled playfully with an elbow in his side.

We followed the short hall to the kitchen where Raoul and Julian spoke in hushed tones. Zak stood on the front deck with his cell phone pressed to his ear.

They all turned to look at us expectantly, and I hated that I got sucked into this crap. Raoul offered me a cup of coffee, which I took out of obligation, not because I wanted any. Surprisingly, he remembered my three creams, two sugars.

I glanced at Arys who met my gaze with an intensity that I didn’t like. Not here, not now. Sure, that wasn’t what I’d been saying before.

“Would you mind running some security while I talk with Raoul?” I asked with a look said this wasn’t the time or place for energy games.

With a wink and a slight nod of his head, he replied, “Of course. Anything for you, my love.”

My face turned ten different shades of red. What was it with men? Why was it necessary to make it so obvious?

“Raoul, if you and I could have a moment of privacy?” I carefully ignored the other Weres’ appraising glances. So, Arys was willing to share with Shaz but no one else? How thoughtful.

“Sure, let’s go in the den.”

I followed him into his cozy office. Small and windowless, it held only a sofa, desk and bookshelf, but we could sit and shut everything else out. When he closed the door, I took a deep breath and spoke with my voice low.

“A hybrid killed Belle, and Julie and Sheridan, too.” I shuffled from foot to foot, nervous of his reaction.

Raoul’s face drained of all color, and he sat heavily on the edge of the desk. His wide shoulders slumped, and I read in his coal black eyes what I’d suspected all along.

“You know who it is,” I declared. “If you expect me to put myself on the line, then you’d better start talking. Now.”

I crossed my arms and fixed him with my best “take no shit” expression. He stared at my feet for what felt like an eternity.

I was ready to hurl a tirade of irritated curses, when he forced his eyes to mine. I could feel his anguish and shame like a worn cloak of bitterness settling about my shoulders.

“God, Alexa, don’t hate me. I’ve made some really big mistakes in my past. Bigger than you’d ever imagine.” He ran a hand through his damp hair, which trailed water droplets along the shoulders of his grey t-shirt. I said nothing, waiting for him to go on.

“I was so afraid that she was behind this. After all this time. I should have known better.” His eyes took on a haze that indicated he was reliving a memory, and I was keenly aware of the way his bottom lip trembled ever so slightly. The wolf in me was curious what he would do if I bit it.

“I swear to you, Alexa, I never thought she would hurt innocent people to get to me. You have to believe that.”

“Listen Raoul, if you dragged me into some scorned-lover on the warpath bullshit, I’m going to be super-pissed. I’ve had enough of that shit for one week.”

He looked puzzled. “No, no, it isn’t like that.”

“Then why don’t you give me a little more information before I decide you’re wasting my time?” His nervous jitters made me anxious. His energy prickled along my skin like hot sparks from a fireplace. “We both know how hard hybrids are to come by. Let’s just cut to the chase.”

He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. “Her name is Zoey Roberts. She’s my daughter.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Oh, this just keeps getting better.” I did nothing to hide my exasperation. “When were you planning on mentioning this, and why the hell would your daughter be on a murderous rampage? What did you do to her?”

My words ended on a squeak. Instinctively, my hands balled into white-knuckled fists. Adrenaline blazed through my veins, and I forced myself to breathe deep and calm.

“Oh, that is so typical.” He fixed me with his black stare, but instead of vehement, he was only weary. “You immediately assume it’s my fault that somebody else chose to take lives? I’m not pulling the strings here, Alexa. I didn’t think your feminist side went so far as to condone murder.”

He was right. I was out of line. “Hey, I am not a feminist. I’m an equal.” I took an awkward step back but didn’t apologize. “You’re right though. I shouldn’t automatically accuse you, so keep talking.”

With a half-hearted shrug, he said, “I met her mother more than twenty years ago. She was the first of only two women that I truly loved. I’d just turned twenty-one. She was a few years younger, and though I knew I should stay away from her, I just couldn’t resist.” He smiled then, but it lacked his usual arrogance and sarcasm.

“Her name was Naomi,” he continued. The love in his eyes shocked me. “She sparkled with such life. I’d only been a werewolf for two years and was still struggling to come to terms with my wolf, but it was worth learning to have her in my life.”

A long heavy sigh escaped him. He sounded so defeated, and I reminded myself that I had no reason to feel sorry for him. Not yet.

“So what happened?” I asked with feigned casualness.

His eyes roamed around the small room, and I could feel his blood pressure increase. “She actually fell in love with me. We dreamed of having a picket fence life and living happily ever after.” He laughed bitterly and wiped the corner of one eye. “I was an idiot to think I could have that.”

“She didn’t know, did she?” I could see where this was going.

“No. She told me she was pregnant, so I had to tell her. I was so goddamned scared.”

I would have been too. Weres are generally sterile. However, rare fecundity led to offspring like Jez, a natural full-blooded Were, and hybrids, a wolf and human combination. Neither is common by any means.

I sat as Raoul paced the office. I perched on the arm of the couch and followed his movements with my gaze. “So, you told her.”

“And, she hated me. She screamed and cried. She thought I was crazy until I showed her.” His voice grew thick with unshed tears. “Then, she simply feared me. Her pregnancy was full of complications. Zoey was a parasite that tried to consume her. Still, Naomi refused to see me. She finally called me during labor, when she realized that it was killing her.”

Raoul stopped pacing with his back to me. I said nothing, as his heart-rending pain reached me. My heart ached for him, but I didn’t let his emotions influence my reactions.

He took one long shuddery breath. “By the time I reached her, she was barely hanging on. She begged me to take care of Zoey, no matter what, and I swore that I would.”

When he turned to me again, unshed tears glittered in his ebony eyes like diamonds. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him to face me like that.

“I failed her, Alexa. God help me, I thought I was doing the right thing for her at the time.”

“Tell me what you did with her, Raoul.” He trembled. How many had he told this secret to?

The need to comfort him won out. I went to him, bridged the distance between us, and reached out to grasp his large hand. It was warm and slightly damp. I leaned in, just enough to rub my face gently alongside his. I nuzzled him with a teenage affection that wouldn’t die after all these years.

He surprised me by grabbing me in a big hug that pulled me off balance. The scent of shampoo, cologne and musky wolf filled my nostrils, and the sudden desire to run on four feet struck me.

“I went to an older wolf that I trusted for help,” he continued in a sudden rush. “I didn’t know how I’d manage to work and raise a baby while being a damn shifter. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know what to do.”

When I pulled back gently, he allowed me to disengage myself from his grasp. I was afraid to speak, afraid he would stop sharing.

“She helped me locate a tight-knit pack down south that was willing to care for her while teaching her about her mixed blood. They had women to nurture her in ways that I never could. But now, it seems like a mistake.”

It didn’t sound like a bad choice to me considering his options at the time. But, I wasn’t Zoey, and she obviously felt betrayed. The girl was on a damn rampage.

“You made the choice you thought was best for her. How can that be a mistake?”

“She apparently thinks so. She’s single handedly destroying the women that I’ve been involved with. I knew she was upset, but I never would have guessed she’d take it this far.”

That made me snap to attention. “What? So you’ve been in contact with her over the years?”

The look he gave me was full of scorn, and he scoffed. “I’m not a dead-beat dad, Alexa. I didn’t just dump her and run. I stayed there for two weeks with her before I felt right about leaving her. I wrote and called and went to see her up until a few years ago when she asked me not to.”

With a shrug of his massive shoulders, his short-lived defense evaporated. “She can’t forgive me for not keeping her. But, she was blossoming there, and I didn’t think to bring her here. I’m a bachelor. My lifestyle isn’t right for a young woman. Sometimes, I think she hates me for being wolf while she cannot without risking everything.”

Part of me was astounded at how completely clueless he was. I turned it over in my head. Hybrids have a much harder existence than the average Were. A hybrid is born missing a piece of the puzzle. Their half-human blood inhibits the ability to change forms. The urge to shift could never truly be fulfilled. If a hybrid did manage to change forms, they rarely shifted back. Many were trapped in wolf form forever. It made sense that a hybrid could be driven completely mad from resisting their natural urges.

“How was she doing with everything? The full moon and the wolf urges.” I moved across the room to feign interest in the bookshelf. The puzzle had come together, or I thought it had.

“Good, for the most part. Or, at least I thought she was. It wasn’t until the past five years or so that things began to change with her. I’m not going to give you the long version but you can see where it’s led to.” He gestured wildly at nothing, but I nodded just the same.

“She sees you from a distance, pouring your affections on other women. When you said you live the bachelor life, you weren’t kidding.”

“Do you have a point?”

“Yes,” I bared my teeth at him. “In her eyes, you have all of this love and attention to shower on other women, but you’ve abandoned her. Is this making some sense to you? Throw in the whole being a hybrid thing, and it’s no wonder she’s lost her marbles.”

Raoul gave me a blank look that told me my words weren’t registering completely. I chalked it up to purposeful ignorance on his part. He can be the kind of guy that will blame you for his guilt after he screws you over.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. “You said that Naomi was one of two women you loved… Who was the other?”

Raoul’s eyes narrowed in a glare and a chill stole over me. The atmosphere shifted so dramatically that I was momentarily confused.

“Why?” He asked, suspiciously.

I stared at him. His demeanor told me to be wary. “Because you said she was the first of two. I just thought that maybe the other woman may have something to do with Zoey’s mental decline.”

The heavy silence that followed made me wish I hadn’t asked. However, I wondered why it was such a touchy subject. He stared daggers into me. He blinked, took a deep breath, and ran a hand through his hair. Ultimately, he turned away with his head down.

“I really don’t want to talk about it, Lex, but believe me, those are two entirely separate times of my life. I don’t believe Zoey could have known anything about the other woman anyway.” The way that he said that spurred even more interest in this mysterious second great love of Raoul’s life.

When I refocused, another thought struck me. I’d been involved with Raoul at one point, on and off for a very long time.

“I’m sorry, Raoul, but I’ve got to warn you, if she comes after me-”

“Don’t say it!” He interrupted. “I know. I would expect you to defend yourself. But promise me, if you come across her before I do, you won’t kill her. Please.”

After years of imagining Raoul begging me for something, the reality wasn’t at all satisfying. It didn’t really feel good in any way.

“I can’t make any promises to you. If it’s me or her, I’m walking out of it alive. Hell, maybe what she really wants is someone to put her out of her misery after two decades of torture.”

Wow. When had I become so cold? The words froze on my tongue, and I briefly wondered if Arys’s attitude had rubbed off on me, another lovely parting gift from him. That was ridiculous, and I knew it. I was bitter enough to kick Raoul when he was down, but I don’t play that dirty.

“I’m sorry, Raoul. That was a nasty thing for me to say.”

I felt guilty and crude as I waited for him to say something. His disgusted look spoke volumes, and I wished I could drop into a hole and hide. Couldn’t this moment just end already?

“Clearly, you have your own issues with me, Lex.” He spoke softer than I’d been anticipating. “I suppose I should be thankful you haven’t already taken me out. Or tried to.”

Something about that last sentence. Was that a challenge? I couldn’t believe his audacity. I moved to go, and he blocked the door in one smooth motion.

“Don’t walk out on me.” His voice, now a low growl, sent a delicious shiver down my spine, and the wolf within me responded in full.

I suspected that Raoul didn’t want the sharp ears beyond the thin door to catch our exchange. Though, if Arys had caught the challenge in Raoul’s voice, he was already on alert.

“Don’t try to stop me.” I wasn’t growling yet, but instinct had blanketed me in warm Were energy. In one blink, my eyes shone with the blazing brilliance of my wolf.

I watched Raoul’s black eyes bleed to wolf, and my heart began to pound.

“I’m not going to. Alexa, you’ve had years to get the closure you need. Instead, you hold it inside and allow it to feed your bitterness and anger.” He advanced on me so that we stood just inches apart. “If you need to hash out the past, if you want to tell me exactly why you loathe me so much, then do it, but stop dragging it into every encounter we have.”

I stared into his eyes with amazement. I admired him for calling me on what, I have to admit, was the truth, but I was pissed that he allowed his voice to rise so those beyond the door might hear. I opened my mouth to speak, but he kept talking.

“I asked for your help because I know you’re a true survivor. I thought I could count on you. Despite everything, we are pack. Or at least, we were.”

His words rang in my ears, and I recalled my very similar thoughts about Belle upstairs. Shit.

I hate when Raoul’s right. I had agreed to help him, and he’d thrown me out of his house. Yet, here we were, together, pack.

“I was a young, scared girl who counted on you, and you let me down.” I was surprised as the whispered words left my lips. I was more surprised when my voice cracked. “You taught me about blood and sex, but I needed more than that.”

Unnerved by my words, I understood. Zoey had been better off wherever she’d grown up. Raoul’s life had always consisted of fulfilling his many urges and desires. She would have hated him more had she been here, if only she knew that.

His gaze softened, as if he never had a clue how bad it had been for me.

“Alexa,” he breathed my name and reached for me, but I stepped away. If he touched me, I might cry, and I refused to give him the satisfaction of my tears.

“Don’t,” I said, a growl rumbled low in my throat, barely audible. “Don’t you dare try to placate me. You didn’t care then, and I’ll be damned if you care now.”

The tears on my cheeks were warm and silent, and I didn’t recall the first one falling. I wiped them away with an angry motion, infuriated that I would cry over this. Maybe I still harbored more of that frightened teenager inside me than I realized.

I didn’t expect Raoul to challenge my withdrawal. He caught me off guard when he backed me up against the desk. I craned my neck to look up at him as the hard wooden edge dug into the back of my legs. My body reacted defensively. My fangs extended, ready for a fight. My nails dug into the wood, as they became claws.

I expected an attack, but he leaned down and buried his face in my long blonde locks. One well-muscled arm went around my lower back and pressed me to him. He nipped my neck lightly, just below my ear. It didn’t hurt. He hadn’t meant it to. I realized that he was trying to comfort me.

Both of his large, warm arms went around me. He held me with an odd intensity. He nuzzled deeper into my hair, and when the first hot drop ran down the side of my neck, I realized he, too, shed tears. Unsure of what to do, I let him hold me, even though I was vibing off his pain. I just wanted to hide my feelings. I felt too exposed.

That close to Raoul, I was damn glad to be free of Arys’s hunger. Amid the excitement of the evening, I hadn’t noted that I had been completely free of his hunger since he’d fed.

“I know that I wasn’t what you needed me to be. But, there’s just so much you don’t know. I’m sorry. It doesn’t mean anything now, but I am.”

Time seemed to stop with his small confession. My wolf was content to rest in his arms, but something deep down began to ache for Shaz. We both needed this moment, but people were waiting for us, and a dangerous hybrid was on the loose with a taste for blood and vengeance.

“Raoul?” I said tentatively. He didn’t release his hold, so I prodded him gently. “It’s ok. We don’t have to do this right now. It’s not the right time. We have to deal with Zoey.”

In slow hesitation, he let go and stepped back. His ebony wolf eyes were hauntingly beautiful with tears, and I allowed myself an extra moment to fall into their depths. I wanted him to tell me the things that I didn’t know, but I didn’t dare ask. Call it cowardice, but an inner voice warned that I really didn’t want to know.

I pushed away from the desk, past him. “So, do you have a picture of her? You know, so I actually know what she looks like if I happen to see her.” Or get jumped by her, I added silently.

He relented with a shrug. “We have to find her before she does anything else.”

“Do you think you can track her down?” I forced a casual tone while he produced a large envelope from the desk. I felt ill at ease.

He pulled a wallet-sized photo out and handed it to me. “I’m not sure, but I damn well intend to. There isn’t a distinct scent to a hybrid, though. It’s all human.”

I nodded in agreement and focused my attention on the picture. Zoey was absolutely striking. She had her father’s dark hair and defined features. Her eyes were a pleasant blue that I couldn’t even picture on Raoul. She was smiling in the photo, standing beside a wishing well with the countryside behind her. A pale blue sundress adorned what appeared to be a tall but slender frame. I could take her.

“I think Arys and I can locate her by her energy. He immediately knew she was a hybrid when we were upstairs.” I wiped a hand across my eyes to eliminate any last traces of tears. A glance around the room revealed a much-needed tissue box on the corner of the desk.

Raoul’s eyes narrowed, and just like that, the tension was back. “I don’t want him involved in this. He isn’t pack. Hell, he isn’t even a werewolf.”

Was this more male-hierarchy bullshit or what? “If you want me involved then you accept who I choose to bring in.”

I met his defiant gaze with my own. The decade old rift between us was back. I didn’t think we’d ever truly banish it. The past was the past, but our resentments remained fresh and bitter.

“Just because you’re bedding the vampire does not mean you can make him a part of this. This is my daughter we’re talking about.”

“Don’t start the macho man shit with me. I’m in or I’m out. If you prefer to deal with your daughter yourself, that’s fine with me.” We stared into one another until the angry heat became too much. “I could be making money, right now, for a job like this, rather than screwing around here for free.”

This time, I didn’t hang around to get sucked into another argument. I threw the office door open and strode back into the kitchen.

Raoul appeared behind me. He clutched my coffee mug in his hand as if he’d shatter it by sheer will alone.

“Sorry,” I offered lamely.

Arys stood in the front sitting room while Julian paced in the large kitchen uncomfortably. Zak still stood on the back deck and shouted into his phone. He had great timing for a lover’s quarrel. Before I reached the doorway that connected the kitchen and front room, Raoul grabbed my wrist hard enough to bruise and spun me to face him.

“Fine. Have it your way. But keep him on a leash. No funny stuff. This is my flesh and blood we’re after.”

I couldn’t help but risk a glance at Arys in the neighboring room. He might not appreciate the leash comment. I certainly did not miss how Arys’s eyes were riveted to where Raoul’s hand gripped my wrist. Not good.

“You need to remember,” I jerked my arm from his grasp. “That your daughter is losing her mind. And, one thing about crazy people, Raoul, sometimes they don’t want to come back. The brink of insanity suits them just fine. Don’t go into this expecting to save her. You’ll just be fooling yourself.”

A series of emotions crossed his face, and he successfully squashed them all. “I’m aware of the circumstances, but nobody is going to kill her. Clear?”

I wasn’t getting into this again. I mustered an exasperated sigh and shrug. I rubbed the rawness out of my wrist. He manhandled me because I was wolf and not human, which aggravated me all to hell.

“I’ll call you.” I turned to go but paused as a smile quirked my lips. “You’re not afraid, are you? To stay here alone?”

If looks could kill, I would have been dead three times over. “Ok, ok. Forget I asked.”

Arys launched into motion as I walked into the room. I gestured for him to join me as I approached the front door and let us out. I stopped at the bottom of the front steps. Nothing was amiss.

“There’s nobody here. I’ve been keeping tabs.” Arys pulled the door closed behind us with a soft click. “He made you cry. I can’t tell you what it took to keep from going in there, but I knew how pissed you’d be if I came riding to your rescue again.”

I took a few steps down the front walkway and turned back to look at him. My eyes must be red and puffy.

“How did you know?”

The vampire fixed me with a dark blue stare. The intensity that burned there sparked a fire low in my core, and my breath caught when he said, “I could feel it.”

His hand went to his still heart, but his eyes never left me. “Right here. I can’t even begin to tell you the last time that I felt anything that didn’t include blood, sex, or death.”

When he descended the last stair and stood before me, I didn’t shrink away. His soft kiss spoke to a side of me that Raoul had long ignored and Shaz just didn’t yet understand. Arys had lived brutality, as both a giver and a receiver, and so had I. I responded to him in full, and our power swirled around us in a dizzying embrace. I drank in his sweet taste and smell hungrily.

With great reluctance, I pulled away, all too aware of the spectacular view of us from Raoul’s big picture window. I really wanted to cast the world aside and enjoy the forbidden pleasures that joined me to this lovely, dark creature. The need to shift was a poignant ache in the pit of my stomach as I turned to lead the way to the Charger.

“So am I correct in assuming this hybrid is your Alpha’s offspring gone wrong?” Arys asked when we were in the quiet confines of the car.

I looked at him sharply. “You could hear us.”

“I’ve merely been putting the pieces together myself. That seemed to be the most logical assumption.”

“He’s completely adamant that nobody kill her unless it’s more than necessary. He’s carrying around a lot of guilt regarding her childhood.”

I started the car and headed for Lucy’s Lounge. I didn’t want to part ways with Arys at his house. I didn’t trust myself to say no to him tonight.

I really wanted to see Shaz. Tomorrow night was our official date, but at this rate, I could see it being postponed. I was a jumble of nerves, and I needed the quiet solace that I only found with my muzzle buried in Shaz’s thick, white fur.

“So, no hybrid fun for the vampire?”

I shot him a scowl, and Arys laughed. A pleasurable thrill tingled in places that simply should not respond so strongly to something so miniscule. Damn him.

“Keep your hands off of her. And, anything else that may come to mind, too. Seriously.” I narrowed my brow in my best no nonsense face. “Grab her if you see her, but don’t do anything but detain her. Capiche?”

“Relax, Alexa. I won’t bleed the half breed, promise.”

When people tell me to relax, it only serves to tick me off more, but I stifled a yawn and blinked through watery vision. I hadn’t been getting enough sleep. The digital clock on the dash read 2:17am, and I knew today would be another long one.

“It’s not you bleeding her that concerns me.”

I smiled upon noticing that the rain had stopped. I already knew how fresh and inviting the forest would smell after a warm summer shower. I wanted so badly to be there with Shaz.

Arys squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. “The heavy presence of your wolf is like a weight inside my head. You need to shift.” The way he said it was so casual, as if our fates were not inextricably entwined, as if his perception of my wolf were perfectly normal.

“I know. That’s my next move. I can’t focus on anything else until I clear my head with a run.”

“Why don’t you let me out at the 7/11?” He said suddenly. “You can go to your wolf pup, and I’ll do a little scouting around before I head home.”

I felt a little strange that he could sense my intentions so clearly.

Before I could form a response, he continued with a grimace. “My fingers are itching. Get your ass out of that skin and turn furry before I lose my mind. I swear I’ll keep a better rein on the bloodlust from now on.”

Sharing our power was hard, but sharing our weaknesses was a new kind of hell.

“If you kill that puppy you just got for Mrs. Olson, I will personally kick your ass.” I teased. The 7/11 was right on the corner up ahead, near the main thoroughfare.

“Oh God, Alexa, don’t even joke about that. Did you see how damn cute he was?”

I chuckled and shook my head at the big, bad vampire who melted over puppies. “What I did see was that poor old Mrs. Olson didn’t have a clue that you tore the head off of her little Benny,” I tsked, and Arys gave my thigh a playful pinch that had some sting to it.

“Up here is fine.” He pointed to a crosswalk a good block or so before the twenty-four hour convenience store. The crosswalk was flanked by nothing but the darkness and only led to the Brown Street walking path, a ten minute walk from where I’d killed David. I was suddenly stricken with anxiety.

I pulled over. My heart began to pound as I stared out the window into the dark. My chest tightened, and my breath seemed to come short. Somebody had to have found the grisly remains of David by now.

Arys leaned over and drew me close. With a soft kiss at my temple, he whispered, “I took care of it. Nobody’s going to find a thing.”

I had to pull back to look at him. The lights of an approaching vehicle flashed in the rear view mirror, and I flipped my hazard lights on so they would go around.

“You did what?”

“I took care of it,” he repeated as I stared at him stupidly. “There is nothing left to be found. It’s your dirty little secret.”

I swallowed hard as my pulse raced. Did I want to ask what he’d done with the remains? The images of what I’d done to that man flashed again in my mind, images that could never be erased. It hadn’t been pretty.

“I can’t believe you did that.” A long, shuddery breath left me, and I felt both relief and shame. “I can’t believe his girlfriend didn’t send somebody to find him.” My laugh bordered on neurotic.

“You know I’ve got your back.” Arys looked at me gravely, all serious. “It was partly my fault that you lost control. We can only maintain control of this by keeping our hungers sated.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“You’ve been fine since I took blood. Me? I’m starting to itch on the inside. The burning comes next. You need to let the beast out.” He gave my hand a squeeze before adding, with a fang flashing smile, “By the way, you owe me two hundred bucks for half of Mrs. Olson’s puppy.”

I gaped, open-mouthed, at him, and he took advantage of the moment. He pressed his lips hungrily to mine. The distinct taste of pine and wolf almost made my heart stop.

When he pulled back, I said breathlessly, “You taste like wolf.”

With a bitter smile and a pained expression, he nodded. “Hurry. I’ll see you soon.”

He disappeared like vapor into the night, a timely and dramatic exit, and I was flabbergasted by his strange and intoxicating devotion. I wasn’t quite sure what Arys was up to, but I trusted him. And, I sincerely hoped that he would never make a fool of me for doing so.

I turned off the hazard lights and eased down the street. I whipped a U-turn at the 7/11 and went back the way that I’d come. I drove straight to the lounge.

Lucy’s brimmed with people despite the line of patrons that ambled out, talking and laughing amongst themselves. Though the bar was now closed for drinks, many people continued to down their last, content to stay until closing. They finished that last game of pool or sought a potential bed partner before closing time.

Shaz’s platinum hair caught my eye amid a cluster of women who sought his attention. This was a regular occurrence on cheap drink night. These women looked forward to hitting on the bartender all week. As I drew near him, my wolf fought to break free of my restraint. Over the toxic combination of cologne, perfume and alcohol, I honed in on Shaz’s scent and energy. If my wolf had been a separate entity, she would have run ahead to knock Shaz to the ground and shower him with wet wolf kisses.

He felt me, too, and broke away from his adoring fans to come to me, grateful for the escape. No fear or disgust showed in his beautiful jade eyes, even though I expected it. Guilt washed over me in a crashing wave. He knew what I’d done in the shadows of the walking path, and his feelings for me remained. I did not deserve this.

“Lex! My lovely wolf queen.” His grin tickled me right to the bottom of my feet, and I reached for him but stopped short. “How are you doing tonight? Better, I hope.”

Every woman turned to see the intruder that so easily captured the attention of their bartender. I flashed them a fake smile before dismissing them completely.

“I’m fine, Shaz, but boy, do I have a story for you.” I tucked a stray chunk of dyed gold hair behind my ear and cast a glance around the bar. I stayed on full alert. Zoey could be anywhere. “Are you up for a run? I really need to unwind. And then, I can fill you in on everything. I just came from Raoul’s. It’s not good.”

He searched my eyes briefly and then nodded. “I’d love to go for a run. Just give me a minute to finish up here and grab my things.”

He gave my arm a gentle squeeze before disappearing behind the bar. On his way back, he was intercepted by a large, older lady. Though I couldn’t hear their exchange, the look on Shaz’s face spoke volumes. The lady produced a card from between her heaving breasts and pressed it into his hand, and I couldn’t hide my laughter. She blew him a kiss and sauntered away, while he looked on, dumbfounded.

“That was strange.” Shaz said as he rejoined me. He fished in his jacket pocket for car keys. He really had no idea how good he looked in that leather jacket and blue jeans. He could pass for art. “She told me to call her if and when I’m looking for a sugar mama.”

“Oh yeah?” I raised an eyebrow in question and smiled. “Sounds like somebody’s moving up in the world. When’s your first date?”

“Ha ha, funny.” He rolled his eyes, but I caught his sudden blush. “So, I’ll just meet you at your place?”

“Yeah. I’m going straight to the backyard. I’ll meet you there.”

I turned toward the exit, and I could have sworn I heard Shaz say, “Right behind you, sweet thing,” but when I turned back to him, he just winked.

Chapter Seventeen

I needed the release of that run. When I ditched my clothing in the backyard and dropped to all fours, the shift had never felt so right. I wondered if Arys shared my relief as my body reformed itself into an ashen wolf. I felt the gentlest touch on my mind, and for just a moment, I heard the vampire’s soothing laughter.

As Shaz and I raced through the trees, the magical scent of fresh rain swept me away. We rolled amid the wet leaves and moss. I felt a greater joy than any human experience. In this form, I felt my connection to nature so much stronger. Rich soil streaked my fur and filled my nostrils with fertility, while my sixth sense reveled in powerful earth energy. Nothing competes with what I feel as wolf.

We ran. We chased each other and wrestled amidst the underbrush. We lifted our voices to the sky, howled together in a crescendo of harmony that haunted my rapidly shrinking human side. Miles away, a farm dog took up the howl in acknowledgement of our mighty declaration.

Dawn streaked Shaz’s white fur with a colorful glow as he ran ahead. I loped along behind him and watched as he gave chase to two ravens that dared to settle too close to his path. We had run so far out of town that we needed the better part of an hour to trot back to the field behind my house. A brilliant golden glow crept over the town with the promise of another hot summer day.

I wondered if Arys could sense the magnificence of the sunrise, which he would never again experience himself. His presence returned, heavy in my mind. He’d been there before my change to wolf. Our connection crossed physical limitations. I felt I could call out to him, and he would hear me.

As we crossed the field to my house, I felt eyes on me, not from my house or even my street but from the street that ran perpendicular to mine. Shaz’s startled expression indicated that he felt it, too. A scan of every backyard on that street showed nothing. We were a good distance off though.

I stopped where I was. I just stared in the direction of our watcher. I could feel Zoey. No way in hell was I going to lead her to my house if she didn’t already know where it was. Unfortunately, five in the morning was not a good time to give chase through the streets of Stony Plain. I maintained my stare across the field, until I felt her go.

Why she was following me? I didn’t know, but if for one minute she thought that she was going to take me out for stealing Raoul’s warped affections from her, she had another thing coming. Of course, my nagging human side pitied her. The sight of Shaz and I together as wolf must hurt her more than I would ever know.

Shaz’s furry eyebrows raised in question, and I nuzzled him briefly before breaking into a run. I wasn’t too keen on having the neighbors witness our approach in the early morning light.

Within half an hour, we both lay sprawled across my bed, sipping coffee and watching the morning news. I’d slipped into a plain black tank top and wrapped my favorite silky leopard print robe around me. I thought of Jez every time I put it on. Shaz reclined beside me clad in just his blue jeans. His slender body was well muscled and firm, inviting me to touch.

“Now, let me get this straight,” he said in between mouthfuls of refreshing java. “Raoul’s estranged half-breed daughter is running amok, murdering his lovers out of jealousy. He expects your help but refuses to believe she’s too far gone to ever come back.”

I picked a fluff off my fuzzy bedspread and watched it float down to the grey carpet. “Yeah, that more or less sums it up.”

“I wonder why she was watching us,” he mused, staring thoughtfully into his cup. “She’s a complete idiot if she’s jealous of you.”

“Thanks for that.” I sneered sarcastically as I punched him in the arm.

“No, I mean that you and Raoul can barely stand each other. It’s not like he’s pouring a whole lot of love on you.”

“True. Who knows what’s left of her mind now? I’d just as soon not be involved in this mess. But, she killed Belle, so now it’s personal.” My grip began to tighten on my coffee mug. I took a sip and frowned when it burnt my tongue.

“I can’t believe she’s gone. It doesn’t seem real.” Shaz’s voice grew soft.

I tried to hide my disgust. Belle had been a lady that every male werewolf in this town had gotten to know very well at some point. Shaz was no exception.

“Yeah, well, it looked pretty real to me.” I pictured the bright red splatters in her bleached blonde hair and grimaced. I don’t care how rotten your existence is, serial killing isn’t the answer.

Who are you to talk? A little voice taunted me. You murdered David in cold blood. And it wasn’t even personal. So what’s your excuse? Getting your kicks from sating your vampire lover’s borrowed lust?

I shuddered, and Shaz asked if I was cold. I shook my head and said, “I don’t think we can make our date tonight. We have to find this crazy chick. Can we reschedule?”

He beamed a grin that set a butterfly to flutter in my stomach and reached for my hand. “No problem. Let me know what you want me to do. I’m at your service.”

“You’re too good to me.” I felt silly, but the words were out. Before he could reply, the news lady began to talk about the missing man from Stony Plain.

We both sat up straighter, instantly alert. The police currently had no leads or clues. The man’s girlfriend had told police that she’d parted ways with him earlier in the evening, that they had each taken the path that led to their respective homes. Anyone with information was asked to call local authorities.

“Holy shit.” My heart raced a mile a minute, and I had to take a deep breath. “She didn’t tell the cops anything. That is so fucked up. She knows damn well something got him, and she’s not talking.”

“Maybe she’s afraid you’ll come and eat her, too,” Shaz laughed, and I gave him a look. “Sorry. Still too fresh, huh?”

Fatigue began to set in as the night’s events caught up with me. I emptied my mug and set it on the night table, and then I got comfy on the bed beside Shaz. His scent was easily among my favorites, and it lulled me quickly.

I remembered the days when we would fall asleep together after a run, entangled in one another’s naked limbs. Thinking back on it, I couldn’t quite recall when or how it had come to an end.

“If you’re ready to get into bed, I can head home. I probably should anyway.” He made as if to rise, and I stopped him with a firm hand flat on his bare chest.

“No, you don’t have to. I want you to stay.” That came out a little more forward than I’d intended. “I mean, you’re tired, too. Why don’t you crash here? Like you used to.”

He looked at me so long and hard that I began to regret my choice of words. I was getting ready to back track, but my tongue turned heavy and hard to manipulate.

“I’m not trying to suggest anything … I just need you here.”

I was feeling successfully foolish and more than a little vulnerable. I hadn’t really meant to blurt out that last part.

Instead of responding and adding to my moment of awkwardness, he simply got comfortable beside me. He pulled my silky black sheet over us and drew me against him so that my back pressed against his chest. The comfort was so surreal that I made a point of taking note of every sensation.

With all that I had to think about, I expected my mind to be in overdrive. However, once we got settled, words were no longer necessary. I was out like a light.

* * * *

Just six hours later, I was awake and drinking more coffee as I spoke with Kylarai in hushed tones in the kitchen. Shaz continued to snore softly in my bed.

When I filled her in on everything from the previous night, I was momentarily afraid she was going to lose it. Anything to do with men mistreating women in any way had Ky on the offensive. She turned four different shades of red before counting backwards from ten. Her unhappiness with Raoul couldn’t have pleased me more.

“How dare he think for a minute that it’s ok to bring you into this while withholding that kind of information! Why are you helping him? He’s never gone out of his way for you in a way that’s even remotely comparable to this.” Her grey eyes blazed, and I couldn’t recall the last time I’d seen her so angry.

“This isn’t about Raoul anymore.” I shook my head and caught the faint scent of Shaz in my hair. “He fucked up. He knowingly endangered Belle, and now she’s dead. If Zoey comes back for him, he’s on his own.”

Kylarai looked hesitant as she twirled a piece of chin length hair absently around one finger. “You think she’s that powerful? A hybrid?”

“No. I think she’s crazy and dangerous. Sometimes that counts for more than power and strength.”

Kylarai only nodded. We both knew what it was like when sanity snaps, when chaos is fully embraced. How much harder might it be to never come back from that?

I mentioned my plan to scout the town for Zoey later, as well as how I’d felt her watching Shaz and me. Kylarai’s eyes widened, and she choked on her coffee.

“Well, I’m coming with you,” she declared. Her tone was defiant, daring me to argue. “She’s messing with pack now. And, don’t forget about your history with Raoul. You might be on her hit list, too.”

“If she’s got her facts straight then she’ll know I’m president of the I hate Raoul Roberts fan club. Anyway, I’m going to give Kale and Jez a call. We can cover more ground that way.”

I was calling up a lot of manpower for one crazy ass hybrid, but I wasn’t willing to wait for another murder, particularly since Zoey had me in her sights. I’d kill her if I had to, but I expected that I’d have to kill Raoul, too. He wasn’t going to stand by and let me take her out.

“Kale, huh?” Ky grinned mischievously.

I met her gaze with a quizzical look. “Didn’t you just have a date with Tom last night? How did that go by the way?”

“We had a nice dinner, alright.” She rose to put her cup in the sink before fetching her keys from their hook above the microwave. “But, I don’t see much more than that. He is human, so how serious can that really get?”

I watched her gather her purse and straighten the jacket of her dressy skirt suit. “You’re working today?” I asked.

“I have to meet a client for lunch in the city. She caught her husband, red handed, in bed with his lover, so the divorce should be a pretty open and shut case.” She smiled then. “I love those. And, what might you be planning to do in my absence? Catch up on some much needed sleep?” She inclined her head toward the hall and winked.

I knew what she was getting at and so would Shaz if he was awake and listening. I forced the best scowl I could muster and pursed my lips. “You’d better hurry, Ky. Wouldn’t want you to be late for your meeting.”

“You’re in denial, Alexa. But, I’m sure you’ll come around.” She laughed and turned away in time to miss the finger that I held up for her.

“So, I’ll see you later then,” I continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Around sundown. Drive safe.”

Before returning to my bedroom, I poured a fresh cup of coffee for Shaz. If I was lucky, maybe I could grab a bit more sleep before hunting down Raoul’s nut-job offspring. When they say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, they weren’t kidding.

Shaz was sprawled in the middle of my double bed, with his eyes closed and the blankets pushed down to his waist. I stole a moment to admire the view. He was gorgeous, lean and finely sculpted. He was such an amazing contrast to Arys’s dark beauty, and I blushed as an image formed in my mind of the two of them awaiting me in that bed together.

Under the weight of my gaze, Shaz slowly cracked open his eyes. His lazy smile enticed me into the bed. I leaned across him to place his coffee on the nightstand. His arms encircled my waist and he pulled me down on top of him. I startled and spilled the hot liquid on the back of my hand.

“Sorry about that.” His voice came out low, barely above a whisper. I could sense his wolf lurking there behind his eyes, and I licked my lips invitingly.

Our faces were inches apart, my breasts crushed against his bare chest. I gasped as the energy of our wolves entwined and danced together. Shaz’s wolf stroked a part of me that was all about the beast within.

“Shaz, I-,”

He cut me off with a warm finger pressed lightly against my lips. The temptation to run my tongue along that finger was strong.

“Don’t talk. We don’t need to.” The intention in his green eyes had my pulse racing, and I found myself at a loss for words.

I wanted to ask him if he knew what he was saying, but he kissed me with an intensity that washed away my concerns. He tasted faintly of pine and wolf with a hint of cinnamon. I reveled in it.

I gave a small shriek when he rolled me over and pinned me beneath him. My heartbeat echoed inside my head as his tongue sought the soft hollow beneath my ear. He sought to dominate me, and by God, I was going to let him.

My nostrils filled with the scent of him, and an undeniable tingle started between my legs. Despite the ache, the urge to have him inside me after years of teasing torture, I wondered if we were making a mistake. Every part of me that was both human and wolf responded to him in full, and I knew that I’d be an idiot to open my mouth now. Words would break the spell that held us in its thrall. The last four years had been leading to this moment, and I’d be damned if I was going to be the one to stop it.

When he kissed me again, his warm, wet tongue slid between my lips. I threw myself into it whole-heartedly, no going back. He deftly slid a hand inside my robe to my breasts, and a thrill shot through me simply from his uncharacteristic boldness. I returned his kiss with a hunger that I hadn’t known was possible. I moved to accommodate him as he pulled at my robe. He tossed it to the floor with careless abandon. My tank top followed, which left me clad in only my pink thong underwear.

This was happening so fast. Or was it? The anticipation had been building for years. After my night with Arys, I’d assumed Shaz would never want to touch me like that. The possessive nature with which he caressed me indicated that he felt quite the opposite. He wanted to claim me even more now.

We were rushing toward that most crucial moment, and though every human part of me insisted we should slow down, our wolves set and kept the pace. Neither lust nor undeniable animal urges rushed us. We rushed forward because we feared that it just wouldn’t happen if we paused to enjoy the building momentum.

Shaz maintained his role as the dominant. His lips on my breasts brought a small growl out of me, and I gripped him tightly in response as his fingers sought the warmth between my thighs. I tore my thong off. I needed to feel his persistent touch without the barrier between us. When he lingered hesitantly and brushed the most sensitive part of me, I arched my back and reached to free him of his remaining clothing.

I reached to stroke his velvety smooth shaft as he hovered above me. When our naked bodies pressed together, nothing remained between us but our own personal worries. He paused, and we shared a thought: Was this going to ruin us? Either way made no difference to us in the heat of the moment.

I rubbed myself against him. Delicious jolts of pleasure coursed throughout me. He made to kiss me again, and I nipped his bottom lip, drawing a small bead of blood. I licked it away with the tip of my tongue and wondered when my fangs had shown up. The blood hungry vampire energy low in my core seemed to raise its head the moment his tangy blood hit my taste buds.

Shaz’s green eyes were all wolf. He drew away slightly, and I worried that he changed his mind. When his mouth made contact with the sensitive skin of my most private of places, I couldn’t stop the moan that broke loose, edged with a hint of a growl.

His wet tongue had just barely stroked my moist flesh when something inside me demanded that this union be made now, before the vampire comes back. That last thought didn’t feel like me at all. Whatever it was that made me wolf, it wasn’t keen on losing this moment.

“Shaz,” I gasped his name around my four fangs.

I looked down my body, into his wild eyes, and a shiver of excitement engulfed me at the untamed hunger I saw there. Could he feel the growing metaphysical swirl that stole my breath and reached out for that, oh so sweet, werewolf power? The blood hunger rose up inside, and the scent of him overwhelmed me like too much perfume.

I never had to say anything more than his name. He wasted no time. If I’d expected him to stall further, I was happily disappointed.

The moment that Shaz slipped inside me, the urge to howl rocked me. The sex wasn’t anything similar to being with the vampire. Shaz and I didn’t join on a metaphysical level. We were all about the carnal wolf and the personal emotion between us.

Shaz’s fangs grazed my shoulder as we developed the perfect rhythm. I gripped his lower back where I could encourage the depths he reached for. My clawed nails easily broke his skin.

Our lovemaking was frenzied but not rushed. We each had a need for the other that quickly took over, and the world outside faded. A series of growls, snarls, and moans filled the silence around us. His breath was hot against my ear as he panted my name. I met each of his thrusts in perfect rhythm as if we’d done this so many times before. Instinct led, and we followed.

I cried out in both pain and pleasure as he bit at my neck and shoulders. When the sensations grew to be too much, when I knew we were hurtling towards a thunderous finish, I braced myself and surrendered as the point of no return claimed me.

My back arched involuntarily, and I grabbed at him as if to pull him closer than he already was. The energy was like a tornado that had us successfully trapped in the center.

We resisted the return to a normal state of being. We lay there panting, wrapped in one another, both equally afraid to move and risk breaking the spell. I stroked his sweaty, disheveled hair. Laughing contentedly, I hugged him to me tightly. The tension, which he’d been holding in his shoulders, eased, and he kissed me lovingly. I inhaled the musky scent of sex that filled the room.

Shaz buried his face in my hair and took a deep breath before sighing, “I’m so in love with you.”

My breath caught, and the pinprick of tears assaulted my eyes. I knew how hard the admission was, now, in light of last week.

“Shaz?” My voice was rough, edged with wolf. “I love you .… you know that, don’t you?”

Silently, he nodded. We lay there wrapped in the comfort of each other until the sun began to sink in the western sky.

Chapter Eighteen

After two more vigorous rounds of intense lovemaking and a shower thrown in the mix, I was ready to go hybrid hunting.

I had invited Shaz into the shower, since getting clean was more fun with two. When we’d finally emerged from the shower, we were dripping wet and had goose bumps appearing in all the right places. After some aggressive bathroom sex, we had moved back to the bed and slowly, deliciously loved each other again.

I pried myself, reluctantly from the sanctity of his love. I wanted nothing more than to shut the world out and stay in bed enjoying him all night. I was stricken with fear that I may never get another moment like this one. Suddenly, Raoul and his mentally-ill daughter didn’t feel like my problem.

However, nobody else was going to clean up this mess.

So, when ten o’clock rolled around, Shaz and I were waiting at the Tim Horton’s coffee shop, a few blocks from Lucy’s Lounge. Kylarai arrived minutes after us, and we waited on Jez and Kale who had both graciously donated some of their evening to my pathetic little cause. Ky and Shaz each sat across from me at the small table. I watched traffic as I sipped the heavenly strong coffee.

I left a message for Arys but didn’t really expect him to show up. Part of me was downright terrified that he would. I’d be stuck in the awkward hell of having him, Shaz and me in close proximity.

I’d gotten lucky that evening, no pun intended. Jez hadn’t been free until last minute, when her latest flavor of the week girlfriend had cancelled on her. Since Kale now owed me for that little brush with the demon, he had no excuses.

While Shaz and Ky made small talk, I feigned ignorance to my and Shaz’s mingled scent. There was no fooling a werewolf’s sense of smell. Detecting our intimacy took barely a sniff, but knowing Kylarai, she was thinking that it was about damn time already.

“Don’t you think so, Alexa?” Kylarai asked with one eyebrow raised. I had a feeling the question had been repeated.

“Sorry.” I shook my head and took a swig of the perfectly brewed coffee. “Don’t I think so, what?”

“I knew you weren’t listening.” To Shaz, she added, “Maybe you guys should have stayed in bed. I think it’s all she can think about.”

My cheeks warmed instantly in a blush, but Shaz turned cherry red, which made me feel better. I kicked Ky lightly beneath the table, and she responded with a smirk.

“Anyway,” I said. “What were you asking me?”

“I was just commenting on how fast Raoul’s mental state will decline if you take out his kid. He’s going to freaking lose it.”

“If he ever had it.” I commented.

Actually, Raoul’s sanity was a nagging sore spot. He believed Zoey was savable despite her killing spree. I didn’t tell him about this little excursion.

“He’d kill me before he’d let me lay a fang on her.” I dug around in my purse and produced the photo of Zoey, with her haunting, sparkling eyes, and I passed it to Ky before I could feel guilty.

“She’s a pretty thing.” She forgot her coffee as she stared at the picture.

Shaz leaned over to get a good look. “She looks a lot like Raoul.”

His expression darkened as he glanced behind me. He pointed, as I felt the approach of the cool, undead presence that I knew so well.

Adrenaline surged through me, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t hide anything from the vampire. He would know instantly about the romp with Shaz, and despite the fact that he had encouraged me, I was afraid that he would be less than enthused. Considering the timing of the flings, I was bordering on tramp territory, as far as my own personal standards went.

Those blue vampire eyes landed on me, and the look sent such a rush through me. I felt short of breath.

Across from me, Shaz reacted to my increased heart rate by brushing his leg against mine under the table. As wrong as it was, the urge to pull away from him was strong, and I fought to resist it.

Arys sat next to me, across from Kylarai and Shaz. I’d expected him to do something to embarrass me, but I was disappointed and thankfully so.

“Nice to see you, Kylarai.” He greeted her with a grin and the briefest flash of fang. She just nodded and smiled.

That small glimpse was enough to thrill me in places beyond physical touch. I quickly felt guilty and tried my best to hide behind my coffee cup.

He then nodded to Shaz, and I froze. “How’s it going?”

My jaw clenched, and my breath sucked in as I waited for Shaz’s response.

“Great,” he said with a smile that was more forced than Ky’s had been. “You?”

Their attempt at casual should have been normal, but it smacked of phony. I got a sick feeling that they’d discussed me at some point without my knowledge. Had they both just been waiting for this awkward moment, fully aware that it would arrive?

Arys turned to me and smiled like a hungry cat. His voice dropped low enough to soothe when he said, “I’ve got to warn you, I haven’t fed tonight. Let me know if it becomes too much for you.”

I had felt the slightest hint of bloodlust when I’d first opened my eyes at noon, but Shaz’s earthy Were energy had shifted the focus of my energy. Only now, within touching distance of that cool blue aura, did I feel that sickly twinge in the pit of my stomach.

I rushed to think of something to say. Awkward silences are the worst.

“Could you feel it when I shifted last night?” I glanced furtively around to make sure no one was obviously eavesdropping. I was incredibly aware of the heat in Shaz’s energy. He hated this thing with Arys, and I couldn’t blame him.

“You know, I can’t say that I know the exact moment, but when I went to bed this morning, I swear I saw you in my dreams, two enchanting wolves with the scent of pine and rain in their fur.” His tone dropped as he spoke, and my heart dropped along with it. Shaz looked perplexed, and Kylarai made no effort to hide her raised eyebrow.

“That was real.” I didn’t know what else to say. He’d seen us in his subconscious. I’d had strange dreams, too, though they had been random flashes of Arys’s memories. I was annoyed that he’d earned extra insight through our link.

He nodded his acceptance of the reality. “You were beautiful.” Those deep ocean eyes looked into me, and I fought down the energy that threatened to keep rising. Just as the moment became awkward, he looked at Shaz and said, “Both of you. Together. I’ve never been so envious of any creature.”

That was carefully worded, suspiciously so. I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been a double meaning to it. I’d felt him in my mind. Just how much had he seen?

“Thank you,” Shaz said softly. I was painfully aware that something unspoken was passing between them. Arys was conceding that Shaz had something on him. I didn’t like it one bit.

As I floundered for words, Kylarai cleared her throat, and all three of us looked at her. I hoped that neither of the guys noticed the grateful smile I shot her.

“So, what’s our plan? We find her, and then what?” Kylarai downed the last of her iced cappuccino and fixed me with her grey eyes.

I slapped at a mosquito that had strayed inside. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure. I’d kind of hoped we could hand her over to Veryl. He might have a safe place to keep her.”

“Like imprison her?” Kylarai’s tone said that she found the idea ridiculous.

“I don’t know what else to do right now.” A strand of hair kept escaping from behind my ear, and I huffed in irritation.

“Kill her.” Arys spoke matter of fact, and though I agreed, death wasn’t my first choice at this point.

“No. Nobody is killing her unless there is absolutely no other way. I want to talk to her.”

“Where’s Raoul tonight?” Kylarai grew thoughtful, judging my reaction.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I ignored his call earlier.” He hadn’t left a message, so I felt justified in my choice to screen his call.

“So, he has no idea that we’re hunting his daughter tonight?” Shaz sat up straighter in his chair, his features pinched in disapproval. “Oh Lex, that’s not cool.”

I couldn’t resist looking to Arys. I wanted him to validate my choice. His gaze bore into me, and I felt my power reach for him.

Like the humans in the coffee shop around us, neither Kylarai nor Shaz would see the power, but they’d be able to feel it. The growing power struggled to break free of our control. Maybe Arys should have fed after all.

“If Raoul knew, he would never let us find her.” Kylarai pointed out. “He’s really just afraid for himself. Typical selfish bastard.” Her tune had certainly changed lately. She turned around and stared at the line. She didn’t get up for more coffee. “Let’s just grab her and take it from there. If worse comes to worst, we can just give her to Dracula, here.” She gestured at Arys who smiled. “He can make short work of her in no time, and she’ll die with a smile on her face.”

Shaz gave Kylarai a disapproving look, but she just shrugged. The two of them often disagreed at random. Shaz couldn’t understand how Kylarai could go from being the nicest person around to a ruthless, no nonsense killer. She on the other hand understood that he had yet to come to that point. That remaining innocence was part of Shaz’s charm.

He wasn’t completely naive. He simply couldn’t relate to what Kylarai and I had lived through. Every one of us walked a very different road, but at the end of the day, we were still pack.

“Nobody is going to bleed her, except for maybe me. I might be on her hit list, and it may come to that.” I gave everyone at the table a look that said I meant business, though I doubted anyone took me seriously.

Jez’s white Liberty passed by on the highway just beyond the parking lot. I watched distractedly while she pulled into the Travelodge parking lot next door. Kale’s dark haired silhouette was clearly visible in the passenger seat. My tension eased simply knowing that we could get moving and stop sitting in an awkward little circle.

“Let’s just meet them out there.” I waved to the Liberty through the large window, grabbed the coffee that I’d bought for Jez, and turned to lead the way out.

“Excuse me,” I murmured as I squeezed between two ladies in line for coffee.

Outside, my shoulders eased and I realized how tense I’d been. I had to force myself not to run out of the building in a desperate attempt to put space between Arys and me. The pull was so strong that I wondered if he was encouraging it purposely. I blamed it on his hunger. If that was part of some pissing contest between him and Shaz, I planned to be seriously ticked.

In the parking lot, Jez reached for her coffee before she shut the Jeep’s door. “Thank you. Damn girl, you can read my mind. I swear.” She winked and licked her scarlet lips before sipping from the steaming cup.

She looked smoking hot in tight black leggings and a black tank. The golden hair piled on top of her head shone like she’d stepped out of a shampoo commercial. A glance down at my blue jeans, black ankle boots and basic black halter-top made me feel drab in comparison. It must be her golden hair. My ash blonde was not nearly so brilliant in contrast. Next to Kylarai and Jez, I felt like the girl next door. I’m attractive, but they are striking.

“I really appreciate you giving up your night off. I hope it’s not a waste of everybody’s time, but I need to deal with Zoey before she decides to deal with me.”

I resisted the urge to take a step back when Jez leaned in close to breathe my scent. “Oh, you naughty girl,” she purred as she glanced at Kale, who was greeting my small crew with the best fake polite act that I’d ever seen him pull off. “You finally did it.” She grinned and winked slyly. I shot her a warning look that went ignored.

I waited patiently while everyone exchanged pleasantries, and the two vampires sized one another up. They’d met before but only briefly. The fact that Kale and I were strictly platonic seemed to be enough for Arys. His good behavior was surprising. So, he could be civilized and abandon the tough guy routine on occasion.

“What’s your plan for nailing this target, Alexa?” Kale stepped up beside me. His mismatched eyes stood out in startling contrast against the black of his long jacket. “I’m hearing that this is a no kill hunt. Could you possibly be more boring?”

“Please, stop,” I waved a hand dismissively. “You’re going to make my ego positively huge with these sugary sweet compliments. And yes, for now, it’s a hunt and detain. I’ll sort out the killing stuff as we go.”

I perused the five people who waited for my clearly thought out plan. Other than tracking Zoey down, I didn’t really have concrete details.

“I guess we’ll split up.” I shrugged in response to their expectant expressions. “Three groups of two should make it easy to cover the whole town. Zoey’s energy feels hybrid but she smells human.”

“So pairing a shifter with a vampire would make sense,” Kylarai spoke up. She gave Kale a roving once over. The first time that she’d met him at my office, she’d told me that she found him hauntingly beautiful with those eyes.

I nodded and surveyed the possibilities. I shouldn’t be paired with Arys. I wasn’t willing to gamble with being alone with him right now. His allure was too strong. Our energy worked on its own science. It didn’t give a damn who I loved or why. It just wanted more of our power.

Kale’s differently colored eyes darted between me and Arys. He sensed the bond between us. I wanted to ask if he could see the aural colors, or if all vampires were unable, but this was hardly the time.

I didn’t have to look at Shaz to know he hoped to come with me. However, the testosterone-laden air spoke of envy.

To keep my focus on business, I didn’t want to go with either Shaz or Arys. I considered pairing the two of them together, but that didn’t sit well with me, either. Frankly, I didn’t trust the vampire alone with my wolf. In the end, I smiled apologetically at Kylarai.

“I’ll go with Jez. Shaz can go with Kale, which leaves Ky and Arys. Is that cool?” After they all nodded, Ky somewhat begrudgingly, I continued. “Since Ky brought her Escalade, we have enough vehicles to easily cover the whole town.” I turned to Jez, indicating Shaz and Kale. “Do you want to give them my car or yours?”

“Yours is newer,” she shrugged, her eyes on a leggy blonde exiting the Travelodge. “They can take mine.”

Kale made a scoffing sound, as she tossed the keys to him, before flipping her off.

I delegated everybody to a different section of town and stressed again to take Zoey alive. “Kill her, if it’s you or her, but I think we should all be capable of overpowering her.”

In my hurry to get moving, I almost forgot about the photograph. When everyone had taken a good look and exchanged cell phone numbers, we were ready to move.

“What if we run into Raoul?” Shaz asked softly. He was so quiet that I couldn’t be sure if he was upset or his usual, soft-spoken self.

“Try to avoid him I guess. Call me if you do see him. If we don’t find Zoey within a few hours, we’ll call it quits.”

As everyone turned to go, Arys told me, “Be careful.”

He surprised me when he kissed my hand in a way that made my blood run hot. A slip of his tongue on that soft stretch of skin between my pinky and ring finger made me shiver.

I was painfully aware of the wide-eyed horror etched on Shaz’s face before he successfully forced neutral expression. I forcefully pulled my hand from Arys’s and gave him an absolute death glare for his trouble.

“You, too.” I did my best not to scream when he smiled in satisfaction and turned on his heel towards Kylarai’s Cadillac.

Shaz quickly turned to the Jeep where Kale sat fiddling with the radio knobs. I grabbed Shaz’s elbow and forced him to face me.

“Please, don’t let him get to you. It’s just in his nature. He’s used to getting what he wants.”

Shaz ducked his head so that his white blond hair hid his eyes. “I know. It just makes me crazy knowing he’s bound to you.”

“I know. But it’s metaphysical, not emotional.” I raised his chin up so that he met my eyes. “As good as all of that power feels, it isn’t like what you and I have. You need to believe that.”

“Don’t worry about me, Alexa.” He glanced at Kale, waiting in Jez’s Jeep. “I’m not as fragile as you seem to think I am.”

“This isn’t about being fragile. This is about me needing you to know that, no matter what happens with Arys, he’s not the one.” My voice caught.

Did he know what I was trying to say? I couldn’t possibly guess how deep this thing went with Arys, but I searched Shaz’s eyes for some kind of confirmation that he loved me regardless.

As he pulled me to him in a soft yet strong embrace, I basked in the wolf scent of him, reluctant to let go.

“I’m not walking away from this, Alexa.” He breathed into my hair. “Not now.”

The emotion in his voice tugged at my heart, and I pulled back to look into his youthful face. His smile warmed me in places the vampire’s cool touch just couldn’t reach. It was all Shaz.

“Alright,” he leaned in for a fast press of his lips to mine before turning to the Jeep where Kale feigned interest in a family parking their motor home across the lot. “We better go find Raoul’s offspring and tidy up another one of his messes.”

I had to laugh. He knew Raoul almost as well as I did. The back of my neck was stiff, and I just wanted this all to be over. Both Zoey and Raoul needed a supernatural psych ward. Did such a thing even exist? From what I knew of Veryl, he liked to take out the trash, not put it in a care facility.

The sun had set a while ago, yet the faintest pink glow remained in the western sky. Heavy metal music pumped out of the Charger, and I frowned. She was so bad for that. Jez had slid the sunroof all the way open, and I glanced nervously at the circling seagulls overhead. My footsteps quickened, my boot heels clicking loudly as I hurried to the car. I was not at all surprised to find her chatting up some ginger haired girl in the truck next to us.

Shaking my head, I used my hair to hide my smile as I climbed into the driver’s seat and turned down the speaker volume. As Jez fished in her purse for her card, the girl’s boyfriend, or so I assumed, returned with two coffees and a bag of muffins.

“Just in case.” I heard her say as she handed the card through the open window.

“You’re unbelievable.” I tucked a gold chunk of hair behind one ear and started the engine.

“Why, thank you, Alexa. To what do I owe such a fine compliment?” A few stray strands of wavy hair had come loose to frame her heart shaped face.

“You put guys like Arys to shame.” I tsked and looked over both shoulders before backing out of the narrow parking space.

“Good,” she quipped.

I directed her hand away from the volume knob and signaled into traffic. She gave my hand a light slap, exactly the way a cat would, not quite enough to hurt but enough to exhibit her displeasure. Since she gave up on the volume, I didn’t slap her back like I wanted.

“How can I not put them to shame? Most of them really don’t know the first thing about women: How to understand them, or what to do with them.” She pulled out a box of nicotine patches from her purse.

“So you always say.” I glanced at the box in her hands while waiting for a red light to change. “Finally trying to quit?”

She strained against the confines of her seatbelt in an attempt to turn partially around. Fumbling with the waistband of her leggings, she peeled them down enough for me to see the milky white of her left butt cheek. I didn’t notice the clear patch until she hooked a long nail under the edge and removed it. I did notice that Jez enjoyed going commando.

“Try me, Alexa, just once. You’ll give up both of your men in a heartbeat. And yes, quitting again. Every time I turn around, Veryl’s wagging a finger in my face.” She slapped the new patch on to her ass and settled back in her seat.

My heart sped with an anxious beat. I’d heard her come on many times before, but she’d referred to both Shaz and Arys as my men.

“They are not both my men,” I said tersely.

The guy in the next lane revved his engine, and I recognized the truck with the girl from the parking lot. Not wanting to encourage him, I eased off and allowed him to race ahead. “And why do you put it on your ass? Does it absorb into your bloodstream any better?”

“Which one of them isn’t your man? Hmmm?” She winked a cat eye at me when I glanced her way. “No, it’s just a good place to keep it out of sight.”

I sighed. Technically, neither of them was mine but figuratively? I had to acknowledge the territorial claim I felt over each of them. I suck. I knew Shaz felt that Arys didn’t deserve any piece of me, but I felt that I didn’t deserve Shaz. He deserved so much more than what I could give him, but as long as he wanted me, I had no intention of cutting him loose.

I followed Golf Course Road through town towards Raoul’s neighborhood. I wanted to check out some of the alleys and side streets. Hopefully, we wouldn’t pass his Jaguar anywhere.

“If I were you,” Jez began, as she reclined her seat, “I’d enjoy it. Two fine looking creatures that want to ravage you, how can you go wrong?”

“One of those creatures is a self-absorbed vampire and the other is someone sensitive and sweet that I don’t want to hurt. This can blow up in my face, Jez. Stop thinking with your…” I realized what I’d been about to say and censored myself with a chuckle. She laughed, a musical sound like the tinkling of wind chimes. “What I meant is that the physical and especially metaphysical fun can lead to some real emotional distress. It already has.”

“Well, you have a very strong energy. Honestly, I’m surprised that you don’t have more power hungry wannabe lovers as it is.”

As Jez spoke, her eyes lit on me with a weight that I could feel. She studied me intensely for a long, drawn out moment, and I saw her lick her full red lips. I didn’t truly think Jez was into me. We’re friends first and foremost. The flirty “try me once and never go back” was a running joke she had with many of her straight lady friends. However, did I think she might be attracted to me as a power source? I did now.

“Well, one is more than enough. At least with Shaz, there’s a real foundation.” I huffed impatiently at the guy in front of me. Could he possibly turn any slower?

“I like him. He seems like a good guy. And Lord knows, you could use one.” She picked at one of her perfectly manicured nails, oblivious to the frown I wore.

Unsure if I should feel insulted or not, I said nothing. I scanned the streets and sidewalks, scrutinizing everyone we passed.

“So, where are we headed?” Her cell phone vibrated loudly, and she pulled it out to read a text message before typing a response.

“Cruising the streets near Raoul’s then heading to Lucy’s. I know she’s been in there even if I haven’t seen her myself.” A thought struck me, and I added, “There’s another area, too, adjacent to my neighborhood. That’s where she watched Shaz and I run this morning.”

We cruised every street but Raoul’s. For that one, I parked down an alley, and Jez took a quick stroll around the block. When I asked if Raoul’s Jag was in the driveway, she said no. The kitchen light had been on, but she’d seen no one.

Just after eleven, we pulled up at Lucy’s Lounge. The place was already pretty packed.

“Is this place ever dead?”

Jez eyed the small group of ladies in the parking lot. An eyeful of short skirts and cleavage enhancing tops had her ogling like a kid in a candy store. We weren’t even inside yet.

“Aren’t you seeing someone?” I raised a quizzical eyebrow.

“I see a lot of people. There’s no ring on this finger.” She wiggled the fingers of her left hand too close to my face, and I slapped it away. “I’m not dead, Alexa. I’m always open to meeting that one lady that just knocks my socks off.”

“Just one huh?” My wry smile wasn’t lost on her, and I chuckled at her exasperation.

“Who are you to talk about having just one?”

“Ouch. Nice, Jez.”

Inside, the aggravating sounds of a recent Top 40 hit made me long for Jez’s heavy metal. The joint was packed with humans. It was strange to see the bar without Shaz. Most of the staff recognized me and nodded. A few of the local Weres were usually there, but I didn’t feel their energy anywhere.

“Go ahead and grab a drink if you want,” I said close to Jez’s ear. “I’m going to use the restroom.” I didn’t have to tell her twice. I knew I’d come back to find her with a brightly colored cocktail in each hand. She just couldn’t resist a fruity beverage.

After using the facilities and washing up, I was walking down the small hall back towards the bar when I felt someone’s eyes on me. Before I could turn to look, the lightest touch on my elbow had me startled into a defensive stance. It was just a human girl, and I relaxed until her scent hit me. It was David’s girlfriend, the one who had lied to the police.

“I’m sorry,” she shouted to be heard over the bar noise. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Mustering the best, forced smile that I could, I replied with a lame, “That’s ok.”

“I wanted to thank you.” Her eyes were downcast, and the scent of fear and anxiety trickled from her. I was keenly aware of her heart accelerating, the blood rushing inside her, just waiting for that perfect puncture to release it. Goddamn it Arys, I thought briefly. You’ve made me a monster.

I considered playing dumb. How in the hell could she recognize me? It had been dark, and I hadn’t looked this human.

Oh, God help me. I’m such a fool. I should have killed her, too. The thought came unbidden, and I knew that it wasn’t mine. However, I had to acknowledge that the vampires’ logic kept them touted as fictional. They have to be ruthless to stay alive.

“Oh, that’s alright.” I felt more awkward staring into her beaming smile than I had sitting with Arys and Shaz earlier. I was at a loss for words. My eyes went over her head, searching for Jez’s shock of gold hair in the crowd.

“No really. I probably shouldn’t have approached you, but I didn’t want to risk losing my only chance to thank you. He made my life a living nightmare. I was ready to kill myself.”

I had to give her credit for being wise enough to avoid saying David’s name. There was obviously no use trying to convince her that she hadn’t seen something she knew damn well she had.

“Anyway,” she continued, suddenly in a rush to finish. “I can’t tell you what you’ve done for me. I don’t regret a thing about any of it. And, whoever or whatever you are is no business of mine. My lips are sealed.” Her eyes took on that wide solemn look of a child making a sincere promise.

My smile felt small and tight, but it reached my eyes. I had to appreciate her guts. I can’t say that I would have approached the person that had grown claws and fangs before eating my boyfriend. Courage was an admirable trait, though it could be stupid.

I offered her a hand. “I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m Amanda.” Could her smile possibly get any wider? “It’s nice to meet you.”

I didn’t like the spark in her eyes. I’d seen humans like this. My supernatural power and allure enticed her. This was often temporary but could be potentially dangerous. Fanaticism is a form of insanity.

“Likewise.” I spotted Jez who was making her way to a group of college girls shooting pool. From where I stood, I could see the electric blue cocktail in her hand. “Look Amanda, I’m sorry but I need to get going. Have a really good night, ok?”

I excused myself before the strange moment could drag on any longer. I hoped she didn’t take it the wrong way when I hightailed it across the club to Jez.

Yeah, I felt like an asshole, but really, what could I possibly say to the girl? Thanks for not telling the cops that I ate your boyfriend? The bastard turned my stomach anyway. Besides, the scent of her blood was giving me a cramp.

“I saw that you found a pretty thing to chat up so I wanted to have some fun, too.” Jez raised her glass in greeting, downing half in one sip. “No sign of our target. Think we should move on?”

I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and found one missed call from Raoul, which likely meant that he was looking for Zoey, too.

“Yeah, we’ll go as soon as you’re….” My words broke off. Her glass was empty. “Ok then. We’ll go now.” That was fine by me. I wanted to get out of there before Amanda thought to approach me again.

“Raoul called about ten minutes ago,” I told her when we were back in the car heading down the near empty main strip. “I think he’s looking for her.”

“No voicemail?” Jez looked longingly out the window as we passed the 7/11. She was thinking about cigarettes.

“Nope.”

“Then, it couldn’t have been that important.”

Typical of the small town, those who were not out for the evening were at home in relaxed comfort or already sleeping soundly. Most of the homes we passed were dark or dimly lit. I got back on to the main drag and followed it to my end of town. Once, that section of town had been the rich part, but over the years, it melded into the other old parts of town. Main Street, no longer the main drag, is a tiny business street and older than dirt. Buildings with painted murals give it the impression of being part of an old movie backdrop.

“What a cute house,” Jez commented as she perused the houses with real estate signs on the front lawn. “This looks like a great place to live. So cozy.”

“Yeah, well, it used to be. It’s growing a little too fast for my tastes, but it’s still home.”

The last thing I wanted to see my little town turn into was a city with a condo on every block. They were already beginning to make an appearance on the outer edges of town where the land had been sold for development. We were just minutes away from two cities, was it necessary that we be one?

A town like Stony is perfect for new Weres. Put one in the busy city center on their first full moon and see what happens. Not pretty. As long as I have the field out my back door linking me to the forest, everything is all good. If they developed it into a Starbucks and a shopping center, I was moving to a rural location on the double.

I turned into The Glens, the neighborhood with the street that ran adjacent to mine off the field. We still saw no sign of Zoey anywhere. When I got out, to get up close and personal with the area, I could sense the remnants of the hybrid energy that Arys had tuned me into, but it was long faded.

She hadn’t been here recently, and I couldn’t tell where she’d gone since. I growled in frustration and scanned the field from this angle. I tried to picture Shaz and I as both Zoey and Arys might have seen us, but I couldn’t do it.

“That’s a pretty negative energy, even for a hybrid,” Jez said, following my gaze to the empty field.

As a full-blooded Were, she could feel supernatural energy stronger than the average shifter though she wasn’t adept at manipulating it.

“You known a lot of hybrids in your time, Jez?” I slid a sidelong glance at her, curious now.

“A couple.” She shrugged as if it was no big deal. “I didn’t know either of them very well, but I can safely say they weren’t the happiest of people.” Her gaze drew distant. “A suicide and an accidental overdose. I guess it’s not the easiest existence.”

An image of Belle’s brutalized corpse flashed behind my eyes, and any sympathy that I might have felt for Zoey vanished. Her personal vendetta with Raoul was strikingly similar to my own, but I wasn’t willing to murder over it. She had no excuse.

“That’s terrible.” I breathed. “I almost wonder if Zoey is doing all of this so that someone will take her out and end her misery.”

Jez studied me. I met her cat eyes evenly. “Do you think it’s a good idea for you to be so wrapped up in this? I mean, a hunt shouldn’t be personal. You know?” Her tone was carefully neutral, but I bristled at her judgment anyway.

“No, I guess I could just go home in time to catch some good late night TV and paint my toenails. That would take care of everything.” The sarcasm in my tone came out far heavier than I’d intended. I had to bite back a further snappy remark that came unbidden, dancing on the tip of my tongue. “I’m sorry, Jez. I’m stressing out. This growing damn vampire bloodlust doesn’t make it any easier.” I tried for an apologetic smile and lifted my hands in surrender. “That’s no reason to be a bitch, I know. Pun intended.”

“You are so lucky that I don’t just kick your ass right here.” Her crossed arms and narrowed eyes betrayed the joking tone she forced into her words. If she’d been leopard right then, that gold and black tail would have been twitching like mad.

“I know.” Even though I said it, we both knew that a real fight between us would be a pretty tight match that would never happen. Sure, we had faced off for fun, but we never went beyond sparring, thankfully. I couldn’t imagine anything really causing us to stand against each other in a true fight to the finish.

When my phone rang, we both jumped. A bad feeling settled into the pit of my stomach, and I went cold. My palms were damp when I answered my phone.

Arys was on the line rather than Kylarai. Adrenaline coursed through me when he said calmly, “Alexa, you better come to Squires Sports Bar. Kylarai’s been stabbed, and Raoul’s half breed is on the run.”

“What happened? Is Ky ok?”

Jez and I dropped our minor bitch session. I turned back toward the car, and Jez was already a step ahead of me.

“Just get over here.”

The phone went dead in my ear as Arys hung up. I had the car on the road in seconds with a screech of tires.

“Kylarai’s hurt. They found Zoey.” I mumbled to Jez who nodded as if she already knew. “I don’t know how bad it is.”

Squires Sports Bar is a billiards bar near the highway. It’s a place to catch the latest hockey game and consume pizza and wings. It definitely wasn’t a regular part of my evening experiences.

“I didn’t think she would turn up in public so obviously. She must be asking for it.”

“Me neither. Arys said she’s on the run. We have to hurry.”

The five-minute drive felt like forever, and I gave a little cry of frustration when we approached the train tracks on Golf Course Road. A slow moving train effectively blocked the two closest crossing points. To access the one near Raoul’s neighborhood, I’d have to make a U-turn and cut around town in a partial circle. The trip would be faster if we waited it out, but waiting is not one of my strong points.

“Just relax, wolf girl,” Jez murmured with her voice low and soothing, a cat’s soft purr. “It’ll be less than a minute.”

She reached over and gently stroked the back of my hand with one finger. It wasn’t a human urge, but our animal instinct to comfort another. Despite our difference in animal form, Jez and I had forged a pack bond.

The thought that Kylarai was hurt because of Raoul’s dirty little secret had my gut clenching. I was scared and pissed. Then, suddenly, the sweet copper scent of leopard blood was at the forefront of my senses. I fought the rising bloodlust as it fed on my fury.

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand angrily against the wheel. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

I made a motion as if to take off my seatbelt, and Jez grabbed my wrist. “Where in the hell do you think you’re going? The end of the train is right there.”

When I threw the car into park and opened the door, she held firm. I panicked, and anxiety choked me. I couldn’t fight Arys’s demons and help Kylarai. The close confines of the car smothered me in the alluring scent of blood pumping from a healthy leopard heart. I was sick with worry that Jez may have to kick my ass yet.

“Close the door and drive, Alexa.” Her voice was icy cold, as if she was aware that she was dealing with something more than me.

The end of the train passed. Two vehicles came from the other side of the tracks, and I shut the door rather than risk losing it. Resigned, I shifted into gear.

“I’m losing my mind, Jez. Don’t hold it against me. It’s that damn vampire. I can’t get him out of me.” One hand gripped the steering wheel until my fingers tingled, while the other hit the button for the automatic window.

“I slaughtered a man two nights ago,” I rambled on, staring intently at the road. “A human. He was abusing his girlfriend, and the hunger hit me. I lost it.”

When Jez spoke, her tone was carefully neutral. However, not a drop of fear rolled off her. “We do that all the time, Lex. We take out the trash.”

“The supernatural trash though, the ones with a chance to fight back. This guy, he didn’t even see it coming.” I laughed bitterly. My anguish did nothing to ease the cramp in my guts. “His girlfriend did though. That pretty little thing chatting me up in the bar was his girlfriend, thanking me for setting her free. She lied to the cops, you know.”

Jez’s sudden chuckle startled me, and I looked at her. “Shit, it doesn’t matter what monster you are, humans will always be the worst of the bunch.” When I lifted an eyebrow and shook my head, she added, “Take a look around. Everything humans do is destructive and for their own selfish gain.”

“Hey now,” I admonished. “Just because you weren’t born human doesn’t mean none of us were. But yes, for the most part, I agree.”

As we talked, I focused on the scent of Were rather than the scent of Were blood, an important difference. The hunger that chewed at my guts simmered down to a nagging but dull roar. Interesting.

As we got closer to the sports bar, my temper returned. I was outrageously angry with Arys for allowing this to happen. We were supposed to maintain our weaknesses, not inflict them on one another.

A dark figure moved in the shadowed parking lot across the street from the sports hangout. I recognized Arys when he stepped into the beam of a streetlight. He motioned for us to pull behind the building to the back alley where we’d be out of sight from those passing by.

Jez called Kale, read the street address off a sign and snapped her phone shut. Kylarai’s white Escalade sat with the rear facing us with both doors open on the driver’s side.

Arys jogged up as I cut the engine. Time seemed to stop and crossing the short distance between our vehicles felt like slow motion.

Kylarai slumped against the back seat with one hand pressed tightly to her side. Blood seeped between her fingers. She was fully conscious, but her small smile did nothing to ease her pained expression.

“Oh, she’s Raoul’s kid, alright.” Her voice came out strained. I reached to touch her but stopped short as the scent of her blood hit me. “Who else would throw such a low blow?”

“Don’t talk, sweetie,” Jez crooned as she crouched in the dirt beside the big Cadillac. “Let’s have a look.”

The interior light was dim, but I saw the oozing gash when Jez gingerly lifted the hem of Kylarai’s shirt. The scent beat down my control, and I whirled on Arys so fast that I almost lost my balance.

“Tell me what happened. And when you’re done, you can explain why you let this happen to me tonight.”

His dark brows drew together, and he looked down his narrow nose at me with a cool stare. Perhaps he felt the bloodlust less intensely than I did. Due to his power and age, he should, but Arys was the insatiable type. I couldn’t determine what he was feeling.

“We found Zoey Roberts inside the sports bar. She took off the moment she realized we were there. Kylarai chased her down in the parking lot, and the crazy bitch pulled a blade.” He sniffed lightly at Ky’s powerful werewolf blood.

Every one of my cells raged at me to lash out at him, but the vicious shadow dancing behind his eyes held me in check.

“I couldn’t go after her without leaving Ky behind,” he continued, his gaze unwavering. “So I let her go. But, Ky sure put the attack on her first. Once the knife was pulled, all bets were off.”

“So Zoey’s injured too?” I felt hopeful.

Going easy on her was no longer on my agenda. She blew it. Raoul’s plea to keep her alive meant nothing to me now. With the way I was feeling, Zoey would be jealous of poor dismembered David when I was through with her.

“Oh yeah,” Arys laughed low and smooth, tickling my insides. “Ky got in a few good digs. She didn’t try to play nice. Wherever Zoey is headed, she is bleeding and roughed up. We can track her.”

I understood now and felt absolutely moronic. “That’s why you haven’t fed? So that you can track her easier?”

“Of course.” He looked at me like I was asinine for asking, and I shot him a dirty look. “I’m a vampire. It’s all about the hunt and the kill for me. Appeasing the hunger eliminates the driving force of the hunt. You’re a predator; you should know.”

I did know but not the way he meant. My predatory urges were more inclined to slaughter anything nasty that walked with a human form rather than the deer and bunnies of the world. Kill Bambi and Thumper? No thanks. However, supply me with a psychotic vampire or child abuser, and I’ll gut them with a smile on my face. My predator had a logic that Arys’s bloodlust did not.

I turned back to Kylarai. She patiently allowed Jez to bind the wound with shreds of Ky’s shirt. The blood was slowing. She should be fine.

“I offered to try healing her injury but she wasn’t comfortable with that.” Arys shrugged as if it made little sense to him. It made sense to me. Kylarai wasn’t comfortable with vampire power in general.

“So, what are you waiting for?” I directed my words at Arys as Kale and Shaz rounded the back of the building in Jez’s Liberty. “Get tracking Zoey.”

“Not without you.” Arys squinted against the headlights and raised a hand to shield his eyes. “We can track her on foot while they attend to Kylarai. They can meet up with us once we’ve found her.”

My gaze went to Ky. Her grey eyes sparkled with determination, but her jaw clenched in pain. “Go get that bitch, Alexa. I’ll be fine. Go now before she gets much farther.”

Shaz and Kale climbed out of the Jeep. Shaz ran to join us around Ky.

“Did you call Fox?” I asked at the same moment Shaz said, “Fox is on his way.” I had to smile, just a little.

“Great. Have him head to my house. Kale, please go with Kylarai and Shaz-,”

“Don’t tell me to go with them. I’m not sitting this one out.” Shaz gave me a look that I knew well, the one that dared me to tell him otherwise.

“Fine, but I’m going on foot with Arys. Zoey is bleeding, and we can track her. Drive my car and keep your phone handy. Head to Raoul’s. I think she might go there.” I didn’t give anyone further chance to contest my instructions. I wanted to get moving while the blood hunger was still within my grasp rather than the other way around.

Jez stood up from tying the strips of cloth around Kylarai’s middle, tight across the healing wound. “I’ll follow Shaz with my car so Kale can jump in here with Kylarai. See you on the other side.” I nodded and gave her arm a friendly squeeze.

Shaz accepted the keys that I placed in his hand. The buzz of his wolf prickled my skin unexpectedly. He was wound tighter than a guitar string.

“Alright, I’m taking off. Give Raoul a call on your way.” I resisted the urge to rub my hand where we’d touched. “He’s been calling my phone.”

“He called mine, too, but I didn’t answer.”

Ky raised a blood-covered hand silently to indicate that she too had gotten and ignored a call. Raoul had to know I was hunting his daughter. Well, he could save his temper tantrum for when I got there to kick his ass personally. Hopefully, Zoey didn’t beat me to it.

I leaned down to face Ky and squashed Arys’s hunger deep inside me. I nuzzled the side of her face, similar to what Raoul had done to me. I wished we were in fur on four legs.

“Take it easy. I swear she’s dead for this,” I assured her.

Her eyes pleaded with me to hurry.

“Alexa?” Shaz caught my elbow, and I met his eyes. “Please be careful.”

I reached up to tousle his hair gently. “I will. I promise.” There was nothing else that I could say. “I’ll see you soon.”

Because I couldn’t sink into his arms the way I wanted to, I grabbed my phone from the Charger and gestured to Arys to lead the way.

Chapter Nineteen

We started in the parking lot of the sports bar. Zoey’s blood hung on the still, muggy night air. With Arys’s bloodlust, I easily picked out the scent of human amid Kylarai’s pure Were aroma. With no rain or wind to interfere, tracking Zoey was almost too easy, barely a challenge.

She most certainly headed towards Raoul’s end of town. I dialed his number as we went and hailed his voicemail with a litany of my favorite curses. A sick sensation of dread settled in my stomach.

“There’s no answer.” I was hot and itchy in my skin. The instincts that drove me commanded me to ditch the restrictions of a human form and go as wolf, but I had to wait until the time was right. As great as the advantages were, pulling fur in the middle of town wasn’t something I wanted to add to my list of stupid moves.

“Maybe she’s already there,” Arys mused with his head cocked to one side as he studied the stars.

I hesitated for just a moment when her trail led across the golf course. It was the fastest way to Raoul’s. The well-maintained green was soft and springy beneath my boots. It felt good enough to roll in.

Though Zoey ran only ten to fifteen minutes ahead, she was long gone. She was faster than the average human, but she was injured. That didn’t seem to be slowing her down though.

I suspected that she’d already made it to Raoul. I considered letting them battle it out. Raoul was impossible to talk to, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she killed him before we arrived out of sheer frustration.

On any other night a trek through the dark, deserted golf course would have been nice, maybe even a little sexy. The silver moon shone brightly against the dark backdrop of the sky. No one was in sight.

As if reading my mind, Arys nudged me playfully. “Do you think Raoul can take care of himself if we take a five minute time out?” When I raised my eyebrows and shook my head he added, “Alright, alright, a ten minute time out.”

“Very funny.”

“Would you do it with the wolf pup?”

His question nearly brought me to a halt as I stumbled in the grass. “What’s it to you? Don’t tell me you’re going to get all jealous male on me, too.”

“He was jealous?” I heard only amusement in his tone. I didn’t have to look to know he wore that amazing grin of his.

“That’s not the point. You told me to go to him. Don’t start playing the territorial card or so help me, I’ll knock out a few of those perfect teeth.”

He laughed loudly, and I jumped. I was a real ball of nerves tonight.

“Don’t get me wrong, my love, a part of me is a little envious, but we have something that extends well beyond sex, deep into the power of our metaphysical make up. Something that so many will never know.” In a motion so swift I barely saw him move, he caught me up in a kiss. It was brief but sweet, leaving me breathless. “But, I also know that I must be realistic.”

He turned away, walking ahead, but I’d already caught the somber note in his dramatic words and action. Drawn to him, I took a hurried step to catch up.

“Wait. What do you mean by that? Realistic.”

When he stopped, I got the feeling that he didn’t want to look at me, but he did anyway. I think he was afraid that I’d see the emotions lurking behind his eyes, waiting to betray him.

“You’re an incredibly complex creature, Alexa. A strange combination of the compassionate human heart and the ruthless leadership of one of the finest animals on earth. Our journey together is far from over, but I know that you will never long for me at the end of the day.”

I found no trace of regret or anger in his voice, merely acceptance of the fact. I was tongue-tied and unsure of what to say. I looked eagerly to the street ahead as we neared the end of the golf course.

“Shit, Arys,” I poked him lightly in the side. “Why are you getting all sentimental on me? Is it because you think she’s going to kick my ass?” I forced a laugh in a lame attempt to sound like I was kidding.

We came out in a gated community just a few blocks from Raoul’s street. We hopped a wall. Dogs started a chain of barking, which had me hauling ass over the stone wall onto the street beyond before the ruckus brought people out on their doorsteps.

When we stood at the end of Raoul’s street, I called him one more time. A shiver raced up my spine when somebody picked up.

“Alexa O’Brien,” purred the most sensual female voice that I’d ever heard. “The woman my father both loves to hate and hates to love.” There was a pause, and I heard her take a ragged breath. Ky must have got her good.

“Have you killed him yet?” I cut to the chase, sounding both bored and irritated.

“What?” She snapped, and I stiffened.

I fixed my eyes on the darkened house down the empty street. Arys, tense and ready beside me, brought me more relief than I wanted to admit.

“You heard me. If you’ve already killed him then I won’t waste my time by coming in there.”

“You’re sick, bitch.” Her reply was snide.

The need to kill grew overwhelming. I snapped my phone shut and strode angrily down the street. My boots clacked loudly, announcing my arrival.

“It’s not that I don’t think we can easily take care of this pathetic little problem, but where is everybody?” Arys gestured to the empty street. No Charger or Liberty was in sight. The mournful sound of a train whistle blew. They were stuck on the other side.

“Don’t tell me you’re nervous about facing a human half breed without back up,” I teased.

I couldn’t help it. I was anxious as hell and having a hard time thinking about anything that didn’t include blood and violence. Even the presence of the powerful vampire at my side was trying my patience, encouraging me to quench the undying hunger that cut up my insides.

“Hell no.” He didn’t miss a beat. “Just afraid of being in a house with two wild women.” I felt his gaze suddenly narrow on me. “Are you going to be alright?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted as I shoved my shaky hands in my pockets. “Just don’t let me kill the wrong person.”

He nodded. “Let’s go inside.”

The curtains were drawn in the front window, but a light shone beyond. I thought I saw a flash of movement.

I reached out instinctively for Arys’s cool, inviting hand. Our auras wasted no time mingling, and I welcomed the cold vampire energy.

When I reached for the doorknob, it wouldn’t budge. I hadn’t really expected an open invitation. I glanced at the doorbell but didn’t bother.

I braced myself with the stair rail. I focused on the soft spot below the knob and let loose with a high kick. The door frame splintered in an ear piercing shriek of tearing wood. The door hit the wall so hard that it bounced back at me, vibrating on its hinges. The front sitting room was empty. I wasn’t looking forward to venturing inside.

“Beautiful,” the vampire breathed.

A jolt of his power rushed through me, and I embraced it. I wanted to go in there tapping every power source I had. If the crazy bitch thought she was going to knife me, I’d blow her through the damn roof.

“Do you smell that?” Arys stalked past me into the house while I lingered uncertainly near the doorway.

He had a lilt to his voice that indicated the effect our combined power was having on him. I can’t say that I wasn’t happy that it was a battle of control for him, too.

Zoey’s blood was thick on the air inside. Drawn by the scent of injured prey, I followed the tall, dark vampire.

Muffled voices reached me. They were in the windowless study off the kitchen. They had to know we were here. The front door had been anything but quiet.

Our footsteps were silent as we made our way into the large kitchen. I paused in the threshold between both rooms. Raoul’s beloved wolf tapestry hung in tatters. Only claws would do that.

As I took in the damage of Zoey’s rage, the energy in the house shifted. At Raoul’s office, Arys stopped mid-motion as he reached for the doorknob. He risked a glance back at me and his pupils were huge.

I panicked when I saw him vamping out. I needed him to maintain the power that we’d called. I opened my mouth to tell him not to blow this when the office door suddenly burst open.

Raoul crashed through the opening, narrowly missing Arys as he tumbled and rolled. The vampire appeared at my side with his body positioned to defend an attack.

Raoul was gracefully on his feet in an instant. With one hand outstretched, he pointed an accusing finger at me.

“You,” he snarled. “It’s because of you that Zoey’s hurt. If she dies, I’ll fucking kill you, Alexa. You promised!” A harsh cough wracked him, and he spat blood on to the pristine white tile.

In an instant, I held a psi ball in my palm. “She stabbed Kylarai!” My voice was shrill enough to hurt my own ears. “I’m not playing by anyone’s rules here, Raoul.”

He was pale, the bruises lining his eye and nose appeared darker in contrast. He licked a drop of blood from the corner of his lip. He’d been letting her smack him around. Pathetic.

“I can’t be held responsible for Kylarai’s choice to get involved in something that doesn’t concern her.”

Though he was speaking, my eyes were on the study door. I could feel her approach, and I licked my lips eagerly. I felt that same crazy smile, Arys’s smile, that I’d worn when I’d slaughtered David. It adorned my features so naturally. The blood hunger seemed to hone in on the creature in the house that I wanted the most.

I had a good mind to tear out Zoey’s throat while Raoul watched, before letting Arys go at him. Wouldn’t that just be the most delicious fight?

Zoey appeared in the doorway to the small office. Her black hair hung to hide most of her round face. She didn’t look much like the smiling young girl in her picture. This version of Zoey Roberts was anything but striking. She looked like a Japanese cinema ghost.

Her skin was whiter than Arys on a bad day. Dark circles lined her eyes, and her dark blue wolf eyes were glazed. Her clawed fingers were bloody but the absence of fangs was a good sign. If she went completely wolf on us, she’d never come back.

Her clothing was all black. The rips and dirt on her jeans marked her scuffle with Kylarai. I didn’t see a weapon, but I assumed it was there. A jagged, blood-caked slice marred the white skin of her throat. The inside of her forearm showed bone where Kylarai had got her.

Zoey held her injured arm carefully at her side as if trying to hide how much it hurt. Her strange, blue wolf eyes blinked at me appraisingly before going to Arys. She believed him to be the bigger threat. I loved how wrong she was.

“How dare you barge in here like you own the place?” Zoey spoke to me but seemed reluctant to take her gaze off Arys for longer than a split second. “This has nothing to do with you, Alpha bitch.”

“Oh no?” With a flick of my wrist the swirling blue and gold orb exploded against her and showered colorful sparks overhead. I grinned when she went down on her rear end with a pained cry.

“When was it going to involve me? When you decided that it was my turn to die for letting your daddy coerce me into bed? I don’t think so.”

“Alexa, stop!” Raoul made a move towards me, and I raised a hand in defense. Before I could throw another energy ball, my dark vampire took Raoul down with a foot to the back of the knee.

“Wasn’t it you that asked for Alexa’s involvement in the first place?” Arys hissed. He twisted the bigger man’s arm behind his back with an inhuman strength. “You’re at the root of this entire mess, so why don’t you keep quiet while the ladies fight it out? You’ll get yours.”

Raoul grunted in pain. His ebony eyes glared at me as he refused to acknowledge the vampire holding him immobile.

I’d winded Zoey with the psi ball, but she scrambled to her feet. “You don’t get to kill him!” She screamed like someone who hadn’t known sanity for a very long time. It made me stop to consider my plan of action.

“Who’s going to stop me?” I challenged.

Fangs filled my mouth. The sticky blood that adorned her wounds was sweetly human. I ached to taste her human blood, laced with the energy of the wolf. I wanted her to rush me, the final push to finish what Kylarai had begun.

I didn’t expect her to break so easily. A torrent of tears streamed down her face, and a sob broke from her. Her misery pained and confused me amidst my need to kill.

“I didn’t do all of this just to have you take it from me. Kill me if you must, but I’ll be damned before I die without killing him first.” The girl’s determination was admirable. All she wanted was to make Raoul hurt. I could relate to that.

“Does it really mean so much to you?” I met her gaze evenly with my own wolf eyes. “To kill your own father.”

I followed her eyes to where Raoul knelt, straining against Arys’s powerful hold.

“Yes,” she conceded with her chin held defiantly. “I thought I wanted to bring him down, have him locked away in some wretched facility like he did me. But now, I just want this over.”

“Zoey, please,” Raoul ground out through clenched teeth. “We can talk about this. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

I couldn’t believe he was so convinced they could talk it out and live happily ever after like a sitcom family. His reaction was deeply disturbing on a level that I didn’t understand.

“You’re fucked, old man.” Zoey scowled but didn’t attempt to pass me in order to reach him. “You never cared about my well-being before I murdered your bitches. Why would you start now?”

She sounded resigned, as if she’d anticipated this discussion for a long time. I wished I could erase the past week and never let Raoul drag me into this in the first place.

Hunger and instinct gnawed at me, and I fought the urge to shift. My mind was running in the “act now, think later” mode.

“I always cared about you. There has never been a day that passed when I haven’t thought about you.” Directing his temper at me, Raoul shouted, “For God’s sake, Alexa, could you call off your vampire?”

“I don’t think so.” I shook my head and my dyed gold bangs fell in my eyes. “You both need serious help.”

The deathly glare that Zoey shot me was worth a thousand nasty words. “What do you know about growing up with a deadbeat father who’s responsible for the death of your mother? He left me to suffer, surrounded by people that he knew I could never relate to.”

She ran a hand through her stringy locks, and I was reminded of Raoul’s penchant to do the same. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to live each day trapped in this body while your every instinct cries to get out?”

After a moment of silent contemplation, I shook my head no. I didn’t. But, Arys did now, and the sympathy shining in the depths of his stunning eyes was too much for me. If we started to identify with her, her death would be that much harder.

“I can’t relate to that.” I shifted into a stance that appeared less threatening but didn’t release the energy I held ready. “But, I can relate to being scared and inhuman. And being in need of a strong leader but finding none.”

“Alexa.” Raoul’s tone rose in warning at the end of my name. Arys jerked his arm enough to make him gasp.

“Shut up.” Zoey and I spoke simultaneously.

“Your father is a self-centered egomaniac, Zoey,” I said, finding strength in the incredulous expression splayed upon Raoul’s finely sculpted features. “As long as I’ve known him, he’s been selfish, conceited and intent on his own personal interests. You were better off not being here during your youth. I can guarantee you that.”

“Thanks a lot, you bitch.” The hate in Raoul’s deep voice struck me to the core. “After everything I’ve done for you, after I save you from being raped and used like a piece of meat, this is how you repay me?”

My face flamed with the sudden heat of embarrassment. My wolf wanted to throw off this skin and make the short work of him that he so richly deserved. So, he wanted to air our dirty laundry, did he?

“You saved me Raoul? My ass you did. What kind of knight in shining armor do you mistake yourself for? You turned around and took me to your bed. I was seventeen, damn you. You took my innocence, all I had left!”

Overcome with long repressed emotions, I took a step toward Arys and Raoul. I launched my ready energy so that it blasted a hole the size of my fist in the floor between Raoul’s trembling knees.

“And don’t you dare start with that shit about how I was willing. I was a new werewolf, and you took advantage of that. You’re seventeen years my senior, yet you claim no responsibility.”

I stood before him shaking as I stared down into his dark eyes. Aware of my bloody desires, Arys released his hold, but Raoul didn’t attempt to get up. The power in my eyes had him wary.

My mind was a mass of confusion as my senses were overwhelmed by the lovely sources of energy to consume. I wanted to taste all three.

“What the hell are you?” Raoul murmured. An entranced expression smoothed his face into a look of wonder.

My eyes focused on the pulse in his throat. It leapt so very fast beneath his skin. I moved to brush his hair away and bent to breathe in his familiar scent, the perfect mix of cologne, man and wolf. Desire reared its head inside me, and I almost gagged on it. The urge to taste his hot blood dripping on my tongue was so powerful, accompanied by the need to have him writhing naked beneath me. My mind was swimming as I fought Arys’s hunger.

I sensed a sudden motion behind me; in the same moment, Arys sprang into action. I gave Raoul a shove that sent him reeling. The heavy thud of bodies colliding sent a sick chill through me as I whirled around. Arys pinned Zoey successfully to the floor, but a new rage surged through me when I saw the glint of the silver knife handle lodged in his side.

“Arys?” Adrenaline hit me hard, and I dropped to my knees beside him. “Are you ok?”

Zoey was squirming like a junkie on Cops, but he held firm with one forearm tight across her airway. “Yeah, just get it out.”

As my fingers touched the handle, the jolt of pain in my side was instant, and I nearly lost my grip. The phantom of his pain felt so very real. With one solid pull, I drew the blade from his body. Bright vampire blood shone wet on the knife. The energy within his blood was as delectable as the scent of fresh roses. A crimson stain grew on Arys’s t-shirt.

Across the room, Raoul was on his feet, but stiffness limited his movements. I worried that he would shift in order to compensate.

“Get the fuck off of me.” Zoey growled. Four sharp canines distorted her words. Arys gave her a backhand that even made me flinch, yet she didn’t cease her struggle.

Before Raoul could even consider intervening, I threw an energy wall between him and us. The clear sheet of immoveable power wouldn’t last long if I didn’t feed it continuously, but it would keep him occupied for a moment or two.

Voices reached me from beyond the broken front door. “Wait,” I heard Jez say in her no nonsense, ringleader tone. “Something’s not right.”

I’d say. The half-breed wolf from hell was a real pain in the ass. With our backup in place, I took a moment to lift Arys’s shirt. The wound was already healing.

“It’s cool, Jez,” I called. “Come on in.”

“What in the fuck?” Raoul slammed his large fists against my barrier, causing a faint ripple. The wall held, though. “What do you think you’re doing, Alexa? Damn you. Let me out of this damn thing.”

“I’m fine,” Arys admonished as I studied the healing stab wound. “Trust me, I’ve had worse.” When I raised an eyebrow in response, he added, “Seeing you with my eyes is absolutely heart stopping.”

Crap. That’s why Raoul had reacted the way he did to me. I was suddenly very afraid to turn and look at Shaz.

“Alexa? Are you guys ok?” Jez’s head poked into the kitchen from the front room. She took in the scene before her with little surprise. “My, isn’t this interesting?”

Shaz was barely a step behind her, and he faltered when he saw me on the floor next to Arys with my matching blue eyes. Slowly, I got to my feet, brushing non-existent dust from my knees.

“Kill her,” I said to Arys, unable to take my eyes from my white wolf. His presence alone was creating the balance that I didn’t know I’d been missing.

“No!” Raoul’s voice thundered through the house, and my energy wall dropped.

With no hesitation, the vampire forced Zoey’s head to the side and bared her beautiful throat. God help me, but I eagerly anticipated the moment her blood would flow. As Arys sunk fangs into her tender flesh, Raoul growled and leapt.

Both Jez and I reacted, but she was faster. Raoul’s weight was at least twice that of hers, and they rolled in a ball of flailing limbs. The angry yowl of a pissed off cat filled the silence as they grappled tooth and nail to gain the advantage.

I hung back and waited for an opening. To use metaphysical power would risk injury to Jez. I feared Raoul would overpower her simply because of his desperation to save his daughter.

Turning to Shaz, I found him hovering between the front room and the spacious kitchen. I saw the conviction in his eyes, and it cut deep.

“Shaz?”

“You have his eyes.” The disbelief was strong in his tone. He could barely look me in the face.

“Shaz, I need you. Don’t you see that?” I positioned myself so that I could see the entire room.

Jez and Raoul took out two of the four table legs with a crash. A decorative fruit basket hit the floor hard enough to send grapes flying like bouncy balls.

Shaz looked at me with lost puppy eyes, and I grew desperate for him to understand. “I need you to balance out what he does to me.” I reached for him. I needed his wolf so badly that I could taste it.

“I can’t share you with him.” His jade green eyes flicked to the feasting vampire then back to me. “Lex, she’s shifting!”

When Zoey’s human body had ceased fighting for life, the wolf trapped within her was free to take over. The essence of the wolf flowed over her, and she began to shift beneath Arys. Blood spilled from his lips as he put a safe distance between himself and the writhing creature on the floor.

Raoul had Jez pinned beneath him and growled down into her face. He gripped both of her slender wrists in one hand, while the other stroked a claw along the soft skin under her chin. I didn’t waste another second. I kicked him in the temple with as much force as I could muster.

He must have been seeing stars from the way that he slumped over with both hands on his head. Jez got to her feet. I watched as she picked a chunk of long black hair from a perfectly shaped claw. Her previously sleek up do was now a mess of long, tangled curls in disarray about her shoulders.

“This isn’t good,” she murmured, watching the spectacle in the middle of the floor.

I didn’t want to watch, but what choice did I have? I whispered a prayer beneath my breath that Zoey wouldn’t get stuck in mid-shift, a horror too cruel for anyone to endure.

“Lex?” Shaz’s evident worry mirrored my own.

On the floor, Zoey writhed and flailed as if having a seizure. Her hands reached and flexed over and over as clawed fingers became fully formed paws. I wanted to look away from her face, but I just couldn’t. Her face lengthened and narrowed into a muzzle. The worst high-pitched wailing filled the house. Her shift was so slow and agonizing.

It dawned on me that shifting might be a good idea right about now. I slipped out of my top and jeans, thankful for the steady rush of power and adrenaline that prevented me from feeling any embarrassment. Once I was furry, the awkwardness would be left to Shaz and Arys.

“Watch my back.”

I directed those famous last words at Jez and my two lovers before I freed the side of me that was scratching to get out. Much like springing the latch on the cage at the zoo, I went down on my hands and knees and was wolf before they touched the floor.

This kitchen wasn’t going to be big enough for all of us if everyone decided to sprout fur. This had to end quickly. My one weakness was that in this form I had little to no use of my psychic side.

I’d have to trust Arys with that as I trusted Jez and Shaz to be the fangs and claws at my back should I need them. I had a feeling Raoul may be the unpredictable one here.

‘If I didn’t know better,’ a cool velvet voice echoed in my thoughts. ‘I might think the lady wolf has feelings for me after all. I’m honored to have your trust.’

‘How is it that you’re able to do this when I’m wolf?’ I thought back to what he’d said in the coffee shop about seeing me running with Shaz.

I knew I’d sensed his presence then, but I had been distracted by Zoey. Our link seemed to vary quite dramatically based on what form I was in. Strange.

‘Be thankful for limitations.’

Raoul leaned heavily on the kitchen counter. Heavy lines in his face betrayed his distress. Four ugly cuts marked his neck as well as his face just below his right eye. I doubted if he could stand much more.

He stared in mixed horror and relief at Zoey. With her slow metamorphosis complete, a small black female wolf stood on shaky legs and fought to get her bearings. She was wearing a wolfish expression of absolute shock. She sniffed the air and eyed each of us in turn. With a gentle swish of her thick tail, she shook off the remnants of her shredded clothing. She pawed lightly at the floor and a confused whine escaped her.

Raoul moved with the instinct of a parent to comfort her, and she turned on him in a blur of black with her hackles raised and her lips peeled back in a snarl. Hands up in defense, he stared down into her dark face with a strange look on his hard features.

I wanted to speak, to warn him not to get so close. I wasn’t sure how much of her human mind remained. All of it, I hoped.

I glanced at Arys, as if he should speak for me, but he carefully ignored my eyes.

What the hell was Raoul thinking to walk up to her like that? She could tear his balls off and spit them back in his face before he could react. Ok, maybe not. She didn’t know how to use her new body yet, but her instincts drove her actions.

“Might want to back up a little, buddy,” Arys decided to give voice to my concern.

He had moved so that he stood a few feet behind me, where he could also see the entire room. His fingertips danced with blue energy outlined in yellow gold.

Raoul didn’t look up from Zoey’s true wolf eyes. “I’m not your buddy, you useless fucking vampire.”

Everyone else immediately looked at Arys. I expected him to launch that power ball at the arrogant werewolf, but Zoey and Raoul had eyes only for each other, though they wore extremely differing expressions.

I felt rather than saw Arys bristle because he never moved a muscle. An absolutely wicked smile tugged at his lips, warming my insides against my will. He gave me a quick wink as he sensed my reaction to him. I wanted to glare, but my furry eyebrows wouldn’t form the expression. Cocky vampire.

“Zoey please, you have to listen to me.” Raoul begged, his tone both pleading and placating. “I can help you through this. But, you have to trust me.”

I scoffed mentally to myself. This was ludicrous. The man had truly lost his mind.

“You can’t do a damn thing, and you know it. She’s not ever getting back into a human body.” Jez feigned casual with her crossed arms and relaxed stance against the fridge. She was in a good position to keep everyone trapped within the kitchen with just one step. The double paned glass sliding doors were an unlikely exit for those of us without fingers.

“Shut up!” Raoul snapped. He glanced at the leopard who clearly wanted another shot at clawing his eyeballs out. “None of you have any right to be here.”

“We were invited. And now, we’re not leaving until somebody’s dead, or Lex decides you’re not worth all this trouble.” Jez nodded in my direction.

A sliver of guilt nagged me. I shouldn’t have dragged my friends into this personal drama.

‘You know she didn’t mean it that way.’ Arys’s voice was soothing in my mind. ‘We’re all going to call in our favors down the line.’

‘Stop that.’ It felt like a mental fly that I wanted to swat. ‘I don’t even want to hear your favor.’

Arys chuckled aloud, and everyone but Zoey turned and looked at him. She took advantage of the moment to lunge her newly gained weight into Raoul. The fool never saw it coming. She hit him hard in the chest and took out his legs easily. They slid together in a heap across the tiled floor. With a snarling wolf in his lap, Raoul did the only thing he could with less than a second to react. He threw his arms up to protect his face and throat. All four of Zoey’s fangs sank in the tender underside of his forearm. Dissatisfied, she released her hold and struck again.

I winced inwardly at Raoul’s blood and crossed the twenty feet separating us in a leap. I threw all of my weight into Zoey, taking her down in a frenzy of snapping jaws. She twisted beneath me in a struggle to get to her feet. When I got a mouthful of thick flesh at the back of her neck, I held tight.

Shaz dragged Raoul to his feet. The bigger man was bleeding from both arms, long red rivulets that fell to stain the white tile.

When I felt Arys’s reaction to the fresh blood, I was glad that he’d sated the worst of the bloodlust. I wasn’t sure that I could have maintained control otherwise. I resisted the urge to look at Shaz, my stronghold of control.

Powerful jaws closed around my front right leg as Zoey scrambled to get a hold on any part of me. I gave a small yelp of pain, certain this would result in a broken wrist.

A scuffle broke out behind us, and I worried. I could only see the top of Zoey’s head from my angle. I let her go so that she would let me go, and we sprang apart. My leg ached. Even the minor bite left my ash colored fur with bloodstains.

I wasn’t expecting Shaz and Raoul to be throwing punches like they were in a bar fight. Raoul had a heavier fist, but Shaz had actual brawling experience. I could only assume Shaz had been watching my back while I fought with Zoey.

Raoul let loose with a fist that knocked Shaz back on his heels. Shaz’s instant reaction was an elbow to Raoul’s jaw, followed by a head butt that sat the large man down on his ass.

Arys stepped between them before I could ask. Jez stood her ground in the doorway, but her watchful gaze never missed a thing.

Despite my attack on her, Zoey really didn’t want me. She was all about her father. Seeing him down, she rushed me but veered to the side as I moved to meet her. I fell for her fake out, and she had no problem clearing my reach. With fangs bared, she covered the space between her and Raoul.

Arys released a blast of power straight at Zoey. At point blank range, the shot hit her square in the chest with enough force to move an elephant. I never had time to react before her body struck me and knocked my feet out from under me.

We were airborne, a tangle of fur that snarled and growled. The sound of shattering glass screamed through my sensitive ears. The world rolled before my eyes, and I identified the patio doors as we smashed through them. I did my best to tuck and roll as the shards sliced into me, leaving a hot burning sensation everywhere they touched.

Upon clearing the doors, Zoey and I were thrown apart. Each of us hit the wooden deck hard. I landed in a heap against the massive barbeque, my legs splayed, and my body aching.

Jez called my name as she fumbled to get to me without cutting herself. I lifted my head to indicate that I was ok, but the red blotches staining my fur said otherwise. I caught sight of the particularly large chunk of glass protruding from my side and panic set in.

As I scrambled to my feet, I noticed the growing pool of blood beneath Zoey’s still body. I began turning circles in a desperate attempt to dislodge the glass shard from my side.

The entire frame of glass had shattered out of the side that we’d gone through. Shaz and Jez had ducked through but stepped carefully as the broken glass crunched beneath their weight. Shaz peeled off his shirt and began tearing it into strips while Jez approached me with her hands held up in caution.

I whimpered softly to let her know I was alright, not wound up enough to attack. With a gentle hand against the side of my face, she turned my head away from my body so that I couldn’t see them picking the glass out of me.

A fresh commotion erupted inside. The unmistakable sound of bodies colliding carried through the broken door.

“I’m going to watch the light fade from your eyes as I drain every last drop from you, wolf.” Arys’s voice shook with a menace that I’d never heard from him before. “If Alexa’s hurt, consider yourself a walking dead man, Raoul.” Another series of smacks and bangs were followed by a grunt of pain.

Please God, I thought. Just let this end.

I yelped when Jez withdrew the largest shard from my side. Shaz came to hold my muzzle lightly in his hands. One finger stroked the side of my nose. When she pressed a piece of his torn shirt to my side, I whimpered and tried to pull away.

“It’s ok, Lex,” he whispered, but his voice betrayed the worry that he tried to hide. The stink of fear on him tantalized my senses as it chilled me to the core. “Just hang in there.”

The sound of more glass crunching reached me as Raoul stumbled through the hole where his patio door had been. His eyes went to Zoey, and he fell to his knees beside her, unaware of the glass digging into his legs.

With the faintest twitch of her tail, I knew Zoey wasn’t dead. I watched Raoul bend down to bury his face in her silky fur, and I held my breath in anticipation.

Arys appeared in the shattered doorway. His shoulders sagged when he saw me. “My beautiful wolf…”

He never moved closer. He merely stared at me with a sadness that looked so wrong in his blue eyes. With my face in Shaz’s hands, I could only look up at my dark vampire as the pain began to set in on a deeper level.

“I think that’s all of it,” Jez said, tossing a chunk of glass aside. “You have some nasty cuts, Lex. You need stitches.”

Hell no, I thought. I don’t do needles.

I took a tentative step, and the pain slashed through me. I think I had a broken rib or two. My leg was numb, and fatigue was setting in from the blood loss.

I sensed Zoey’s movement before she even twitched a muscle. I made as if to lunge, but I wasn’t close enough.

She opened her eyes and leaned into Raoul’s exposed throat with fangs bared. My eyes widened in horror and disbelief. Blood, warm and lupine spattered my face as I cleared most of the glass debris in a jump.

I stopped short of an attack when I saw clearly that all four of her fangs were buried to the gum, a gruesome, mortal wound. He’d bleed out in a matter of minutes at best.

Raoul stared at me as the blood gurgled in his windpipe. I recognized the challenge in those coal black eyes even as the light ebbed out of them. He was willing to fight me away from his daughter even as she killed him.

My heart constricted with emotion and blood loss. I took a respectful step back as guilt washed through me. I’d known she wasn’t dead.

‘No, my love,’ Arys’s honey sweet voice came from the shadows of my mind. ‘He chose this death. He doesn’t even struggle.’

Arys was right. Raoul clung to that stupid wolf as if he were a boy and his dog, stroking her black fur, so like his own.

I whimpered and growled, unable to watch this without being able to act. A key player in my life, no matter how positive or negative, was dying before my eyes. I couldn’t do this. Zoey had to die.

“Alexa, don’t.” Shaz’s command was softly spoken but a command nonetheless.

Shaz stood behind me as if he’d grab my tail to hold me back. I didn’t give that wolf enough credit for how well he knew me. “It’s not your fight anymore. It’s over now.”

How could it be over? The bitch was lying in a pool of blood and still wasn’t dead. In seconds, Raoul’s body went limp, his hands relaxed in Zoey’s fur.

My continuous growl became a snarl when she struggled to her feet, leaving Raoul face down in the broken glass. She stank of blood and death. My every instinct demanded that I finish her off.

“She’s not going to make it far,” Jez came to stand next to me, and I longed for my human voice. “Let her go.”

Were they all completely mad? This was insanity. I looked to Arys for support but he gave no indication as to what he thought was best.

‘I can’t let her walk off this property alive,’ I conveyed.

‘That’s your decision to make, but she’ll be dead before she reaches the edge of town.’

I couldn’t stop the snarling and snapping at the air. I was infused with this hate that filled me to capacity. My very nature demanded that I kill her after everything she’d done.

Zoey met my eyes with a look of clear understanding. She was running on borrowed time, and she knew it. Even if she survived the coming day, I would come for her.

Her muzzle was matted with Raoul’s blood. One leg dragged awkwardly behind her, and she was a mass of cuts. The few steps down to the grass below the deck proved to be an obstacle, and she stumbled a few times while looking back at us, expecting an attack.

The battle between wolf and human raged inside me as it had so many times before. I wrestled with conflicting urges and emotions. I hated myself when she disappeared from sight.

I padded up beside Raoul, and with my muzzle in his hair, I sniffed for any sign of life. Nothing. I felt physically ill. Something broke inside of me, deep down, in a place that I hadn’t acknowledged in so long.

If this all had nothing to do with me, why did I feel like it was my fault? I should have killed her the moment I stepped in the house. I’m sorry, Raoul, I thought, Sorry it all had to end this way. If only you’d told me sooner. If Arys was aware of my thoughts, he gave no indication.

As the adrenaline began to subside, the pain reached intolerable. My side continued to trickle blood, and a wave of dizziness led the blackness to close in on me.

“Shaz,” Jez’s voice sounded so very far away. “She’s blacking out.”

I went down on my face in a slick puddle of blood and crushed glass.

Chapter Twenty

In my incoherent dreams, I saw the black wolf, the one that I so admired in my wistful youth. Images sputtered and jumped from one to another. The past flashed by, in all of its horridly disappointing glory.

I’m still not sure if it was my guilty subconscious or really Raoul, but the scent of him was so real. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to sink my fingers into his soft fur. I’d curled up against that fur when the change was still so new and surreal. I couldn’t touch it, though; my fingers went right through him when I tried.

The pain of my broken heart far surpassed that of my battered body. In my unconscious state, I mourned the loss of the black wolf as surely as if it were the loss of some great part of me. How would I go on without him?

At some point, I had the vague sensation that I was held tight in loving arms. The scent of my white wolf soothed and lulled me into deeper sleep.

I’d shifted back to my human form. I had a moment of worry as I wondered where my clothing was, but soft material wrapped around me, and the thought vanished. I allowed the scent of Shaz to comfort me as I accepted the returning darkness.

When I finally awoke, with a blinding headache, I was safe in my own bed. Shaz held my arms pinned above my head so that I couldn’t lash out at Fox as he went about cleaning and stitching my wounds. Sheets covered my breasts and pelvic region, but the rest of my lacerated body remained exposed.

The faint light of the approaching dawn cast a pretty, pink glow on Kylarai who sat at the foot of my bed. Her encouraging smile was a welcome sight.

I resisted the urge to fight off the two men that insisted on poking and prodding me. Fox was just doing what we paid him well to do, and Shaz was ensuring his safety as he did so. I let out a low moan as pain stabbed through my side. A white bandage was wound tightly around my ribs just below my breasts. I hurt when I breathed.

Ky was injured but clearly ok, which made the agony more bearable.

“You may have a concussion. Take note of any extreme headaches, vomiting or dizziness over the next day or so.” Fox’s touch was as gentle as his soft, brown eyes. This wasn’t the first time he’d tended my wounds.

“Where’s Arys?” I coughed as the words stuck in my dry throat.

When Shaz was sure I’d behave, he released my arms and handed me a glass of water from the night table. He frowned in response to my words, but I wanted to know.

“It’s sunrise,” Kylarai’s gentle voice was soothing. “He spent the last few hours cleaning up at Raoul’s. He said he’d take care of everything. No worries.” Though she directed a smile at me, her grey eyes went to Shaz in apology.

“There we go.” Fox gave a tug on the final stitch, and my stomach turned at the sensation. “No shifting for three days. You should be well enough by then.”

“Thank you, Fox,” I whispered, reaching out to accept the fuzzy blanket that Shaz drew up over me.

Fox rose to leave but paused on the threshold to the hallway. His cheeks flushed, and his eyes were downcast. “I’m sorry about Raoul. This is all very unfortunate. Call me if you need anything else at all.” Before we could reply, he ducked out of the room. His feet scuffed down the hall in his hurry to leave.

Ky made as if to follow him, but Shaz motioned for her to stay seated as he followed Fox to the front door.

“How do you feel?” I asked when we were alone. “I was worried.”

She laughed softly then winced in pain. “You were worried? This is just a flesh wound. I hear you challenged the patio door.”

“It challenged me.” I fussed with the pillow at my back, careful not to move too fast. The thought of ripped stitches was creepier than stitches in general.

“Lex,” she touched my ankle through the blanket. “What happened with Raoul … it’s not your fault.” Was my self-blame so common that it was now expected?

If I closed my eyes, I could see the ebony wolf running to take down my attacker before he could steal my innocence away. I saw him as the hero that he’d been to me as a teenage girl, a blossoming woman.

The truth was, I had indeed given myself to him, my reward to the prince who’d rescued me. It was my own youthful naivete that led to my first heartbreak. I had expected a fairytale romance, and he’d been a werewolf. He acted on instinct and accepted my gift.

I confessed none of this. I accused him of manipulating and taking advantage of me because I’d never been able to deal with being nothing more than a bedmate to him. My childish picket fence dream had gone up in smoke. It wasn’t meant to be, or at least, not for me.

But ultimately, that hadn’t been Raoul’s fault. He was the most selfish man that I knew, but he had died willingly. The paradox made my brain throb.

I accepted the hand that Ky extended to me. “I just wish we’d cleared the air.”

She nodded; she understood the absence of closure. “Arys said he’ll be by after sunset.” She hesitated and looked at the doorway as if expecting Shaz to appear. “They got into it pretty bad. Playing the blame game. You know. Arys wanted to heal you but Shaz wouldn’t let anyone but Fox touch you.”

I sighed. There was nobody to really blame for the drama and tension between Shaz and Arys but me. How did I get myself into these situations?

“Did Kale take care of you? He better have.” I grinned when a full-fledged blush accompanied her reluctant smile.

“He was a perfect gentleman. I didn’t once get the impression that he was wondering what I taste like.”

“Oh, he was. He’s just had a few centuries to practice hiding it.”

We laughed lightly together but it was strained. Forced. I could tell that Kylarai had cried upon learning of Raoul’s death. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the tangy scent of salt lingered on her skin.

When Shaz returned, she gave my hand a warm pat before excusing herself despite my insistence that she stay. As soon as we were alone and those green eyes met mine, I started to come undone.

On the bed with me, he took my hand so that it lay clasped within his. “Are you ok, Lex?”

“Yeah, I’ll live. I promise. Don’t blame Arys. It was all circumstance.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He shook his head, causing his platinum hair to fall into his eyes just the way I loved it. “Are you ok? Do you want to talk about what happened with Raoul?”

He gave me a look that said he knew there was so much more than I’d been letting on. Tears flooded my eyes, and I made a pathetic attempt to blink them away.

“I let him die thinking I hated him.” My lower lip trembled, and I felt the sob seconds before it broke from me.

I couldn’t say anymore, and he didn’t push me. As he pulled me carefully into his arms, I sunk against his comforting embrace.

For the first time in a long time, I dropped all my guards and allowed myself to feel raw emotion as I sobbed into the hollow of his neck. So recently, I’d held Raoul in much the same way as his hot tears streaked moist paths along my skin.

I hated that I hadn’t realized. I hadn’t known it was the last time we would ever have a chance to leave our bitterness aside. Perhaps, that was our closure. If only I’d known.

The entire day passed in bed with my white wolf at my side. When Arys came by that evening, I had just convinced Shaz to go to work. I insisted a day of healing had already done wonders for me. He didn’t want to leave me, but after I promised to stay home with Kylarai, he begrudgingly went and swore that he’d be back after last call.

Arys filled me in. He’d arranged Raoul’s house to look like a break in. The authorities labeled him a missing person of interest in the murders of his lovers. They could launch a nationwide manhunt, he would never be found.

Arys grasped my chin so that I was forced to meet his eyes. I felt the quiver of power begin deep down inside.

“I know it’s my fault that you were hurt so badly. I can’t tell you how terrible I feel.” The strange silence surrounding us thickened. “Your wolf is right. I don’t deserve to have what it is we share.”

His admission, though touching, was wrong. “Arys, that’s not true. I know you’d never do anything to intentionally endanger me. I trust you.”

I realized then that we were all carrying around guilt. And whatever for? It wasn’t doing any one of us a damn bit of good.

Arys was careful not to touch me too much. His sly, mischievous tendencies were absent, and without them, his comfort felt shallow. Still, he refused to leave my side until Shaz returned.

Once Shaz’s blue Cobalt turned into the driveway, the vampire leaned in so close that I was unable to resist him. He pressed his lips firmly against mine and pushed healing energy into me as he had before.

My pulse quickened and leapt as my blood pressure rose. Our auras blended and a rejuvenating breeze swept throughout my insides. The warm tingle that began in my stomach slowly spread to encompass my entire being, and I gasped when he broke the contact and rose to leave.

“I have to go.” He looked like he wanted to stay as badly as I wanted him to. “I have to feed this bloodlust before dawn. I don’t want it to rise between you and your wolf when you’re in such a weakened state.”

“I can’t shift for three days. Promise you’ll come to me if you can’t go that long.” I could see that he was itching to go before Shaz made his way inside, but I wanted his word.

He gave a silent nod but didn’t touch me, as if he didn’t trust himself. I longed for him and the energy humming around us, so I appreciated his restraint.

“Will you come by tomorrow if I’m not up to going out?”

“I promise.” He drew an X over his heart, blew me a kiss, and disappeared through the door. His footsteps were silent as he went.

Shaz’s frown told me that he’d passed the vampire on his way in, but when I held my arms out to him, the complaint died on his lips. I needed the comfort that only came from him. I never wanted to make the mistake with Shaz that I had with Raoul by hiding my true feelings.

“I need you,” I whispered when he closed the bedroom door and turned to me. “Just hold me.”

When his warm nakedness curled around me, I snuggled in close and enjoyed the scent of Shaz and his intoxicating wolf. It was a comfort all its own.

“Never leave me.” I heard my own sleepy voice murmur the words against his ear with candid and vulnerable but honest emotion.

“Never.” His embrace tightened just enough to be possessive, and my wolf relaxed, satisfied.

I was right where I wanted to be. The world could have stopped right then, and I would have died happy.

Chapter Twenty-One

I never did find Zoey’s body. Oh, I tried. The trail ended two blocks from Raoul’s house, at the creek. Despite a vampire attack and one hell of a beating, she’d survived. I knew it.

Since that night at Raoul’s, I’ve picked up her scent more than once in the forest where we run. It’s always days old and never too strong, as if she’d been there only briefly.

Was it a taunt? An open challenge to destroy her? Or was it a desperate plea for help?

I don’t care. The need for her death is deep in me. Only the challenge in Raoul’s eyes as he lay dying stops me, though I don’t know why. I wonder all the time why he chose to give his life to her. The real estate career, fancy house and flocks of women that had ruled his existence had meant nothing in comparison to what Zoey believed.

He’d wanted her to believe in his love, and he felt the only way to show her was to give her vengeance. At the end of the day, my feelings didn’t really matter. He simply waited too long to reach out to her. But, I know all too well that the reasoning behind some of our decisions doesn’t stand to reason at all.

I was back on my feet within the three days that Fox had estimated. An ugly scar marked where the largest shard had impaled me. That, too, would eventually fade to nothing.

Over a week after Raoul’s death, Arys shared with me what he’d found. He had called for me, adamant that I come to see him at his house.

Instinct told me, without a doubt, that it was bad news. He made me promise to run first to “get the wolf out” before arriving at his place after midnight, alone. I was filled with dread, shaking all the way down to my little black sandals when I rang Arys’s doorbell.

His solemn expression did nothing to ease my anxiety. He drew me into the well-lit kitchen, took my light jacket, and offered me a hot chocolate. I couldn’t stand this beating around the bush.

“Alright, spit it out.” I tossed my hair out of my face and took a deep breath. “Whatever it is that you have to say to me, get on with it. The suspense is driving me mad.”

He wouldn’t meet my eyes, and I followed his gaze to the white envelope lying on the round, wooden kitchen table.

He picked up the envelope and fingered it lightly. “I found this in Raoul’s study, taped to the bottom of a desk drawer. I was combing the place for anything unusual that the cops would be better off not finding.”

He paused, and I knew that he’d already read it. “It wasn’t sealed or addressed to anyone from the outside so I opened it. I have to warn you, Alexa, what you read here will change you forever.”

My mouth went dry, and I stared blankly at the stark white envelope in his hand. “Why bring me here? Why not give it to me when you came to see me?”

“I wanted to be sure you were back on your feet. This just seemed safer.”

“Why?” My heart was racing, and I was truly afraid.

“Read it. Unless you don’t want to.”

Of course, I had to. Raoul had left something for me, something, perhaps, that he’d wanted to say to me. I stared at the letter warily but accepted it from Arys’s outstretched hand.

My hands shook, and I fumbled to slip the lined paper from the envelope. As I unfolded it, a battle waged between my head and my heart. To open or not to open.

The letter was recent, dated the same day as our last real discussion. As I began to read, everything in me gradually came undone.

Alexa,

A part of me prays that you never learn of this while I live, but I fear my time will be cut short, and I cannot go to my grave with this haunting me.

I have always loved you and regard you with more respect than you will ever believe. I know that you feel little for me, and for that, I am both saddened and relieved.

After Naomi’s death, I swore never to love again. Love had become a plague to me, one that withered everything it touched. But then, I met your mother, and I loved her at first sight.

Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she came to me for the comfort and attention your father no longer gave. She grew to love me, too. Upon discovering this, your father became desperate to save their marriage. I did all that I could to hold on to her, but her vows and family came first. She soon told me it was over. I would have done anything for her. She meant so much to me, and I only wish I could have walked away and allowed her to be happy like she so deserved.

Instead, I gave in to my weakness, the possessive nature of the wolf inside. The bitter taste of rejection brought back terrible memories of Naomi, and with it, all of the pain and rage that I’d suppressed for so many years. I flew into a jealous rage and committed the most horrendous act of my existence.

After all this time, I still cannot believe you do not recognize me, the monster behind my eyes. I murdered your family and made you a werewolf. Words won’t express my regret. I never imagined that I could take the life of someone I so loved.

You may hate me, but I assure you, I have hated myself more than you can imagine. I will never forgive myself for what I’ve done.

I need you to know that I would beg your forgiveness, if I thought it would earn me even a little. There is nothing I can do. I know this.

I have altered my will to leave you everything except a small trust fund set aside for Zoey, should she ever accept it. I’m sorry, Alexa, because I know I am your worst nightmare come true.

I never deserved your loyalty.

Love Sincerely,

Raoul

It couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be. No, not Raoul. Of all of the werewolves in the world, please God, not him!

When I collapsed against Arys, I was overwhelmed with anger, pain and shock. I sobbed but failed to identify the rage-filled shrieks as mine. My fangs and claws appeared instantly, and I scratched at the floor, pulling uselessly to break free of Arys’s strong embrace. Snarls and growls became part of my cries as I screamed in a wordless wail.

I lost all sense of reality as I reacted to everything that I’d just learned. I wanted to kill, but my victim was already dead, which fueled my agony in the worst of ways.

Raoul should have bared his throat for me. I should have torn through his hot, living flesh in search of retribution. I felt hate in a whole new way, and I knew that I’d never truly hated before.

The power between Arys and I rose in a sudden storm, fueled by my rage. He’d wanted me here to keep me from harming myself or someone else. I so badly wanted to. At home, it would have gone very horribly wrong. I wanted to become absolute destruction.

I fought against Arys, but he held tight. I lashed out with a good right hook, and we both stopped grappling and stared at one another. Blood welled up from a cut on his lip, and I felt both shame and excitement.

“Arys, I’m sorry. I don’t know how to control this.”

My words were inaudible to me, but he nodded in understanding. “Go ahead and let it out. I’m here.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I took a long shuddery breath before licking the blood from his lip. The tiny drop shifted my frustration and pain into another outlet.

I tore his t-shirt using clawed fingers. I couldn’t stop there once his well muscled chest was bare before me. The urge to hunt, to kill, drove me as I took him down like prey, naked beneath me.

Our lovemaking was anything but loving. It was rough and raw. I released all of the pain that would never truly go away. I couldn’t shake the thought of Raoul taking my mother’s love and life. I shook with the need to tear him apart myself.

At some point, I sobbed again, and Arys accepted the angry energy admirably. I’d never felt so vulnerable, and yet I knew this was safer, here with my dark vampire. He readily accepted the tornado of my emotions and the physical assault that I launched. Shaz couldn’t witness this side of me. The very thought was frightening.

The energy that we created was stronger than before but was also somehow easier to control and direct back to the natural elements. Not a single thing went awry. Talk about progress.

For hours after the sun rose, we lay together in his giant, fluffy bed. The TV on the antique bureau was on low. I stalled, unwilling to go home because that meant showing the letter to Kylarai and making everything real all over again. This was something that I had to share with those close to me. Otherwise, it was going to eat me alive.

When I finally did leave Arys’s, I hit the drive-thru for coffee before heading to the little park just off the highway. I loved that park, with its full bridge over the pond and the fountain in the middle.

I walked around the large pond to the bridge. People sat near the playground or went in and out of the tourist office, but the bridge was all mine. I sat down so that my legs hung over the side with my arms crossed against the railing.

I read that damn letter over and over, feeling something different every time. I briefly toyed with the idea of letting it flutter from my hands to the water below.

I cursed aloud, a vent that had nothing to do with vampires or werewolves and everything to do with human nature. I ranted and raved my confusion and dismay to Raoul as if he could hear me because I feared that I’d lose my mind if I didn’t let it out.

In my time on the bridge, staring out over the park with my half-consumed coffee, I gave voice to the betrayal and disappointment inside, but no forgiveness. That mercy escaped me. I wept hot, salty tears that carried no trace of blood, just the pure cleansing release of my sorrow. I could not shake the insane anger I felt over the fact that Raoul was dead and, with him, the final confrontation I desired.

The conversation with Kylarai was easier than I’d anticipated. I handed her the letter and watched her grey eyes grow misty. After a long silence, she choked out, “Are you ok?”

I shook my head no, because I wasn’t, but forced a bitter smile anyway.

“Oh, honey.” Her arms went around me, and I allowed myself to soak up her sisterly affection. I didn’t realize how bad I’d been craving the comfort of pack, of family.

Kylarai and Shaz had been my family for several years, but now they felt like so much more. The knowledge of why my mother died did nothing to make me miss her less, though it did bring everything full circle by answering the question that I’d carried for years.

The fact that Veryl knew all of this wasn’t lost on me. I debated on whether or not to call him. As soon as the sun fell, I dialed his personal number. With the pain so fresh, I had to call.

“So, he told you.” Veryl didn’t sound in the least bit surprised. “He had said that he planned to.”

I bit my lip so that I wouldn’t say anything to him that I’d regret. “Veryl, I need to know more about Raoul. You’ve known he was the one that attacked me all this time. Why not tell me?”

He took a moment before answering, and I knew he was weighing his answers. “Alexa, there is much that I must keep quiet for a reason. I’m sure you understand. However, in this case, I worried about your well-being.”

The wheels turned in my brain as I tried to put it all together. “My well-being? How long have you known about me? I’m guessing it’s been much longer than the last five years I’ve worked for you.”

“Of course. Raoul atoned for what he’d done by taking you into his small town pack. He was to keep you safe as you developed into womanhood.”

And, as my abilities developed. I could almost hear the unspoken words that he wasn’t saying.

“You knew I could work energy.”

“Everyone can work with energy if they choose, Alexa. You were born conducting it, natural. That ability in a werewolf is priceless, of course I was interested in you.” His firm tone held no placation. He remained the practical businessman.

I felt burned that he had kept me in the dark, ultimately for his own purpose. Though Raoul hadn’t been the ideal role model, Veryl had ensured that I’d been safe through my first difficult years as a Were. None of this was really Veryl’s fault. It was Raoul’s.

“Can I ask you why you didn’t just kill him after he murdered my family?” My hands were sweaty as I tightened my grip on the phone.

“Those decisions are never the same for each situation. It was an isolated incident. And like I said, he and I struck a deal.”

Business, like everything, my fate was just business with Veryl. Did that vampire ever make decisions based on emotion or instinct? Was he always straight practicality?

“A deal? He killed my family in a fit of rage and almost killed me as well.” Bitterness was hard in my voice, but I knew he wouldn’t react to it.

“He didn’t… and now, he’s dead.” A short pause as he spoke quickly to someone in the background. “What do you want to hear, Alexa? I am sorry for the loss of your family, but I made the choice that I felt best at the time.”

I sighed. There was no point in taking out my undying resentment for Raoul on Veryl. That wouldn’t earn me anything. I couldn’t blame Veryl for treating it like he would any other situation. He wasn’t personally involved.

“Nothing. I’m just having a hard time handling this.” There, I was honest. I couldn’t see any reason not to be. “I think I need a few days to myself before I’ll be any good to you.”

“Take as much time as you need. And please, let me help with any expenses involved with this whole situation.”

I thanked him for his offer and said that I’d see him next week. After hanging up the phone, I sat on the edge of my bed and hung my head in my hands. I probably would have cried if I’d had the tears left to do so.

As it was, all I wanted to do was spend time alone in my room. I couldn’t recall the last time I’d been all alone with nothing but my thoughts and quiet contemplation. Unfortunately, life altering news had brought me to this moment of solitude.

How in the world was I going to come out the other side of this? I felt trapped in the middle of a problem with no solution. My solution had died with Raoul.

Epilogue

Life passed one day at a time. I struggled to accept the truth about my past. It was hard to move on. I’d gone from a delusional teenager with hearts in my eyes to a mid-twenties power hungry wolf with a new appreciation for the dangers of love.

Arys and I continued to discover the delicate balance of our bond. As trying as it may be, it isn’t without benefits. After more than three centuries, he sees the sun through my eyes. While we have managed to control our conjoined power, the effort remained a challenge, to say the least.

Compared to Arys and me, Shaz hadn’t adjusted any better to the link, but he accepted that it isn’t going away. My heart belonged to Shaz like all of me that is wolf, but the root of my own personal power longed for Arys as if we’d always been a part of the same flame. It was complicated. The frequent dreams about Raoul didn’t help the confusion.

After postponing our date night for almost two weeks, Shaz and I went out for the classic dinner and a movie. It was amazing how something as mundane as a real date could mean so much to me.

We asked Kylarai to join us for a run, but she just smiled and said that she’d agreed to help Kale nail a target. I’d asked her if “nail a target” was code for anything and received a nice open handed slap on the arm. A blade between the ribs hadn’t been so bad for Kylarai.

Outside, in the dark of night, I saw a black wolf framed by trees in the field. A sliver of moonlight cast a soothing glow, and I was sure my keen eyes were not playing tricks on me. When I blinked, the ghostly wolf was gone.

I sensed Shaz’s welcome approach and turned to admire his form as he stripped. Upon reading the letter from Raoul, he had responded with a fury to match my own. I felt amused that he, too, wished Raoul was still alive to take the beating that he deserved. Slowly I would learn to live with Raoul’s confession. It was a betrayal I never expected to get over.

I gently scraped my fingernails along Shaz’s firm shoulders, down his chest to his navel. He shivered in response, and I licked my lips invitingly.

With the most delicate touch, he traced the line of my jaw before nibbling ever so softly on my lower lip. His white blond hair fell across my nose, and I giggled in that girlish way that I so despise. Naked with him felt so right.

“Before or after?” His whisper tickled the inside of my ear so that I had to rub the feeling away.

“After, otherwise you’ll say you’re too tired to run. Again.” I gave him a playful shove and turned away to embrace the change to wolf.

Before I could shift, his arms snaked around my waist. I gave a small squeal and fought back by reaching behind me to the ticklish spot in his side that made him come undone. He released me immediately, and I turned to continue my assault with both hands.

“Alexa!” He tried to sound mad, but it didn’t come out that way. “Ok, ok, have it your way.” The desperation that comes from being tickled made his voice high on the last two words, and he grimaced.

Unable to resist such a cute expression, I pulled him close for a heart melting lip lock that I knew would get him panting. He tasted of mint and smelled of wolf.

“You little tease,” he called as I walked toward the field beyond the back gate. “I can’t wait to sink my teeth into you.”

I paused long enough to tap my bare bottom in invitation. He answered with a growl that added a spring to my step.

I ran and leaped, arching my body, gracefully becoming wolf in midair. Though it may have had the finesse of Hollywood graphics, it took Shaz and I almost three years to perfect the move. I couldn’t count the number of naked spills in the dirt that we’d both taken.

As I’d anticipated, Shaz was only a few seconds behind me. His paws kicked up dirt as he scrambled to catch up, and I poured on the speed as we raced to our tree.

I knew I had to go forward regardless of mistakes and lessons learned the hard way. Though life would be a lot simpler without the drama, power, and bloodshed, I have a sneaking suspicion that’s not about to end anytime soon.

The Wicked Kiss

Alexa O’Brien Huntress Book Two

By Trina M. Lee

The Wicked Kiss

Copyright 2009 by Trina M. Lee

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Editor

B. Leigh Hogan

Cover Artist

Michael Hart

Published by
Dark Mountain Books

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Chapter One

I stared at the creepy nightclub across the street. The Wicked Kiss isn’t the type of place I especially enjoy walking into. Inside, you feel as if you’ve just become the latest tasty item on the menu. Being a werewolf made it no different than if I’d been human. I was food in this place. The vampire bar may have been fascinating to some, like the many donors who risk it nightly, but to me, it’s just plain scary.

I had only been inside the club once, years ago, and I’d heard they had renovated the place since. Probably so they could add in some secret passageways or hidden torture rooms. Just a guess.

Trying to calm the nervous butterflies in my stomach, I gave my hair and makeup a final and unnecessary check. My smoky black eyeliner was still perfectly framing my dark brown eyes. I’d worn bold red lipstick, which wasn’t the usual for me. Considering the location, I’d planned on blending in the best I could. I had to admit to myself that I looked pretty hot.

I ran my fingers through my long hair and took a deep breath. The chunks of dyed gold that I’d had blended into my light, ash blonde hair had faded out over the past few months. Always one to have fun with color, I’d replaced it with an amazing fire engine red. The alternating layers of blonde and red that framed my face did wonders to play up my eyes.

Now that I was at The Wicked Kiss, I really didn’t want to go in. And, I never would have even considered it if Kale hadn’t been inside. He’d been missing for three days, and he wouldn’t likely be anywhere else for that length of time. Because he was my colleague and my friend, I was willing to withstand some discomfort. That, and because if I didn’t go in there and drag him out, Kylarai would, which couldn’t possibly go over well.

Kylarai Kramer, my passive-aggressive best friend, had been seeing my danger-seeking vampire colleague for the last three months. However, they had been coming to realize that their relationship wasn’t going to be too cut and dried.

One of the reasons I didn’t want Ky going into The Wicked Kiss was because she wasn’t comfortable with Kale taking blood from the donors there. Unfortunately, blood is a vital part of a vampire’s existence, and Kale, being a product of vampire torture, preferred the donor set up to the kill. Feeding for a vampire can be very intimate and often includes more than blood alone. Kylarai knows it’s part of being with Kale, whether she likes it or not.

Steeling myself against the nerves that threatened to keep me in the car, I double checked my shoulder bag for my cell phone and opened the door. I paused to adjust my cleavage in the tight-fitting, black corset I wore. It looked great paired with pinstriped dress pants and my favorite four-inch heeled boots. A strategically placed leather choker was my way of hiding my neck. No open invitations here.

Bumping the door of my red Dodge Charger Daytona shut with my hip, I locked it with a beep and crossed the street. I scanned the parking lot of the bar for Kale’s slick 1973 Camaro. Sure enough, there it was near the back. I was somewhat surprised to see that his rims were still attached to his car. This wasn’t a good area of town. Although, anyone who wants to live to see another day wouldn’t touch a car in this lot.

If I said I wasn’t scared to walk through the doors of the club, I’d be lying. I was somewhat reassured that both Kylarai and Jez knew where I was. If they didn’t hear from me within an hour or two, they were supposed to come in after me.

Of course, if I was dead or forced to be somebody’s plaything by then, it wouldn’t matter. There were rules in this place, as far as I knew, but, I mean, we’re talking vampires here.

Nobody lingered outside. Two heavy wooden doors opened into a small foyer. A cashier stand stood off to one side where a female vampire waited to take my cover charge. She was new, as in, a new vampire. The energy rolling off her felt tainted with human. At least the smell of death had faded.

How many vampires woke up to their new life in this place? I shuddered at the thought, but my curiosity was piqued.

A few feet away from the cashier stand was a tall, beefy bouncer. He, too, was a member of the undead as was most of the staff in this place. He gave me a critical once over before nodding his head towards the cashier chick.

“How much?” I asked her, fully aware that I sounded like a total newbie.

“Ten bucks,” she replied, making no attempt to hide her wonder as she ogled me. Werewolves are not nearly as common or easy to become as vampires. This happened often.

Handing her a ten dollar bill, I turned away to pass the big vampire blocking the entry into the club beyond. He crossed his big arms over his chest and looked down at me from his tall stance.

“Sorry, but anything coming in here that isn’t human is subject to being searched.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

I was wearing a freaking corset and slacks, where did he think I could possibly be hiding something? Sighing, I allowed him to give me a quick pat down and low and behold, he never even tried to grope me. Good for him.

When he was satisfied that I wasn’t carrying a stake, or whatever else he was looking for, he moved aside and let me pass into the main bar beyond. Of course, little did he know that my biggest arsenal was on me at all times. Having the ability to conduct and manipulate energy often meant I didn’t need a physical weapon, especially since my power had grown due to my bond with Arys, my vampire lover.

Loud Goth rock music greeted me as I stepped inside. The only lighting in the place was a series of black lights strewn about and a few large strobe lights that illuminated those on the dance floor to my right. The bar was to my left, and I went there first.

The place was not expansively big, but it was on the larger side. Framed classic horror movie posters adorned the far wall behind the dance floor, and a glass-encased candle burned on each of the tables scattered around. A DJ booth was tucked away in the corner behind the dance floor as well as a fireplace and two red velvet couches near the bar where I stood.

It wasn’t hard to tell the humans from the vampires. Other than their obvious energy difference, the humans seemed to be wannabe vamps more than anything else. An assortment of heavily made-up men and women in dog chains and fake leather were everywhere. The scent of blood was mixed with that of sweat, booze and vanilla candles.

I knew about the private area where vampires and donors could escape to their own room for uninterrupted feeding and whatever else they did back there. The main club was just a front for what lies in the back.

I knew that’s where Kale had to be when I didn’t spot him. I still wasn’t sure how I was going to get back there to him. I considered fabricating a lame story but decided that honesty may be the best bet.

The biker-style bartender slid the whiskey I ordered down the bar without looking twice at me. I’m sure he saw more than enough interesting tidbits in a place like this.

Sipping my drink, I feigned interest in the bodies on the dance floor, which writhed more than they danced. It was downright creepy. The entire place was a swarm of humans and vampires falling all over each other. I was the only Were in the place.

I felt eyes on me before I determined whose they were. A tall, thin vampire in a hockey jersey and jeans was advancing on me fast from the other side of the room. He was longhaired and scraggly, with a poor excuse for a goatee. His power was weak, mediocre at best. I wasn’t intimidated in the least.

Oh great, I thought. I couldn’t imagine this would be easier than turning down the human jackasses that wouldn’t take no for an answer at Lucy’s Lounge, my usual hangout.

“You’re new here.” He didn’t bother to beat around the bush. Most vampires don’t. “We don’t get many werewolves in here.”

“Yeah, well I’m just here to have a drink and look for my friend. Don’t let me keep you.” I smiled and tried my best for polite. I didn’t need to piss off every vampire in the place by coming across as aggressive.

“Is that so? Perhaps I can persuade you to rethink that.” His serious brown eyes studied me, waiting for my reaction.

“No, thank you. Really, I’m in a bit of a hurry.” I finished the rest of my drink in one swallow as if to emphasize my words. The resulting alcohol rush was pleasant but short-lived.

The vampire glanced out, over the small crowd gyrating on the dance floor, before looking back at me. It didn’t look like he planned to move along. I began to grow impatient. I didn’t have time for this crap.

He actually took a step closer to me, inclining his head in a way that he must have thought was endearing. “What will it take to get you to come back to a room with me? Just for a little taste. Name it. I can match your price.”

So, he thought he could buy my precious werewolf blood with money. This was getting ridiculous.

“I’m not here as a donor. I’m sorry, but I’m busy. I’m sure there are plenty of ladies here who would be more than happy to give you a fix.” I turned to walk away, but his cold hand on my bare shoulder stopped me dead in my tracks.

“Look,” he said, and his tone had dropped to a deadly pitch. “Maybe you don’t understand how potent Were blood is to a vampire, but walking in here without being willing to share is something that could get you killed.”

I met his eyes evenly, allowing myself a hint of the wicked smile I’d picked up from Arys. “Is that a threat? Or a challenge?”

Without waiting for him to respond, I glanced at the spot where he touched me and focused on it. All it took was a thought, and I pushed power into that spot hard enough to make him stumble back, arms flailing. It wasn’t enough to land him on his ass though, lucky him.

It certainly got the attention of a few club patrons nearby. I didn’t risk a glance at them. I stared at the vampire, expecting some kind of retaliation. I did not expect the reaction I got.

His eyes grew wide, and he took a few steps toward me but stopped out of reach. “You’re Arys Knight’s wolf.” It wasn’t a question.

I bristled at his words. What in the hell was Arys telling people? I didn’t belong to anybody.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded, hands on my hips.

“I’m so sorry,” he continued in a blubbering rush as if I hadn’t spoken. “I didn’t know. I swear, I never would have tried if I’d known.”

He began to back away slowly, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. I advanced on him, ignoring the curious looks from those at the table closest to us.

“Wait, I want to know where you heard that.” I also had a sudden idea as to how I might be able to get into the back. Maybe I could use this to my advantage.

“I don’t know.” He glanced around as if looking for someone to save him. “Everyone knows who he is. You’re laced with his energy. You have to be the wolf he’s bonded to. Right?”

Was no information considered sacred anymore? Or, was it just that obvious to others? I didn’t like that my business was getting out and about.

“Right.” I nodded. There really was no point in lying. “You know Arys?”

If he hadn’t already looked frightened, he did now. “I know that I don’t want any beef with him. I said I was sorry.”

This might be easier than I thought. “Ok fine, I’ll forget all about it if you do me a small favor.”

His expression grew suspicious, but he didn’t turn and run. So far, so good. “What?”

“Take me into the back so I can find my friend.” I nodded at the heavy, black velvet curtain that hung ominously over a door in the back, next to the bar. A piece of bright red hair fell in my eyes, and I gave my head a toss.

The vampire stared at me as if unsure of what to do. After a moment, he shrugged. “Alright. I’ll take you back there for a few minutes, but that’s it. I don’t need to get in shit for this.”

“You won’t. I promise.” After a moment of consideration, I offered him a hand. “I’m Alexa.”

He appeared hesitant before accepting. He felt cool and clammy, like he hadn’t fed in a while. “Shawn.”

“Sorry to inconvenience you, Shawn, but I really need to get back there to my friend. This won’t take long.”

“I’ll get you back there, but I’m not responsible for whatever happens after that.” Shawn glanced at the bartender and then back at me. I guessed that was who provided access to the velvet-covered door. “Who is your friend?”

I debated on not telling him but didn’t think the information would be that critical. Kale was a regular here anyway.

“Kale Sinclair. I work with him. He’s needed for something.” I fudged a little on my reasons, but Shawn didn’t need to know.

He suddenly had this look of recognition, and he gave a little laugh that surprised me. “Oh Kale, yeah, he’s been here a lot lately. I’ll take you to his room.”

Shawn turned away towards the bar, and I followed him, feeling the eyes on me from behind. The bartender never even looked at us twice before handing a room key over to Shawn. I guess regulars had an all access pass.

Kale had his own room? Was it just me, or was that kind of disturbing?

When Shawn approached the black curtain, my breath caught in my lungs, and adrenaline rushed forth to set my heart racing. I was nervous and completely unable to hide it. This was so not my domain.

Before sweeping the curtain aside, Shawn turned to me, a pensive look on his face. “I’ll take you to his room and then go to this one.” He held up the key in his hand. “After fifteen minutes, I’m coming out, so you have to make it quick.”

I studied him, scanning for any reason not to put my trust in him, at least temporarily. “Thanks Shawn. I appreciate this.”

He cast a wry smile over his shoulder at me. “No problem. Just make sure to put me on Arys’s do-not-harm list.” He chuckled slightly, going silent when he pulled back the heavy curtain.

I really didn’t think he was joking though, and I made a mental note to do my best to do just that, as long as he was true to his word and didn’t somehow screw me over.

The curtain led us into a small foyer-type area. There were chairs and a small table off to one side and an ashtray and mini bar to the other. A hallway branched off either side of the foyer, a red carpet leading the way.

Wall sconces hung with candles burning to light the way down the dark halls. Paintings hung along the way, but otherwise, the halls were dark and bare. Shawn turned to the right, and I felt my skin begin to crawl.

I followed him down the hall, noting the numbers on the doors. On this side, they were odd, going one, three, five and so on. I assumed the even numbers were the opposite way. Shawn stopped suddenly between doors, his voice low as he whispered.

“Number thirteen is Kale’s. I’ll be in seventeen. Remember, fifteen minutes.” Before I could reply, he had continued down the hall and disappeared into the dark.

The door closest to me was number seven, so I had a few more to go. As I drew closer to Kale’s room, I began to get increasingly anxious. I was a fit of nerves when I stood outside, staring at the number on the door. There was a strange energy in the hall that bit at my skin like angry red ants.

The hallway was so silent that I imagined each room to be soundproof. Either that, or there was something going on in these rooms that I did not want to know about.

I steeled my nerves, knowing that it was now or never. I raised my hand to knock but never even came close to landing the motion before the door jerked open, revealing a pale young woman with red hair, clad in a silky nightgown. Her neck was an assortment of red, swollen bite marks.

I stared at her in shock, and my words died before I’d given voice to them.

Chapter Two

I gaped openly at her, my tongue tied as I tried to spit some words out. She eyed me with an obvious disdain, and I resisted my sudden urge to grab her by the throat.

“What do you want?” she asked with contempt heavy in both her tone and expression.

Before I could answer, Kale’s voice rang out from behind her. “I told you to let her in.” The redhead glared at me, but it was a pathetic attempt. I’d seen worse.

Despite the fact that she didn’t want to, she moved back to allow me entrance. I stepped into the room, afraid of what I would see. The room was dark, lit only by two matching candles in a fancy iron candelabrum that sat on the small night table near the bed. The air was thick with an aggressive energy that lingered almost painfully.

The carpet was more of the same from the hall. Everything was laid out just like a hotel room would be. A table with two chairs stood in one corner, a bathroom and a bureau adorned with alcohol, bottled water and small snack items completed the room. I didn’t like it one bit.

“Kale?” I couldn’t hide the worry in my tone. I cast a glance around while his donor continued to give me a death glare. I really wanted to slap her. “We need to have a little chat, buddy.”

Kale was lying in the bed amid black, satin sheets and a furry, zebra print comforter. I had never seen him quite like this, and it scared me. He appeared to be nude, the sheets shoved down to his waist. His bare chest was firm, well built.

I didn’t like the look he wore. His different-colored eyes bore the look of a junkie soaring as high as he could get. He’d been born with heterochromia iridium, a gene condition that results in mismatched eyes. One was deep brown while the other was a pale blue. The effect was magnificent but, at the moment, a little eerie.

“Alexa, come in. Close the door behind you.” At his sudden gesture, the door closed behind me on its own before I’d even moved. This was not quite going how I’d imagined. The energy soaked atmosphere picked at my flesh.

I stared at the vampire in the bed, more than aware that I was dealing with a side of Kale that was not the usual for me. I completely ignored the red-haired woman standing beside me, staring like she knew whom she was dealing with. Of course, being a human, she had no idea of what I was.

“Kylarai is really worried. You need to leave here … now.” I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

My best glare was lost on him. The smile that adorned his handsome face reminded me of every vampire I’ve tangled with right before he goes for the bite. It was almost as evil as it was predatory, and it did not look right on Kale. It was nerve wracking, and I found myself on the defensive.

“Kylarai worries about everything,” he said, waving a hand as if to draw me closer. I didn’t budge from where I stood near the door. “I’m sure I haven’t been here that long.”

“If you don’t know how long you’ve been here, then that’s too long. Come on, I’m taking you home.” I had to resist the urge to cover my nose. The room reeked of sweat and blood, among other things.

Kale sighed and ran a hand through his short, dark brown hair. It was just a few shades lighter than black and messy, like it hadn’t been washed or combed in days. He looked away from me, down at the zebra blanket in his lap. When he looked up again, I saw a semblance of the Kale I knew behind his eyes.

“Jennifer, it would be best if you left now. I’ll give you a call.” He gave her a look that struck me as odd. It was almost pleading. He was hoping she wouldn’t make a scene.

“What?” Her voice was flat, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Just like that, I’m out of here? I spend three days in here with you, and as soon as the next one shows up, I’m dismissed? That’s fucked, Sinclair.”

I stood back and waited for the awkward moment to pass. I hated being part of someone else’s drama. I watched Kale roll his eyes at her, motioning to where her clothing lay tossed on the back of a chair.

I cleared my throat, drawing their attention to me. “I’d just like to say that I am not a donor. I work with Kale. This is about business.”

Jennifer scrutinized my tight corset and killer heels before nodding as if she knew all too well. “It’s always business with Kale.”

She grabbed the clothes off the back of the chair and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and muttering a series of muffled curses. I stared at Kale, expecting some kind of serious explanation.

He met my eyes, and I was sure I saw the flicker of total humiliation hidden in the depths of his carefully constructed vampire gaze. It was quickly replaced with irritation.

Something in me did not like this situation. I realized that, though I wasn’t afraid, I was wary. Something wasn’t right. I again had the sensation of being prey in this place, something the wolf in me detested. I am a predator by nature, even more so since I’d formed a permanent metaphysical bond with a vampire. I didn’t appreciate being looked at as if I were lower on the food chain.

The sound of running water and drawers slamming came from the bathroom. Jennifer didn’t seem too happy about being asked to leave. I would have been glad to take off right then myself.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Alexa.” Kale cast a glance around for a robe, which he spotted on the chair a few feet away. “It’s dangerous here. You’re like a dose of premium fuel in a place that only has regular. Someone will fixate on you in a heartbeat.”

I watched him slip from the bed in one fluid motion, pulling the robe secure around his slender but firm frame. Kale was certainly a sweet sight on most days, but right now, I was more interested in my safety than his lean physique.

“So I’ve discovered. But, it was either me or Kylarai, so be grateful for small blessings.” That you don’t deserve, I added silently.

Now that he was out of the bed, his presence seemed to grow. It was intimidating. I stood my ground when he came towards me, my pulse quickening in my veins.

“Why are you so nervous?” He asked softly, leaning in to reach behind me, to the hook on the back of the door where his finely pressed pants hung.

When he closed the short distance between us, I could feel the energy trickling from him to tickle me wherever it touched. I rubbed my arms but didn’t step away from him like I wanted to.

“Why do you think?” I looked up into his intense light and dark eyes, more than a little concerned. “You’re wired. Been doing a little binging, huh?”

Kale’s pupils were dilated. They shone with a strange, translucent shimmer. He made no attempt to get out of my personal space, and that instantly raised a red flag for me.

“I wouldn’t hurt you. You’re not food to me. You know I see you as an equal.” His words said one thing, but his actions said another. His clothing hung forgotten in one hand; his gaze transfixed on my throat, despite the choker I wore.

“Then why are you thinking about what I taste like, Kale? I think you need to take a step back.” I was careful not to move too much, cautious to avoid doing anything to set him off. I wanted so badly to gather the energy at my core in case I needed sudden defense, but if I did, he’d know.

He gave his dark head a slight shake before turning away from me. His energy grew strained. His sudden distress caused the power level in the room to rise further.

“Dammit, Jennifer! Get out of the bathroom and get out of here. I don’t have time for your dramatics right now.” I’d only heard that vehemence in his tone when we were hunting to kill.

I had a hard time believing he really found the awkward donor thing to be worth the hassle. It made me kind of glad that Arys frowned upon this lifestyle. I don’t think I could handle him becoming this involved with random women who were supposed to serve one purpose only.

When Kale glanced my way again, the shame was evident in his eyes. Maybe there was a really good reason he chose this way. I knew he’d been forced into a lot of things in the past, things that were beyond evil. I was clearly getting the feeling that there was much more to Kale’s preferences than I wanted to know. He was pushing it with this binging. It was junkie behavior and not at all healthy.

The angry sounds coming from the washroom filled the strange silence. Kale stood staring at the door as if he really didn’t know what to do with himself. He seemed to be fighting a battle within himself, one he was bound to lose, again. Perhaps that was it right there. He enjoyed the pleasure that came with giving in.

I could relate to that. After Arys and I had bonded our energy, we’d ended up sharing both our strengths and weaknesses. I’d slaughtered a man during a moment of uncontrollable bloodlust. There hadn’t been much left of him when I was done. Of all the things I’ve ever had to deal with, the affliction of the vampire’s hunger was the most terrifying.

Feeling odd, I cleared my throat. “Look Kale, just get dressed, and I’ll drive you home.”

He banged on the bathroom door, avoiding direct eye contact. “What about my car?” As an afterthought he added, “It’s still out there, right?”

“Yeah, we’ll deal with it.”

The door to the bathroom swung open, and Jennifer strode out, a small overnight bag in her hand. “Have fun with your newest flavor, Kale. Don’t call me anymore. You’re much too back and forth for me. That’s not what I’m here for.”

Kale sighed but only muttered, “Good riddance.” I couldn’t help but wonder about the tension between them. I thought this was supposed to be some sort of business arrangement, like high-class prostitution.

The glare that Jennifer shot me was pure venom, and she even dared to go so far as to shoulder her way past me. I grabbed her elbow, reacting without thinking about it. Before she could reach the door, I had her pressed up against it.

In one blink my brown eyes went from human to wolf and four sharp incisors filled my mouth, two on the top and bottom. I growled into her face, a jolt of excitement filling me as the fear rolled off her skin.

“I am not whoever or whatever you think I am. And, the next time you step out of line with me, consider yourself dead.” I smiled as I spoke. “Because I don’t stop at just a little.”

The color drained out of her face, and she nodded her head vigorously. Her eyes were wide with horror as she stared at my fangs. They were twice as long as any vampire’s, a good two inches or more. Vampire fangs are sharp and extend an inch or so longer than the rest of their teeth all the time. Mine only show up when the wolf comes out.

Jennifer didn’t dare squeak a word. Though I felt Kale’s high-strung energy behind me, he never moved to intervene. Smart vampire.

When I decided she knew I meant business, I let her go and stepped back. She stunk like wounded prey, and I wanted her to leave before any of Arys’s temptations got the better of me.

The door slammed in my face upon her hasty exit, and I physically had to resist the instinctual urge to follow her. My body hummed with energy that was quickly growing. I’d need a release soon, like the impact of a good chase, or risk the consequences of building up too much, too fast. Ten deep breaths didn’t make me feel much better.

“I am not prey in this place. Don’t ever compare me to humans that ask for it again.” My voice shook slightly as I rode a wave of adrenaline.

Kale seemed to think before speaking, choosing his words carefully. “Alexa, you know I never meant that. This place can be dangerous to anyone.”

“Obviously, Kale,” I replied, the words flying off my tongue. “Look at what it’s done to you.”

Was that a low blow? Maybe just a little bit. But, I was ticked that all of the crazy-ass power in this place was tempting me and his weakness had brought me here in the first place. That, and my concern for both him and Kylarai. I was there because I cared, but that didn’t mean that I had to be happy about it.

Without another word, Kale slipped soundlessly into the bathroom and closed the door. I felt like a jerk, but someone had to say it. I’m pretty well known for being the one to say what we’re all thinking when everyone else chickens out. True, it didn’t earn me many friends, but I’m not the type to fake nice when something needs to be said.

While Kale was busy dressing, I tapped out a fast text message to Ky to let her know I was with him. Then, I placed a call to have Kale’s car towed safely back to his house. No way was I letting him out of my sight. Not until he was home and the sun was up.

There was a squeak as the bathroom door opened and Kale stepped out. Fully dressed, hair smoothed into place, he almost looked like the version of himself that I was used to dealing with.

I was painfully aware of the new and strange tension between us. It was both foreign and unwelcome. I had to say something.

“I’m sorry, Kale. I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s not my place.” My apology sounded forced. At least, it did to me.

He waved it away and began to gather his wallet from where it lay open on the table. Money spilled out, and I wondered how much these vampires were handing out for a lame re-creation of the real deal.

I knew firsthand that the true thrill of the chase, the ecstasy and release that came with the kill could never be duplicated. Kale clearly had enough problems without me laying on the guilt trip. He wasn’t my boyfriend.

“I don’t expect you to understand everything I do. I know how utterly insane this must look to you.” His usually melodic tone was listless and dull. “This has been a hard week for me. I think it’s the target I killed for Veryl last week.” He paused and glanced around the untidy room.

Veryl Armstrong was our go-to guy for the nasty targets that we get paid to take out. Most of what we do involves policing our own supernatural society as it co-exists alongside human society. If sunrise came and some numb-nuts vampire hadn’t exposed us all with his thoughtless actions, then we’d done our job. Being touted as fictional has its advantages, and we’d like to keep it that way. The few humans that knew the truth, like the ones here, were clearly little threat: disposable and not likely to be believed by anyone they were dumb enough to tell.

“What do you mean?” I was disturbed by the haunted glow behind his eyes. I was more than ready to leave, but I didn’t want to rush him.

The power rolling off him was steady and natural but stronger than usual. It was chipping away at what remained of my self-reserve. All of this vampire energy was stirring the vampire magic that lay coiled like a snake within me, bonded to my very being.

Kale did a final sweep of the room before striding to the door, stopping when his hand hit the cool, solid metal knob. “This vampiress I hunted, she just looked so much like … her.”

His voice trailed off, but I knew whom he was talking about, the one who had turned him. She’d almost broken him. I knew enough of his past to know that it was a miracle he’d come out the other side of it with his sanity intact. His inclination to slake his blood hunger with willing donors had a lot to do with the things she’d made him see and do.

“She wasn’t though, Kale. You should have gone to Kylarai.” I imagined the predatory look in his eyes when I’d come in and thought better of that suggestion. “Or me or Lilah. But, I do understand why you do this.” I gestured to the room before laying a hand on his arm. “I’m the last person in the position to judge.”

I laughed lightly in hopes of relaxing the strained mood. It managed to get me a smile out of him, which I took to be a good sign. Kale and I are friends, but we don’t share the level of intimacy reserved for extremely close friends. I have that with Ky and sometimes Jez. I was more than a little uncomfortable in this situation.

“I do love her, Alexa,” he said suddenly, the door open just a crack as he held it. “Kylarai has come to hold a very special place in my life.”

I opened my mouth to tell him that he didn’t owe me any explanations. Before I could get a word out, he continued in a rush.

“I just want you to know that. Because I know you only came in here for her.” He shook his head slightly, as if searching for a thought.

A loud bang followed by a shriek came from the room next door, and I jumped. Everything about this place was getting creepier by the second. Kale was completely unfazed by it.

“Kale,” I said, wanting to get straight to the point. “Don’t think for a minute that I think badly of you. I know you’re one of the good guys. Trust me when I say, you don’t even come close to comparing with some of the assholes out there. Now, let’s get the hell out of here before I lose my mind.”

It bothered me that Kale worried about my opinion of him. Maybe he needed to do a little soul searching, examine his opinion of himself.

He was absolutely adamant that we leave through the back exit. I can’t say I was especially fond of walking through the club again, but his resistance piqued my curiosity.

When we left the room, the first thing I noticed was the horror movie-style quiet in the hall. There was no sign of Shawn or anyone else for that matter. I followed Kale back the way I’d come. Instead of turning to the door with the velvet curtain, he went all the way down to the other end of the even numbered hall.

We had almost reached the exit door at the end, when door number sixteen burst open and a giggling mid-forties woman came out followed by a large African Canadian vampire.

The guy was large enough to bench press my petite frame with one arm, I was sure. I caught his attention immediately as he identified what I was. His dark eyes went from me to Kale, and a grin revealed white teeth, his fangs drawing my eye.

“Kale, buddy. How did you get so lucky?” He winked and nodded at me as if I wasn’t listening. “Prime pickings, my friend.”

Kale appeared flustered, eyeing the exit door. “Indeed, Justin. However, those pickings are most certainly not mine.” He looked embarrassed, and I started to feel my patience slipping.

The big vampire studied me; the brunette at his side, now quiet in speculation. I met his eyes evenly, unafraid.

“What are you?” He asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

“What?” I gaped at him. “You know what I am.”

He didn’t move, just continued to stare at me. I had the sensation that he was analyzing my energy, much the way one would slowly pick apart a sip of fine wine.

My mind was reeling. I needed out of this moment, now. Nobody had asked me what I was in months. The last man to do so had been my former Alpha, Raoul Roberts. The same night that he’d said it, I had watched as his daughter killed him.

Raoul had been the first man I’d ever fallen in love with. He had also been the first man to break my heart. If that was all he’d done, I could have gotten over it. I’d learned soon after his death that he had been the one that murdered my family after having an affair with my mother. He was directly responsible for the attack that infected and turned me.

Those same words, “What are you?” they haunted my dreams. That question was one of the last things Raoul had said to me before he died. Now, here was this big, scary vampire asking the same thing.

He was looking at me with a mix of interest and confusion. “Oh, I know what you are Huntress.” He gave me a wink and a chuckle that made my spine tense. “But, there’s something else there. Something undead.”

His words almost caused my heart to stop. Shawn hadn’t had a clue until I had thrown a little power around. Justin was clearly more perceptive and a lot more intimidating.

I smiled and shook my head. I wasn’t going to be coerced into giving up my secret.

Kale cleared his throat and said, “We really should be going.”

We made as if to move, and Justin held up a hand. “Tell me.”

I did not like the commanding tone he used. Who the hell did he think he was to demand from me?

“Come on, Justin, lay off.” Kale reached to draw me closer in a protective gesture.

The hallway was stifling, and I began to crave some fresh air. Justin glared at Kale, and I sensed the unspoken challenge. With an exasperated sigh, I held up a hand, forming a perfect psi ball with little more than a thought. It glowed with swirling traces of my gold and Arys’s midnight blue energy.

Justin’s eyes widened, but his lady friend didn’t react. Only humans with an incredible sixth sense can see energy. I’d been one of them once. It was much the same with Weres. Vampires were the exception, as increased psychic abilities came as part of the package, though it varied by vampire.

I made no further motion, simply showing him the ball and then allowing it to drop. Kale stiffened as the vampire and wolf energy buzzed around us. Together, it created something much bigger than either Arys or I was on our own.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Kale breathed the words in my ear. His nervous glance at the occupied rooms around us set my heart to racing as I realized how stupid what I’d just done was.

“Arys Knight,” Justin said, nodding as if he’d known all along and had just wanted confirmation. “You’re prettier than he let on. I can see why he’s been trying to keep your identity quiet. I wouldn’t let a tasty little thing like you become common knowledge either.”

Was that supposed to be flattering? And, how in the hell did all these vampires know one another? Small world.

“Um, thanks.” I frowned, unable to humor him.

“We really need to go.” Kale jerked into action, pulling me with him as he pushed open the door to the parking lot beyond. “Justin, have a lovely night.”

The bigger vampire watched us pensively but didn’t attempt to stop us. The look he wore was so curious, so eager that I felt the grip of panic tighten my chest. Was I safe from these vampires because of my bond with Arys? Or, was I in more danger than I realized?

I gulped in the fresh night air, feeling like I had just escaped prison. “How do these vampires know who I am? I’m sure I don’t have a reputation that precedes me.” If there was a slight tremor in my voice, it wasn’t a coincidence.

The parking lot was empty of people. The tow truck hadn’t come for Kale’s car yet. The street noise carried to us as we walked toward it from the back of the building. I was so relieved to be out of there.

“That’s debatable, but I think you underestimate your vampire, Alexa. He’s a bigger player than I think you’re aware of.” He looked at me almost apologetically, and it made me feel naive. I had no idea what Arys was up to when away from me, but I had a feeling that I was in the dark on a lot.

“How so?” When he headed towards his car, I steered him away with a gentle hand, back toward the front street. “It’ll be towed. I’m taking you home. And, I didn’t know you and Arys ran in the same circle. Neither of you mentioned knowing the other before last summer.”

He made a noise of exasperation. “There was nothing to mention. Arys is notorious in this city for being the kind of guy you tiptoe around if you don’t want to get killed. He has a tendency of making sure everyone weaker than him knows it.”

That I could certainly believe. “So, who isn’t weaker than Arys?” His cocky attitude was nothing new to me, but it sounded like a recipe for trouble.

Kale fixed me with a serious gaze that betrayed the monster behind his eyes. “For a long time, very few. Since he has been bound to you, nobody.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Really?” We walked around to the front of The Wicked Kiss where we cut down half a block and waited for the traffic lights to change. “Why does that give me a bad feeling?”

The crosswalk light lit up, and we crossed to where my red beast of a car sat. I was itching to talk to Arys now. He was going to get us into deep shit.

“If it makes you feel any better, it’s not like he can hide it from the rest of us. Neither of you can. I was aware of it the moment I was in your presence after you forged your bond.” Kale paused to watch the tow truck that turned into the lot of the vampire club. I could see the concern etched on his fine features. “I don’t think it endangers you as much as it strengthens you.”

I was starting to think that my world wasn’t as broad as it needed to be. I didn’t know nearly enough about the goings on of vampire society despite my romantic and metaphysical entanglement with one. The fact that I was also bonded to nature as well as deeply involved with my fellow werewolf, Shaz Richardson, was keeping me immersed in the world of Were to the point of ignorance.

I unlocked the Charger and climbed in, Kale mirroring my action on the other side. Worry nagged at the back of my mind. I’d been an idiot to think Arys and I had something we could keep under wraps like a superhero disguise.

Kale was quiet during the drive across the city to his south side home. I turned the radio up to break the silence because I really wasn’t sure what to say. We’d just come to a stop at a red light when he spoke, startling me in the quiet.

“The things that she made me do, Lex. I can’t stop flashing back to it. To how good it felt even as I hated myself for loving it.” His fingers gripped the door handle, and he stared out his window, but I don’t think he was seeing what lay beyond it. “All I can think about is stalking a pretty young thing, letting the hunger build to the breaking point, the need for release. It’s been so many years since I’ve savored the power of life filling that void deep down. But, sometimes it feels like just yesterday that I bled someone from a vein in every body part while they begged me to stop. And damn, it was good.”

I risked a glance at him but couldn’t see the expression he wore. Memories could be a powerful thing. Arys’s memories had caused me to attack Shaz. They had a tendency to turn up in my dreams more often than I’d like.

I cleared my throat, a nervous anxiety growing in my stomach. “Maybe you should talk to Veryl. Maybe he can help you deal with this.”

He laughed bitterly. “Veryl is the last person to go to when it comes to not being ruthless. The guy is a madman. He’s already told me what a fool I am for frequenting a place like the Kiss.”

Then maybe you should just kill someone and get it over with before you lose your mind, I thought. I refused to give voice to the thought though, knowing it was the predator in me talking, not the humanity.

I wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not that Veryl was currently out of town, along with a few others that we work with. They’d gone to look into some strange activity in a neighboring city, leaving us to pick up the slack and keep each other out of trouble. Hopefully.

“How do you keep from losing it in a place like The Wicked Kiss?”

“With plenty of practice and a few prayers,” he sighed and picked at a loose string on the seat cover. “I’d be lying if I said nobody has ended up dead in that place.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go there for awhile. Why not pick off a few of the johns that pick up the teenage prostitutes or something? It’s not like they’re doing society any favors.” It sounded harsh, but it’s true.

“I know, but I’m not sure I could stop there. The things that bitch did to me. It goes so much deeper than killing. It’s all about the joy, the satisfaction of the terror and the screams.” Though he continued to stare out the window, I could tell by his tone that he now wore a smile as he spoke. “Oh, the screams, I think that’s got to be the part I miss the most.”

The first trace of true fear settled into the pit of my stomach. The lilt to his voice oozed desire for bloodshed and death. Goosebumps broke out on my skin, and I took a deep, calming breath.

“Kale? Are you alright?” I hated asking. It seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to say something I didn’t want to hear.

A long silence was followed by his voice, low and wickedly smooth. “Did you know your blood smells like pine and earth? And, feels like power? More power than any werewolf should ever have.”

If I thought I was already anxious, I was full blown alarmed now. I turned into his neighborhood, desperately trying to maintain my cool. Every instinct I had told me to pull over and get out of the car.

“Power that I’m not afraid to use.” I murmured the warning as the small hairs along the back of my neck bristled.

“The best victims are the ones that fight the hardest.” He turned to me then, his pupils so huge his eyes appeared to have no color but black. “Please, don’t tempt me. Everything in me is aching to feel that hot, wolf energy roll over me. All it would take is one bite.”

I met his eyes defiantly. I had no choice. There was no way I was playing the victim. “Don’t make me kick your ass, Kale.”

“I think you might have to.” The scent of fear filled the interior of the car. Kale was afraid of himself. If he lost control, this was going to go from bad to worse.

Another two blocks, and we’d be at his house. Could we make it that far without killing each other?

“Don’t.” My voice was sharp with warning, laced with the gruffness of wolf. “You didn’t come this far to be taken out by a friend, did you?”

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Kale. But, knowing that he was thinking about hurting me made me ready to do so. We rounded a bend in the road. I could see his house looming dark and foreboding at the end of the street.

“That sounds like a challenge to me,” he replied viciously, and I knew that I’d lost him.

Before I could reply or react, he’d crossed the small space between us. His breath was hot against my face, and as I struggled to avoid him, the car swerved from one side of the road to the other, tires squealing. I let out a small cry and threw up a hand to ward him off while trying to control the car with the other.

He fought for my throat. His fingers dug into the arm I held between us. I slammed on the brakes, bringing the Charger to a screeching halt. The moment I tapped into it, the energy rose and, I concentrated on forcing him back with it. There wasn’t enough space in the car for a full on attack, and I had no choice but to be physical as well.

Because I was wedged between the steering wheel and my seat, I couldn’t move much. He was fighting to bare my throat while I shoved against his chest with all that I had.

“Kale, stop! You don’t want to do this.” I succeeded in landing a blow to the side of his face, but he never flinched.

His eyes were large and black as sin as they focused in on the pulse leaping beneath my flesh. With both hands tightly squeezing my upper arms, he jerked me roughly to him. The gearshift dug into my hip, and a frustrated growl erupted from me.

In a swift motion, he’d stripped me of the leather choker and tossed it aside. My panic grew as I started to think this might really be it for me. My seatbelt held me trapped, but it also prevented him from dragging me out of my seat.

My mind tried to make sense of the flurry of scents and sensations. Like I’d done with Shawn in the bar, I concentrated and tossed just enough energy to paste him against the passenger door. Once he was off me, I focused the power on keeping him right where he was while fumbling with my seatbelt.

In his blood-crazed state, he took everything I threw at him. When he grasped my wrist and jerked me hard, I grabbed my door handle uselessly with my free hand. Before I could stop him, he brought bared fangs to my wrist, and I watched in horror as he sunk them into my vein.

It hurt, and there was no pleasure in the sting of his needle sharp teeth buried within me. The touch of his tongue brought a snarl from me as he probed the wound. Instinct took over, and I swung my free fist, connecting with his temple.

When I couldn’t free my bleeding wrist, the adrenaline pumped hard and fast. The fifth blow I landed was perfect, and the vampire finally slumped over in his seat, unconscious.

I was examining my injured arm when the tow truck pulled up to the house with Kale’s classic Chevy.

Chapter Three

The adrenaline rush had me shaking, and the cool October wind bit at my skin. I leaned against the hood of my car, trying to catch my breath.

After the tow truck driver had unloaded Kale’s car and left, I’d wasted no time in vacating the confines of my car. I wrapped my wrist in a piece of gauze from the first aid kit I kept in the trunk. The bleeding had stopped, but the pain throbbed all the way to my elbow.

An SUV drove past me and parked in the neighbor’s driveway. I ignored the driver’s curious look.

Wrestling the dead weight of the vampire inside his house had proved much harder than I’d assumed. Despite having the strength of several humans, I had a hard time getting him to the front door without dropping him on his skull.

A nice bruise had blossomed on Kale’s temple where I’d hit him. It wouldn’t last long, but I felt bad regardless.

He was starting to come around when I dumped him in his pitch-black basement bedroom. He would be safe. I wasted no time flying up the stairs and out the door before he was fully conscious, just in case.

It didn’t take long to reach the main highway that would take me to Stony Plain, the small town outside of Edmonton that I was proud to call home. Deep breaths and good tunes on the radio helped me relax, but there was an unease that would not leave me.

Kale was someone I pictured to be in control, a keep-it-together kind of guy. What he’d done tonight had completely destroyed that illusion, exposing the true struggle beneath that cool persona.

When the classic hair-metal station switched to the next song, a sense of panic gripped my heart. The Cinderella song that came through the speakers now held more meaning than it ever should have. In the last three months, I’d been turning the station when the rock band came on. For some reason, I found myself wanting to leave it on now.

It made me think of Raoul, my former Alpha and lover. I don’t like things that make me think about him. It still hurt like a bitch that he had wronged me in so many ways and I hadn’t gotten the chance to even the score. And, the fact that Raoul was dead didn’t make us even because I hadn’t been the one to kill him.

Though I hated him to the depths of my soul, I knew that it was rooted in the love I’d carried for him during my teen years. My inability to get over his rejection was what continued to burn me deep inside.

Everything he had left me in his will continued to sit untouched. I didn’t know what to do with it. His house, car and more than two million dollars in savings were legally mine after the police called an end to the manhunt for Raoul. I’d been maintaining the house but ignoring the money that I did not want any part of. I knew I had choices to make regarding both.

I punched the button on the radio, switching it to Sonic, the local rock station. I growled, frustrated.

After a few good modern rock songs, I’d reached the edge of town, and the weight of my dark mood had lifted. Even though I dreaded having to tell Ky about Kale’s freak out, I was psyched to see Shaz, my white wolf, my mate. A few days had passed since the last time we ran together, and I longed for it.

The sight of his little blue Cobalt in my driveway gave me a tingle in the pit of my stomach. I couldn’t wait to get inside and lay one on him. His presence would also make talking to Kylarai go smoother.

I’d barely gotten the door open in the entryway when the light turned on. Both Shaz and Ky stood there with expectant expressions. Her grey eyes were incredibly anxious while Shaz looked concerned and ready to be angry at a moment’s notice. In baggy skater-style jeans and a plain white t-shirt, he still rocked my world.

“Start talking,” Kylarai held a hand out for my shoulder bag as I bent to untie my boots. The white bandage on my wrist caught her attention then, and she let out a little gasp. “What happened to you?”

Kicking my boots off, I sighed and gave them a weak smile. “Let’s go in the kitchen, and I’ll tell you. I need a drink.”

They exchanged a look but followed me down the hall to the kitchen. I went the long way rather than cut through the living room. A couple of deep breaths and a glass of red wine was what I needed.

After one long, savory mouthful of my favorite wine, I pressed a warm kiss to Shaz’s inviting lips. I had to resist the urge to linger. I could feel Ky’s eyes on me like a weight.

I held up my wrist and said, “Kale did this.” As Kylarai’s eyes grew wide, I rushed on, “But, let me start at the beginning before either of you react.”

In between sips of wine, I told them about my trip to The Wicked Kiss. I made sure not to leave anything out, including the creepy vibe and scary shrieks from the room next door. They listened attentively throughout as I recounted my evening.

“And, then he just lost it in the car. I could feel him slipping, but it happened so fast. I could barely fight him off and keep the car on the road.” I looked back and forth between the two of them. Ky chewed a fingernail, and though Shaz appeared calm, I could see the storm brewing behind his jade green eyes. “But, Kale’s ok. And, I’m ok, so … everything is cool. Really it is.”

They looked at each other as if deciding who would respond first. Kylarai looked totally ill when she spoke, her voice light and breathy. “I knew I should have gone with you. Maybe I should go to him.”

“You definitely should but wait. If not until tomorrow, then at least until the sun rises. Kale’s running on junkie mode. He could be really dangerous, Ky.” I met her gaze evenly, hoping she’d see the severity of the situation.

She shook her head, her dark brown bob bouncing. Tears welled up in her round eyes. “I’m not sure I can deal with this, Alexa. The last man in my life to suffer from addiction turned me into a punching bag until I tore his throat out. I can’t face that world again.”

Shaz stirred but said nothing. He patiently waited for his turn to voice an opinion.

“Sweetie, don’t think like that. This is Kale you’re talking about.” I reached out to grasp her forearm in an affectionate squeeze. “He is not that guy. You know that.”

She nodded and sniffed. “I know.” The doubt in her voice was so heavy. I worried that she wouldn’t be strong enough to stand by Kale through this.

I glanced at Shaz who smiled encouragement at me. It warmed my heart, and I gave him a quick wink. “If you don’t want to go to him, Kylarai, then don’t. You should never feel obligated to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

“Me and Lex can go back there,” Shaz offered, reaching to pull her close in a loose brotherly kind of hug. “Or, we can come with you if you don’t want to go alone.”

She seemed to consider the options but shook her head. “No. I’m going to have to stand on my own two feet. No wallowing in the past. Just moving steadily forward.” Her seemingly endless positivity often made me envious. Still, I was glad to see it now.

“Ok good. But, if for even a moment, you feel uneasy or you need me, call. Promise?” I gave her a look that said I wasn’t kidding. The last thing I wanted was for her to be in some kind of danger and for me not to know about it.

“Promise.” She rolled her eyes at my serious expression but grinned. “I should go hit the shower so I can be ready for sunrise. I don’t think leaving the house in an old flannel nightgown is going to be too fashion friendly.”

When she’d gone down the hall to her room and closed the door with an audible click, I turned to Shaz eagerly. “I have been waiting for this all day.” I had only to beckon to him with a finger, and he’d crossed the space between us.

His well-muscled arms slid around my waist, pressing me to him. His warm lips were soft on mine but firm, possessive. I reveled in the taste and scent of him. The pine and musky fur of wolf tugged at my instincts, and the desire to shift forms was immeasurable.

As the kiss deepened, I felt his growing passion and squirmed against him in obvious invitation. My fingers played in the softness of his naturally white-blond hair. I pulled back to admire his perfect features with a tingle racing to my loins.

Everything about being with Shaz spoke to the soft, sensitive side of me, the side that I really didn’t get to access much. He brought out my lovey-dovey nature that I enjoyed with total abandon in the moment but never openly admitted to.

I gently traced the outline of his jaw, lingering over the soft underside near his neck. I had been seeking a lot of solace in him over the last few months. And, I found something better than I’d imagined love could be. The fact that he puts up with my strange and permanent bond to a vampire, albeit begrudgingly, makes him one of a kind.

“This is exactly how I wanted to spend my night off,” he whispered, nuzzling me close. His warm breath near my ear tickled, and I giggled girlishly.

“Aw, I hate when you make me laugh like a school girl.” I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, loving the scent and feel of him. “I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.”

He held me close for a moment but then pulled back so he could look at me. “Are you sure you’re ok? You don’t want me to beat his ass?” His sensual lips twitched in a partial smile, but I wasn’t sure he was kidding.

“Cut it out.” I punched him lightly in the arm before downing the last sip of wine in my glass. “It’s not like you to treat me like a damsel in distress.”

“That’s because you’re not. This is more of a territorial thing.” He grinned then, and a slight blush colored his cheeks. “Don’t blame me. It’s all instinct.”

It was stupidly cute when he got like this. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t touched. “You’re too cute. And, I love you for it.”

“You better.” He growled playfully and gave me a light smack on the behind. He’s the only person in the world who would get away with that and not end up on his ass. “We should go for a run. Unless you want to save that for after our naked bedroom romp?”

I laughed and grabbed some grapes from the fruit bowl Kylarai had left on the counter. Popping one in my mouth, I said, “Sounds like you’ve got your game plan together. I sure hope you factored in adequate time for a sufficient warm up.” I winked and reached for a strawberry.

“Oh baby, you know the games never get underway until you say go.” He pulled me in for another spine tingling kiss, and I held my berry forgotten. “Mm, you taste so sweet.”

The slightest chill crept up the back of my neck as the vampire energy within me seemed to awaken. For a moment, I was afraid. When it came up like this, it was often accompanied by the blood hunger. Not this time though. It just swept me with a wave of cool, undead power that left me quivering.

I had to take a step away from Shaz in an attempt to clear my mind. My senses were on overdrive as I became more focused on the blood pumping through his veins, hot and sweetly Were. My movement was enough for him to take note of the change in the atmosphere.

“What’s wrong?” His entire stance changed, and he reached out to touch my shoulder. “You look all sketchy. And, it’s cold in here, like it gets when you’re all vampy.”

I nodded as I began to feel my vampire counterpart. Close … so close. “Yeah. It’s Arys.” I breathed the words, groping blindly for Shaz in anticipation of the power rush I knew was coming. “I feel him.”

Shaz’s jade gaze narrowed in annoyance. “He’s here?”

The front doorbell rang, followed by an aggressive knock on the door. What could have Arys in such a foul mood? His negativity was like the sharp slap of a rubber band. It stung in places that were not physical in nature.

“I wonder what this is all about.” I turned to the hall and approached the door with Shaz hot on my heels. He hung back near the entrance to the living room, which gave him full view of the door without being obnoxiously close.

“I can just imagine,” he muttered but said nothing further. Leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest, he waited for me to open the door.

I swallowed hard as butterflies set to flight within me, their wings beating hard against my ribcage. I don’t like my two lovers being in the same room for any great length of time. In fact, I go out of my way to ensure it rarely happens.

The moment I turned the door handle, a delicious tingle coursed through me. I felt guilty when my heart raced in anticipation, knowing who was on the other side.

Arys stood on the front step looking irate and out of place with Kylarai’s decorative flower arrangements. His jet-black hair was a stylish mess, as usual, and the angry look he wore only served to enhance his sex appeal. A black t-shirt and blue jeans may have looked casual on anybody else, but it hugged him like a drool-worthy second skin. He gnawed lightly on the metal ring that glinted off to the side of his lower lip, one of a handful of piercings he had.

“Alexa.” He strode inside so fast I had to step out of his way to avoid getting run down. “What were you doing at The Wicked Kiss?”

The vampire didn’t even glance at Shaz. His midnight blue eyes bore into me, making me uncomfortable. With the barest twitch of his fingers, the door swung shut behind him.

“What do you mean? I was there to see Kale.” As my defenses kicked in I added, “What’s it to you, anyway?”

The look he shot me was incredulous, and he flashed fangs to emphasize it. There was less than two feet of space between us. I resisted the urge to take a step back.

“What’s it to me? Are you trying to get yourself killed? You should have told me that you wanted to go in there.” It was then that he caught sight and scent of my injury. Capturing my arm in his tight grasp, he brought it closer for inspection. “Kale did this. Why?”

For the second time I retold the events of my evening. When I finished, Arys dropped my wrist and swept past me into the living room. He had to pass Shaz in the process, giving him the slightest of nods.

“Why did you let her go there alone?” Arys suddenly rounded on the fair-haired wolf with a blazing heat in the depths of his hypnotic stare. “Have neither of you the slightest inclination as to how dangerous, not to mention stupid, that was?”

My skin began to prickle in response to him. Though I was quickly losing my temper, a part of me enjoyed it.

Shaz merely cast Arys a look of utter disdain. “Oh, please. That’s like asking why the sky is blue. It just is. And, so is Alexa. I’m not her keeper, and neither are you.”

“No,” Arys retorted. “Just the one that feeds her fire and makes her a desirable target. As the one who claims to love her, you do a poor job making it apparent.”

“Hey!” I tried to step between them, but Shaz came away from the doorframe fast, angrily stepping up to glare into the vampire’s face.

“I’m not the one endangering her here, pal. You are.” They both ignored my attempt to get their attention as they stared into each other with a fury I could taste like bitterness on the back of my tongue. Shaz’s voice took on an edge I rarely heard from him. “Don’t ever speak to me about love. You don’t have a clue what it is if it doesn’t come with sex and blood. All you are to Alexa is a parasite. A fucking parasite that has done her more harm than good. Never speak to me again about love or protection. You’re clearly out of your area of expertise.”

The tension in the room was thick enough to suffocate. I realized that this situation was quickly spiraling out of control. It was only a matter of time until these two tore each other apart. I was hoping it wouldn’t be here and now.

“Excuse me.” I had to raise my voice to get their attention, but neither risked taking their eyes off the other. “I am not someone who appreciates being treated like an object. This is going to stop, or I’m through dealing with either of you.”

It wasn’t a big threat, but one that had me shaking as it spilled from my lips. Unable to think clearly, I stormed from the room through the adjoining entry to the kitchen. My intent was to leave the house through the sliding glass doors into the backyard. From there, I just wanted to drop to all fours and run like the wind.

Before I could clear the kitchen, a cool hand gripped my elbow and whirled me around. Arys’s intoxicating scent of cologne and hair products hit me, and my stomach muscles clenched in response. As mad as I was at him, the power that we shared had a mind of its own when we were together.

“Don’t you see how worried you had me? There are so many vampires in that place that would never pass up a chance to hurt me by hurting you.” His voice had softened, but the storm in his eyes didn’t cease.

“I know that. I figured it out within minutes of my arrival. Although, if you’d bothered to mention it to me before, this conversation wouldn’t be happening.” I pulled my arm from his grasp but didn’t turn away. “So don’t come in here and talk to me like I’m a child to be coddled. And, you do not get off talking to Shaz like he’s a footstool. Got it?”

Arys clenched his jaw and his hands tightened into fists. “You are so frustrating, wolf. Have it your way … as usual.”

That last little shot really picked at me, but I’d save the response I had for a time when it was just the two of us. His comment wasn’t missed by Shaz, though, who frowned from where he stood.

“I’m really not in the mood to deal with this right now. Whatever your problem is, it has nothing to do with Shaz, so leave him out of it.”

Arys’s deathly energy danced around me so that my own power rose up to meet it. I stifled a small gasp when the two energies mingled to make one that shocked me to the core.

“Anything you wish, my love.” He whispered the words, but they struck a chord in me anyway. Despite his agreeable tone, there was evident strain in his voice. I knew that he was dying to touch me. I could sense it.

“I need to shift. I’m irritable, and the full moon is only a week away. So, this conversation will have to wait. I’m not about to argue with you over where I’m allowed to be and when.” I shoved past him and slid the kitchen door open wide.

“That is not what this is about, and you know it.” His voice rose as he followed me out on to the back deck. “This is about you being in serious danger every time you go near that place.”

Something about the way he said it piqued my curiosity. I studied him hard, trying to make him squirm. It didn’t work. My opponent had been playing this game far longer than I.

“What’s going on, Arys? What is it that you don’t want to tell me?” I leaned against the deck railing and fixed him with a deadly glare. “Don’t screw with me. I know you’re packing more heat than any other vampire in the city.”

For a split second, he looked uneasy, but a smirk banished the momentary expression. I could tell it was forced.

“Think about it, Alexa. You are the heat I’m packing. You’re not safe at The Wicked Kiss. You can’t blame me for being concerned.”

“Are you really worried about her? Or, are you worried about what will happen to you without her?” Shaz’s voice rang out from behind us. He had come to stand where he could look out at us through the open patio door.

I gave him a look, telling him to shut up. Why was he purposely antagonizing the vampire? He met my eyes and shrugged before looking to Arys for a response.

“You seem to forget who you’re dealing with, pup. I’m not going to keep my patience with you much longer.”

“Oh, is that so? So, I struck a nerve. Getting too close to the truth for you, huh?” Shaz’s cocky attitude was as sexy as it was shocking. I gaped open-mouthed as he practically dared Arys to take a shot at him.

“Shaz, this doesn’t concern-,” I started to say only to be interrupted by Arys’s angry outburst.

“You know what, kid? You don’t know shit about the truth.” His eyes darkened until they were all pupil. The energy gathering around him was thick with menace, and I was stricken with fear.

Arys stared at Shaz with such hate that it soured my stomach. His fingertips were alive with the gold and blue of our shared power. If he dared to toss it Shaz’s way, I was taking him down.

“Arys, don’t even think about it,” I warned. Shaz didn’t look the least bit concerned. In fact, he looked downright amused.

“Let him, Lex,” he said. “If he has to use metaphysical power to best me, then he’s as much a man as I thought him to be.”

The open invitation wasn’t lost on Arys. As fast as he’d gathered the energy, he dropped it, causing the air to hum all around us. Stretching his hands out before him, he cracked his knuckles in a loud series of pops that made me wince.

“So you want to get physical with me, pup? I’m surprised it took you this long.” Arys’s lips drew back in a snarl, flashing sharp fangs. He made a “come hither” motion with his finger, the way one might entice a lover. “Show me what you’ve got. Unless it doesn’t totally eat you up inside knowing that Alexa gets something from me that she can never find in you.”

I wanted so badly to interject, but something told me to wait. My instinct was to gather the power close around me so it was ready at a moment’s notice.

“She finds more in me than I even need to tell you.” Shaz took one step forward, which brought him outside the open patio door. “Because you know. You see it. And, no matter what you think you have together, I’ll always have more.”

Arys was quiet as he watched my white wolf in careful contemplation. Tilting his head to one side, he smiled and said, “If you knew the things I do with her, the ways I complete her, you’d never make the mistake of being so self-assured.”

My face grew hot, and I stared at the deck beneath my feet. This wasn’t getting any better. Though, Shaz was doing a great job shrugging off Arys’s jibes. I had to give him credit.

“Keep talking, vampire.” Shaz managed a bored expression as he ran a hand through his hair. “We both know where we really stand. Get back to me when you can run through the forest on four legs with this girl by your side, exploring the true pleasures of the earth. Like sunshine.”

So, they were trying to outdo one another by playing off each other’s weaknesses. Oh geez, I thought, just throw some punches already and get it over with. But, Shaz wasn’t finished yet.

“Alexa and I are mates. I don’t care how you come into the picture or what you think you have with her. But, I promise you that if a single hair on her head is harmed because of you, you will be truly good and dead.”

As my lungs began to ache, I realized I’d been holding my breath. Neither of them looked at me, and I started to doubt that they’d notice if I went for that run.

Arys shifted slightly, a motion that indicated to me that he was ready for a fight. His eyes betrayed no emotion as he stared into Shaz.

“Ah, so quick to make promises.” With a clap, he rubbed his hands together as if enjoying every excruciating second of this. He looked like the monster from every child’s nightmares when he said, “Don’t make promises you will never be able to keep.”

In a sudden, unexpected motion, Shaz lost it. Whatever self-restraint had been holding him back snapped, and he moved faster than my eyes could follow.

The sound of his impact against Arys rang in my ears. Shaz hit him full on with all of his weight. I think Arys had been expecting a fist or maybe even some fangs because the body slam sent both of them tumbling down the deck stairs to the grass below.

The small shriek that escaped me mingled with the sound of wood splitting as they successfully trashed the railing on their way down. Shaz’s snarl cut through the night followed by the heavy thud of fists on flesh.

I ran down to the bottom step, stopping frozen in my tracks. They each quickly recovered their footing, but the blows never quit.

“Stop it!” I cried uselessly. I wasn’t stupid enough to step between them and risk taking a punch. “You guys, stop! Please!”

Every fist thrown had my stomach cramping. The scent of blood hit me, and I identified it as Shaz’s. Blood streamed from a cut above his left eye. He lashed out with a steady hit, connecting with Arys’s chin in a teeth-jarring smack. His eyes were all wolf; the whites, obsolete. All four of his fangs filled his mouth indicating that he was going from furious to wild. I felt helpless. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I had to act before they killed each other. I was debating on whether or not to toss a psi ball in between them and put them both on their asses.

Suddenly, they sprang apart but slowly circled one another like caged animals. Arys licked a drop of blood from the corner of his bottom lip and beckoned to Shaz with both hands. He grinned with the worst wickedness.

“Come on, pup, is that all you got?”

“You’d like to think so.” Shaz’s voice was growly, and the rage emanating from him was almost hot in its intensity.

“I have had enough of this male bullshit!” I yelled, overwhelmed at how fast I was ready to take a strip out of both of them. Fangs and claws accompanied my instinct to leap in to the fray and physically make this stop.

“Come on now, Alexa,” Arys spoke to me but stared into Shaz with a mocking smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re so naïve as to never have guessed this day would come.”

“You are both acting like children.” My spine buzzed as power raced through me in accordance to my emotions. I struggled not to actively tap and use it.

Shaz shifted from foot to foot, like a fighter that can’t wait for the next round. A fine line of crimson trickled down the side of his face. It instantly drew my eye.

“He’s right,” Shaz conceded. “This was inevitable. So, let me kick his ass and get it over with. It’s time this useless vampire learned his place.”

Arys’s left fist shot out so fast, Shaz never had a chance to block. He took the hit firm in the nose, which instantly produced another rush of blood. He never paused in his reaction as he followed up by blocking the next punch and delivering a solid temple blow with his elbow. I couldn’t watch this anymore.

“Oh my God!” Kylarai burst through the patio door, her dark hair hanging in wet chunks. “I thought I heard a fight.” She took one look at me standing uncertainly aside and did a double take. “What are you doing? Stop this nonsense.”

Before I could reply, she’d stepped into the action. Shocked turned to impressed as she grabbed Shaz by the back of the neck, using a pressure point to bring him to his knees. With the other hand, she gave Arys a shove that sent him stumbling, arms flailing in an attempt to stay on his feet. Feeling successfully pathetic, I threw up a barrier between them, a wall of power that was as good as concrete with the right energy feeding it.

Kylarai’s eyes blazed wolf in the moonlight. “If you two idiots want to kill each other, go right ahead. But, get the hell off our property first. I will smash your skulls together before I let you assholes disrupt our quiet neighborhood.” She cast her predatory gaze over each of them in turn. “Now, make like good little boys and beat it before I have to remove you myself.”

Shaz didn’t even look up from where he knelt in the grass. He clenched his clawed hands into fists, drawing blood from his palms. Arys stared defiantly at Kylarai but never dared to speak a word against her.

Her eyes came to land on me, flashing with an irritated fury. “You really need to deal with this crap.”

I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry. This was my fault. She was totally right. I nodded, but nothing came out when I opened my mouth.

Arys huffed and walked up to my energy barrier, dissolving it with a touch. I gawked at him incredulously. It seemed that this sharing of power was becoming quite the double-edged sword. Pulling a silver key ring from his pocket, he flipped through the keys until he got to the one he wanted.

As he approached me, I sensed both Shaz and Ky stiffen. Arys paid them no attention. His right eye was black and swollen. Blood oozed from a gash on his lower lip. My heart sunk. I couldn’t believe these dumbasses beat each other because of me.

The mystifying vampire looked down at me from his six-foot-plus frame, a fire smoldering in his eyes. In a sudden motion, he practically slapped the key into my palm.

“I’ll expect you at dawn.” His voice was low and rough. “If you don’t show, I’ll be back tomorrow night. And, it won’t be pleasant for either of us.”

It wasn’t so much the threat that he uttered as much as it was the drowning black of his pupils. His eyes, more black now than blue, glittered with the driving force of the undead. Hunger for blood, power and control swam in those inky orbs, and I felt my defense die.

“I’ll be there,” I heard myself say. The urge to lick the blood from his lip was stronger than I was.

As I reached for him, he embraced me just long enough to press his lips to mine in a mind-shattering kiss. The bloody smear he left on my mouth was tantalizing, causing me to crave him like an addiction.

Before I could say or do anything, he turned on his heel and stalked from the yard. Only the sound of the gate that led to the front street indicated his exit.

I looked at Ky, expecting a motherly scolding. When she saw my defeated expression, she shrugged and went back in the house. Shaz remained where he was, and I went to him, dropping to my knees and taking his face gently in my hands.

He tried to resist at first but gave up when I wouldn’t be deterred. The gash in his eyebrow was ugly and looked like it might actually scar. It should heal quickly though it continued to ooze slowly. The blood from his nose was drying and flaky. Looking into his battered face was gut wrenching, and the guilt ate at me like a disease.

“Don’t baby me, Alexa.” He swiped half-heartedly at me but allowed me to look closely at the ugly facial injuries.

“What were you thinking you were going to do to him?” I asked gently, hoping he didn’t take offense. “I mean, what if he had fought dirty and bled you dry?”

He looked up suddenly as if I’d slapped him. A slow smile spread across his youthful face, chilling me in its intensity with those razor sharp fangs. The length and ferocity of them looked so wrong in Shaz’s twenty-three-year-old face.

“There are a lot of viable possibilities when it comes to how I may bite it. But, it will never be by the hand of that goddamn vampire.” His tone ended on a low growl. “Mark my words.”

The energy he exuded was extremely aggressive, especially for Shaz. It tantalized my wild side, sending a shot of adrenaline through me. At the same time, when paired with his glazed predator’s eyes blinking at me, I was also a little anxious.

“You scared the hell out of me.” I searched him for a sign that he wasn’t out of his mind. “Don’t ever call him out like that again. I can’t watch you two kill each other. Please, don’t make me.”

His touch was soft when he reached to brush the hair out of my face. I leaned in to the warmth of his fingers as he stroked the outline of my lower lip.

“Don’t worry about it. We just needed to blow off steam. I doubt either of us is really intent on killing the other. Yet.” The way he said it did nothing to fool me. I was starting to think that if he had the opportunity to see Arys in ashes, he wouldn’t hesitate to make it happen.

“So, how about that run, hmm?” There was a glint of the wolf within Shaz when he grinned and winked a bruised eye at me. The true beast inside was so much more than the soft, sensitive Shaz that I was used to. It was strong in him now, pressing the surface.

“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Looking at his injuries was more painful to me than they were to him. He seemed oblivious.

His t-shirt hit the ground, quickly followed by his jeans. “I’ve never felt the wolf in my blood as deliciously as I do right this moment. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

He stood against the night sky and stretched. I allowed myself a moment to take in his hard, nude body before accepting his offered hand.

My pulse raced and my face felt flush when he pulled me against him, biting my bottom lip. That act of dominance sent an excited thrill to the tips of my toes.

Shaz certainly had a tendency to get a little extra attitude going on when Arys had been around. But, this cocky edge was new. Though I found it intriguing, I also found it frightening.

“You’re all pumped up from that fight. Which I’m sorry about, by the way. It shouldn’t have come to that.” I motioned for him to unlace the back of my corset, which he was more than happy to do.

“Don’t apologize. I’m looking forward to next time.” His breath came hot against the back of my neck, and I trembled slightly as the corset slipped free. The night air was soothing despite the fall chill.

Shaz made as if to cup my breasts, but I turned swiftly, capturing his hands in my own.

“Now, now,” I said, stepping back to shimmy out of my pants. “Don’t let the testosterone make all of your decisions. Do me a favor and don’t let Arys get to you so much. I think it just empowers him.”

Shaz made a sound low in his throat but didn’t respond. His eyes followed my naked silhouette, hungrily and possessively. Even as he reached for me again, his fingers lengthened into massive claws. The change continued until his body was a mass of fur. In less time than it takes to blink, he was the most beautiful, white wolf.

“I’ll give you a head start.” I nodded to the stretch of field behind the house. A kilometer beyond that, the forest began, and with it, the tree that we always raced to. I was nearly undefeated every time.

His tongue lolled out, and he wore a look of serious contemplation. No sooner had I embraced the change and gone to my knees than Shaz shot past me, through the back gate and into the field beyond.

As the Were energy rolled over me, there was the briefest moment of agonizing pain as bones shifted and reformed, then sudden splendor on four feet. I gave a great shake and a stretch before bounding after the flash of white in the distance.

Chapter Four

I had come to count on watching the sunrise with Shaz almost every day. Those rare mornings that we do not run together feel strangely incomplete. As the sun broke over the horizon, we sipped hot coffee on the back patio.

I knew that Arys would be watching the clock tick until I got there, but I was in no immediate rush. The key to his house was in my pocket where I’d dropped it upon getting dressed into fresh clothing. Leaning against Shaz where we sat on the top step, I almost wished that I could trade Kylarai vampires. Facing Kale would have been easier than dealing with arrogant, domineering Arys.

“You’d better go soon.” Shaz didn’t look too enthused, but since our run, he had lightened up considerably. “I never thought I’d hear myself tell you to go to that bastard. But, you should go. Find out what the deal is with The Wicked Kiss. And, next time you want to walk into a nest of vampires, I’m going with you.”

I smiled as his words warmed my heart. He never even attempted to discourage me from going back like most men would, Arys included. Instead, he offered to face potential danger alongside me rather than tell me what to do. It was just one more thing that set him apart from the rest.

“You know you’re the greatest, right?” I nudged his ticklish spot with my elbow, and he squirmed.

“Yes, but keep telling me.” With a laugh, he ruffled my hair so that it fell haphazardly around my face. It was something I detested, and I bit my lip in an attempt to resist flicking him in the nose.

“You don’t have to leave.” I pushed his hand away and finger-combed the red and blonde tangles. “I won’t be long … if you want to wait.”

His face softened as he reached to twist a red strand of my hair between his fingers. “Normally I would, but you shouldn’t rush on my account. I think I’m going to head home and catch some Z’s.”

I studied the broken railing where it lay in pieces on the grass. I wondered if either of the fools planned to fix it.

“Alright, well, call me later.” I paused, thoughtful. “Jez and I are going shopping for Halloween costumes later this week. What do you think I should be?”

He raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Playboy bunny. And, I’ll be Hef.”

I laughed outright at that. “You’re in dreamland, honey. I wasn’t thinking along the lines of something that skimpy.”

“But, it’s Halloween!” He protested as he rose to go and pulled me up with him. “Oh, I’ll be back at some point to fix that railing. You can model it for me then.”

“It won’t be what you’re thinking.” I promised, ignoring the mischievous wink I received.

I followed him to the bottom step. He produced a set of keys on a Chevy keychain before leaning in to kiss me. “I’ll see you later. If that vampire gets out of hand, punch him in the eye for me.”

“Scout’s honor.” I pulled him in for one more embrace, lingering just a little.

After he had let himself out of the yard, I turned to go back in the house through the patio door. Kylarai was leaning on the kitchen counter with an anxious expression on her finely featured face.

“What’s wrong Ky? You know, you don’t have to go to Kale. Not if you don’t want to.”

She held her coffee cup in a white knuckled grip. It wouldn’t be the first mug she’d broken that way. “But if I don’t? What then?”

“What do you mean? He’s a big boy. He’ll get over it if you don’t show. He may not even be expecting you.” I went to the sink, depositing our coffee cups before reaching into my pocket to touch the small key. “I’d trade you vampires if I could.”

She laughed bitterly and grabbed her cell phone from the top of the microwave. “I’d love to go tear a strip out of Arys for you. Especially since you won’t do it.”

“I will, too!” I protested, looking at her sharply.

“Oh please,” she scoffed. “You let that one get away with too much. And, he damn well knows it.”

It was no secret that, though Kylarai and Arys were on good acquaintance terms, she didn’t understand why I bothered with him when I had Shaz. She also didn’t understand that I needed him. It might be the way a junkie needs a fix, but it was undying and inescapable. It was as much a part of me as the need for water or air.

“Bah humbug,” I muttered, sticking my tongue out at her. I received an eye roll and a middle finger in response.

“I’m going to get moving. If you don’t hear from me by noon, send a search party.”

“Very funny.” I grabbed my shoulder bag and keys and turned to follow her down the hall. “I’ll walk out with you. I think I’m more likely to need the search party.”

I slipped a pair of casual sandals on my bare feet and locked the front door behind us. Ky’s Escalade chirped as she disarmed it with the key fob. I flinched in response; my nerves, already jittery.

I gave her a wave as she backed out of the garage and onto the street. Double checking my bag for things like my phone and wallet was my way of stalling because I really didn’t want to do anything but curl up in bed for a few hours. I’d been awake almost twenty-four hours.

I was also embarrassed that I couldn’t even follow my own advice. I’d told Ky not to go if she didn’t want to, yet here I was screwing around because I wanted to put off more dramatics with my vampire.

* * * *

“I didn’t think you were going to show.” Arys lounged in a comfy leather La-Z-Boy chair, clad in a black robe made of the softest fleece.

It was dark in the living room. Heavy curtains sealed every side of the window, effectively eliminating any trace of sunlight. The only light came from the glow of the TV. The news played with the volume low.

“You would have liked that, wouldn’t you?” I crossed my arms and gave him a sly smile. “A reason to come storming over again to trash some other part of my house? I wasn’t willing to take that chance.”

His dark gaze followed my movements as I crossed the span of the room, purposely taking the easy chair across from him rather than the couch beside him. His jaw clenched and unclenched, and I knew that he wanted to say something. I figured I would get it out of him easier if I let it come naturally. Prodding would get me nowhere.

The energy rolling off him was heated, like he had been nursing a low-level anger while waiting to see if I’d come. It was tantalizing, teasing me with the promise of bigger things. I had half a mind to crawl up on his recliner chair and straddle him beneath me. The challenging expression on his handsome face only enhanced the urge.

“I suppose I should apologize for tearing your railing off. But, I’m not apologizing for smacking the wolf pup. He had it coming.” He studied me when he spoke, as if awaiting my protest.

“You both had it coming. I hope you each got it out of your systems because if it happens again, I’m stepping in.” The veiled threat wasn’t missed by Arys who grinned as if enticed by it. “I’ll be doing a little skull bashing. And, enjoying it.”

“I look forward to it.” His broad grin flashed fangs, and a shiver crawled up my spine in response.

His bruised eye was rimmed purple, and the cut on his lip was like a target that drew me. I was dying to nibble that soft tender spot, knowing that it would hurt and that he would love it.

“I’m serious Arys. I won’t allow you to take another shot at Shaz without having to take one at me, too.” My smile faded, and we stared at each other like the adversities that I sometimes felt we were.

He looked absolutely vicious when he bared his teeth and said, “You are so dramatic.”

I laughed outright then, long and hard, with as much melodrama as I could muster. “Spare me the hypocrisy, love. Drama is a lifestyle as far as you are concerned.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t love it.” He purred like a cat, beckoning me with a finger.

My senses were blazing as they grew in intensity. The light dab of cologne Arys liked to wear invited me to get closer so that I could breathe in the heady scent of him. I resisted the instinctual need to go to him.

After the last few months, I’d gotten used to the power driven needs and urges, though there were parts that I would never get used to. I knew when the energy was the driving force and when it was worth fighting or giving in. I wasn’t giving in this time.

“Be straight with me, Arys. Why do you want me to stay away from The Wicked Kiss? Because you’ve got more enemies than I’m aware of, or because you’ve got something to hide?” I sat back with my arms crossed over my chest. A toss of my head flipped a lock of hair out of my face and earned me an appraising glance from Arys.

“Perhaps both.” He waved a hand in a noncommittal gesture. The sudden shift in the atmosphere had me wary. “But, the fact remains, you are not safe there. And, I won’t compromise your safety.”

I took a deep breath and braced myself. “It isn’t yours to compromise.” He narrowed his eyes, and I went on before he could release whatever retort he held ready. “I won’t be told where I can and cannot go. I live my life taking risks every night. Risks that I don’t see you objecting to. So, I want to know, what’s with the sudden change?”

All I heard then was the weatherman giving the forecast for the next four days. Arys sat quietly, and I knew he was weighing his words, deciding what to tell me. There was mention from the TV that we most likely would not see snow until well after Halloween. That sounded good to me. Alberta winters were harsh. Starting late was always a welcome reprieve from icy roads, head colds and frozen paws.

Arys slid from the recliner with a motion as smooth as butter. His robe flashed his broad, taut chest but otherwise stayed together, thankfully. He went to his knees before me on the plush carpet so that we were at eye level. Taking my hand in his, he interlocked our fingers, sending a wave of excitement and power crashing through me. The tingle that burned in the palm of my hand traveled a steady path to my loins, which caused my heart to skip a beat.

“You are a predator that needs no assistance when it comes to you and your prey. The risks you take are of your own choosing. My concern is that you will become the hunted in a place where you’re at a disadvantage. And, it will be my fault.” He took my other hand then, completing a circuit so the energy flowed freely between us.

The outcome of calling a lot of power had its drawbacks. There were negative repercussions, which is why I make a point to cross the boundary only when necessary. Since Arys’s hungers had become my own, I had certainly learned my lesson. The things you put out always come back with a kick in the ass. Energy is the driving force of all magic and supernatural ability. But, every action has to have a reaction, and it’s rarely a pleasant one.

“I made the choice to go in there, and I made it out in one piece. It’s just a damn vampire junkie bar. Don’t make it bigger than it is.” I smiled to lighten the mood that had settled. His expression remained stone cold serious. “I never even realized you frequented that place. You always shit talk Kale’s patronage.”

“I don’t frequent that place. I remain firm on my opinion when it comes to feeding from the mentally unstable rush addicts in that club.” He leaned in to press a brief but strangely tender kiss on my lips. The metallic ring in his lip was cool against my skin. “Look, Alexa, I’ll be frank with you. I have contacts at The Wicked Kiss. But, there are a lot of people that would enjoy wiping me out. They have their reasons. I am the most powerful vampire in the city. You have helped to clarify that. Anyone that wishes me dead has been walking this earth far longer than you have. And, that fills my heart with fear.”

It wasn’t an easy admittance for him. I could see the strain in his pinched features. He gnawed his lower lip anxiously, grimacing when he bit the healing cut.

It went without saying that anyone possessing great power or ability of any kind was at risk. Jealousy and fear are strong driving forces behind the motives of the weak.

“Who are you worried about? It must be someone specific if you’re this upset about me going to the Kiss. What’s the deal?” I briefly reflected on the reactions to me when I’d been at the vampire bar. “Nobody seemed to want to do anything but snack on some potent Were blood. Until they realized I was the one they’d heard about. Then it was smooth sailing.”

The conflicting emotions in Arys’s eyes had me nervous. Was it possible that I’d walked right past potential death and hadn’t even known it?

“Then he wasn’t there. Thank God.” Arys closed his eyes and murmured what sounded like a small prayer. Of everything he’d said so far, that scared me the most.

In all the time I’d known Arys, I had rarely heard him reference the big boss upstairs. Something about it set off an alarm that chilled me.

“Who? Who wasn’t there?” Panic gripped me, and I squeezed his hands painfully. He seemed oblivious. “Tell me what’s going on. Who the hell am I supposed to be afraid of?”

I wanted to slap him across the face like they do on television, but I was the one feeling hysterical. I’d seen a lot of crazy shit in my life, but I wasn’t dumb enough to think that I was the biggest of the bad. If Arys had inadvertently endangered me, I needed to know.

“You’ve shared my most intimate and personal memories. You know the one vampire that I loathe more than any other.” His words instantly generated an image in my mind.

When Arys and I had joined metaphysically, we had shared every piece of our past memories. It had not been pleasant. We all have something we’d never share with anyone. Arys and I no longer had that luxury. At times, we’re literally inside one another. Our shared memories were mostly a blur, but the most poignant ones had a way of standing out with amazing clarity.

The image was that of a vampire that had the charm and persuasion of Bill Clinton with the distinguished forty-something appearance of George Clooney. Looks were deceiving though, and I knew he looked nicer than he was.

Harley Kayson. I knew him only from Arys’s memories. And, they were far from good. Harley was a vampire with as much authority as a mob boss and about as many connections, too. He was a smooth talker with a penchant for gorgeous men in addition to his harems of women. He was the vampire that had turned Arys.

Harley had envisioned the stunning, dark Arys to be the partner in crime he’d always longed for. But, despite Arys’s enjoyment of the vampire lifestyle, it hadn’t always been that way. Arys had been a troubled young man that resented Harley for making choices for him, especially the one to leave his human life behind. It wasn’t a case of foreboding vampire syndrome but rather the fact that it hadn’t been his idea. Arys was too headstrong and confrontational to be what Harley wanted him to be. He was no one’s sidekick.

As far as unhealthy predator and prey relationships go, those two had one of the worst. They had parted ways on the worst of terms. Of course, Arys having burned Harley’s house to the ground may have played a role in that.

“Why would he be in Edmonton? I thought the last time you saw him he was living in Vegas.” Fear caused my spine to tingle uncomfortably. A knot formed in my throat, and my stomach hurt.

Harley was a sick bastard who divided all people into two categories: those who could be toys and those who were just food. I couldn’t help but wonder which one I’d be.

“He was. And, still is.” Arys stood up, pulling me with him. “Harley owns The Wicked Kiss, Alexa. That’s why I don’t want you there. He owns a string of them across the entire country.”

I tripped over the question on the tip of my tongue. “He owns it? Thanks for thinking to share that information sooner. Are you trying to get me killed?”

“You’re going to get yourself killed. And, I’m sharing it with you now.” He reached out for my hand, and I surrendered it but didn’t budge from where I stood.

He gave my arm a gentle tug, pulling me toward the darkened hallway and the bedroom beyond. “Come, lie with me.”

“Arys, I can’t.” I resisted, though I wanted desperately to cling to him. “I have to go home and get some sleep.”

He never let go of me, forcing me to walk along beside him. “You can sleep here. I won’t bite.” He raised a dark eyebrow then and grinned. “Unless you ask me nicely. And unfortunately, there’s more.”

“I’m not doing anything to reward your bad behavior. And, what do you mean, there’s more?”

He visibly shuddered. The tangy scent of fear came off him in small traces, but it was still there. On most other people, the scent would have been enticing. On my dark vampire, it was all wrong.

“He’s here because he knows about us. Being my sire, he likely sensed the changes in me despite our lack of communication. He’s curious to see if I’ve blood bonded you.” He pulled me in close so that my nostrils filled with the wonderful scent of him and placed a kiss on my forehead. “Come to bed. I just want to hold you until I fall asleep.”

It was such an unexpected request that I couldn’t deny it. I followed him in to the bedroom, which was even darker than the living room. It was always impeccably clean and smelled like scented candles. I knew how soft the thick black comforter was, and I began to anticipate getting under it.

Arys wasted no time dropping his robe over the desk chair in the corner. He looked like a marble statue of some great angel. I let my gaze linger over him as if he were a fine piece of artwork. When he caught me staring, he actually looked embarrassed. That’s no easy feat for that vampire.

“For a girl who isn’t looking for any action, you’ve sure got the hunger in your eyes.”

My cheeks warmed as I began to take my clothes off. “Just admiring the view.” I left my lacy black bra and panties on and climbed on the bed.

We sat awkwardly in the bed side by side. It occurred to me that we had never been in this room together without being in the throes of passion. When we were together, it was usually a combination of metaphysically driven intimacy and the predatory urges and gratifications we desired by nature.

It wasn’t that we had no deeper emotion for each other but rather that we had never acknowledged it. The sweet romantic side of me only came out with Shaz. Likewise, the worst of my predatory nature was reserved for my time with Arys.

He moved quickly to pull me into an embrace that was as tender as it was surprising. “This is new for us.”

“It is.” I got settled against him so that my head was on his chest, one leg thrown over his as I snuggled into the feather soft blankets. “It’s … different.”

Arys rested his head against mine, one hand idly stroking my hair. “I like it.”

This softer side of him was certainly unusual. Rather than create an awkward moment by making mention of it, I chose to go with the flow. Maybe I was being too analytical, imagining this newfound sensitivity.

My mind was filled with nagging questions that wouldn’t go away. Now was as perfect a time as any. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I blurted out, “So tell me about the blood bond. Isn’t that a vampire thing? Can it be done on mortals?”

Arys tensed beside me. His hand gripped mine tight. “Oh yes, it can be done. With extreme consequences.”

I waited patiently for him to continue, flashing him an expectant look when he didn’t. He relented, but he didn’t look happy about it.

“A blood bond between vampires is like … a marriage of sorts. It’s a true commitment, one that you truly can’t escape until death. It forms a permanent telepathic link between both parties. Vampires rarely form blood bonds, especially with mortals.”

“Why?” I was intrigued already. He didn’t want to tell me this. I could tell. “And, why would he expect you to form one with me then?”

“If a bonded vampire dies, their mate feels it. They may not even survive it. And a mortal, they risk such things as insanity … and worse.” He paused again, and I thought I was going to have to beat the words out of him. Then he continued. “Alexa, a blood bonded mortal is destined to rise as a vampire upon their mortal death.”

The shock was audible in my ears, like a beat of thunder inside my head. That was heavy duty.

“But werewolves-,” I began, only to be abruptly cut off by Arys’s hiss.

“Are still mortal.”

“Oh…” I was silent for a moment, absorbing this startling new twist. “But, there has to be a reason why it would be done, why some mortals would find it worth the risk.”

My mind was going faster than my mouth, like usual. His frown indicated his unease with the subject matter. I wanted to know.

“I’m sure there are many reasons.” His voice grew soft, and he looked away, at the mirror on the bureau that reflected our image back at us. “He expects me to bond you as a life mate, to make you mine beyond your mortal death. To ensure that you cannot die just once. That is why the bond is called the wicked kiss. Which obviously, is where Harley obtained the name for his little blood donor bar.”

The words were so simply said, but their weight was enormous. I couldn’t breathe for a moment.

“And is that something you would want to do?” I asked the question gently, so he would see that I was just curious.

His penetrating blue eyes were wide with alarm. “I would ruin you.”

I swallowed hard and gathered my courage, daring to say what I was thinking. “What if it was the only way? If I were dying or something, or in danger … you’d never do it? Despite the ways we’re already bonded so completely?”

The glare he flashed me stung, and I winced. Why was I asking these things?

“For vampires, the exchange of blood can be a symbol of love or even a matter of convenience. For the living, it is worse than a death sentence. Would you really want me to do that?”

“I want to know that you would do anything I needed you to do, if it was necessary. If I asked it of you.”

Though I wanted to push my questions further, the pained mask he wore convinced me otherwise. The tense atmosphere was an indication that my musings were best left inside my head for now.

“Alexa, don’t ask me to choose your destiny. You are mortal, and wolf. I can’t take that away.”

“I’m not asking you to choose.” I met his gaze pleadingly, willing him to understand what I was asking and why. “I’m asking you to do something only you can if I ever request it.”

Not that I had any intention of sealing my fate so solidly. I was still absorbing the reality of what he’d just told me.

“Look, all you need to know is that I am devoted to you. But, please don’t ever ask that of me unless you are more certain than you ever have been about anything else in your life.” Arys’s lips moved softly against my ear as he gently kissed my lobe. “I don’t want to be the bad guy. Not with you.”

I couldn’t resist the smile that danced over my lips in response to his words. “Baby, you’re not nearly as bad as you think you are.”

I glanced up to find that his eyes were closed. It wouldn’t take him long to fall into a deep slumber. Though there was no coffin for this bed-loving vamp, he was otherwise dead to the world until sundown.

“I have to go shopping for a costume for the Halloween party at Lucy’s Lounge,” I said, for no other reason than to see if he was still awake. Changing the subject right about now couldn’t hurt either.

When he didn’t answer right away, I thought he was out. A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, and he said sarcastically, “Pray tell, Alexa, what are you going to be for Halloween? A werewolf?”

“That’s not even worth dignifying with a response. There’s nothing wrong with dressing up for Halloween. It’s fun.” And, it reminds me of being a kid, I added silently.

“I suppose it is, when you haven’t suffered through as many as I have. They all start to blur together.”

His voice was lazy, and I knew he was drifting away. I reached up to gently grasp a handful of his silky, black hair. It slid through my fingers with a softness that created a warm tingle in my veins.

“It’s exciting to be a superhero or your favorite TV character. You know, dressing up in a way that you would never do otherwise.”

Arys stirred slightly as he turned towards me, his arm going around my waist possessively. “Like a Playboy bunny?” His tone was teasing, and I couldn’t help but giggle to myself at the incredible odds.

I snuggled in beside him and gave in to the fatigue that pulled at my eyelids. I had absolutely no intention of telling either Arys or Shaz just how alike they could be. I doubted that it would be very well received.

Chapter Five

It wasn’t all that often that Shaz managed to score two nights off in a row. As the best crowd-pleasing bartender in town, his employer’s hated having to let him escape their clutches at all. So, even though we had just spent the past two hours in a typical Hollywood chick flick that failed to impress me in any way, it was worth it because we were together.

On our drive into the city, I had told him about Harley. He’d pursed his lips and muttered obscenities about Arys, which had made me reluctant to tell him the rest, about the blood bond. However, he was my mate, my wolf’s other half, and so I had to spill it all.

The look of horror on his face had me rushing to assure him that the blood bond was not something I intended to enter. It was just a vampire thing that, shockingly, could be applied to mortals. There had been an anxious energy oozing from him since, and I almost wished I hadn’t told. Maybe it just wasn’t that important.

The heater was on in Shaz’s little Chevy. I angled the vents so that I could put my hands up to the warmth. We were heading out of the city, back to Stony Plain. I flipped down the visor so that I could check my makeup in the mirror. My careful black liner was just as it had been before I left the house.

“What are you looking at?” Shaz asked, a lazy smile tugging at his full lips. “You always look incredible.”

“Aww,” I blushed, grateful for the darkened interior. “That’s very sweet of you to say. It’s also a lie.”

“Like hell it is. I don’t know another woman that could rock those pants the way you do.” His attentive gaze momentarily left the road to rove over my tight, black leather. “Hot damn, you are fine.”

I laughed then, a bubbly sound that only he could bring out of me. The truth was that I had dressed just for him, knowing he would appreciate the pants paired with a low cut, white top made of flimsy, sheer fabric. It thrilled me to hear how much he really loved it.

“Be careful, babe,” I warned teasingly. “If you keep talking like that, my ego will go through the roof.”

I felt his sidelong glance and met his jade eyes. He was serious when he said, “You don’t give yourself enough credit. I love your modesty though, it’s sexy.”

My response was to stick my tongue out and make a very unlady-like noise. His compliments felt good, but I didn’t know how to take them. I just got all fluttery and weird inside.

Shaz reached to fiddle with the heater control before smoothly sliding his hand onto my thigh. “So, do you want to drop in at the Lounge or just head home?”

The clock on the dash read 12:37 am. It was still pretty early. Even though it was a weeknight, Lucy’s Lounge was guaranteed to be packed.

“Let’s hit up Lucy’s. We’ll just stop in for a beer and then head home. I’d kind of like to turn in early anyway.” I added just the right inflection to my tone so there was no mistaking my meaning.

“Are you sure you want to go to the Lounge?”

“Yes.” I grinned at his sudden change of mind.

Lucy’s Lounge was packed when we arrived. Crossing the threshold of the brightly lit building instantly thrust us into a sea of sensations and energies. Most of the metaphysical stuff I could shield out, like the rush of so many human bodies packed into one place. The dizzying assortment of smells and loud noise were not so easy to combat.

Something about amazing heels instantly makes one walk like a sex goddess. As we made our way through the crowded entryway, I felt the eyes of several men on me and even a few ladies, too. Though it’s footwear that I don’t wear regularly, I had made an exception for an evening out. I appreciated the four inches that it added to my petite five-foot-one.

One of the local bands from the city was rocking out on the stage to the far right. The sign behind them read, “Squeezeplay.” They fit right into the laid back, middle-class bar scene with their bad hair and groupie girls gathered around the stage.

Once we got through the traffic-jammed entryway, I was able to take stock of the entire place. To the left were the pool tables, all of them occupied. The clacking of pool balls was only one of many things contributing to the roar of the club.

The werewolf energy in the club was strong. Zak and Julian were at the pool table closest to us, shooting pool and sneaking glances in our direction. I had only seen them once since Raoul’s death. Julian had made it clear that he didn’t trust me as the remaining Alpha in this town. Not now that I was so heavily involved with a vampire.

No male wolf in this town had attempted to take Raoul’s Alpha status, which made me the top of the heap. Of course, none of them could best me. None matched me in power and ability, and we all knew it. And, Julian didn’t like that. He didn’t like vampires, and he didn’t like me. Too bad for him.

Arys wasn’t there, at least, not yet. I was almost hoping that he wouldn’t be in tonight. It was too soon to have him and Shaz in the same building.

Shaz clasped my hand warmly in his own, and we made our way to the closest waitress. One plus of having your boyfriend work at the local hot spot was the no-waiting clause. Since he knew everyone, we didn’t have to join in the long line at the bar. The ginger-haired waitress smiled and greeted Shaz with a friendly smile.

“What can I get you guys?” She grinned at me, and I instantly liked her. It doesn’t take me long to get a vibe for people. Most of Shaz’s co-workers were great people that he enjoyed working with.

As Shaz ordered our drinks, I took a moment to glance around again. I could have sworn that I felt Kylarai’s spicy energy. I was surprised when she exited the ladies’ room and made her way toward Julian and Zak. Sensing us, she looked over suddenly and gave a small wave. What was she doing here with them?

Before she noticed it, I squashed the frown that tried to form on my features. I waved back and smiled, hoping I didn’t look as suspicious as I felt.

“Let’s find a table,” Shaz said, leaning in to speak close to my ear. “I wonder why Ky is with those guys. Weird.”

It certainly was. I followed Shaz to a table across the bar from where Ky and the two male Weres shot pool. It gave us a good view of the stage. The lead singer was screaming now, but surprisingly, it didn’t bother me. I enjoyed the occasional screaming rock song, when the mood struck.

After the waitress brought our drinks, Shaz turned on me with a grin that shocked me to the soles of my feet. I couldn’t help but be awestruck by how sensational he looked. His platinum hair was slightly messy, as if he’d run his hands through it too many times. His green eyes were bright and shone with amusement. He was dressed head to toe in black jeans and a tight black t-shirt, and I was struggling to prevent myself from openly drooling. The creamy white skin of his well-toned arms was taunting me with the need to run my hands over all of his hard curves.

When he gave me a knowing look, I raised my eyebrows in question. He leaned in so that his lips brushed my ear, sending a hot tingle down my spine.

“You have to dance with me. I’m just waiting for the right song.”

“What?” A jolt of nervous energy slammed through my system. The thought of dancing didn’t sit well with me. I was usually only inclined to do so after many drinks.

“You heard me.” He winked and smiled slyly. “Any excuse to get you into my arms.”

I laughed nervously and took a sip of my drink. “Oh, come on now, we don’t need to dance for me to be in your arms.”

He just shook his head. “Nice try, lady. You’re not going to get out of it this time. I’m usually stuck behind the bar. I want to take advantage of this.”

He had a point. He didn’t get to do this often. One dance couldn’t hurt, could it? Not if I could manage to avoid tripping over my own feet.

I couldn’t help but peek at Kylarai. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was here with Julian. His casual touches and intense stares weren’t missed by me.

“Are you going to go talk to her?” Shaz asked, nodding in Ky’s direction.

I considered that scenario. It was plausible, but I didn’t want to talk to Julian nor did I want to put Kylarai on the spot.

“Not right now. She’ll fess up at home.”

It was nice, relaxing in the bar with Shaz, a drink and a live band. I wished that we could do this more often. Of course, if I was willing to accept Raoul’s money, we could both live the rest of our lives and never have to work again. I had too much pride for that. And, I’m sure it would get boring.

There was a break in the music, and the singer shouted out that they were about to play the last song of the night. The girls around the stage hooted and hollered. Local bands received a lot of attention if they were good. More than one rock band had gone on to make it after getting their start in a small town like this.

Something kept drawing my attention across the room to the pool tables where Kylarai was. She was at the same table with the guys, but something wasn’t right. A completely different guy had joined them, and he was up in Julian’s face, too close to be anything but confrontational.

I froze, watching the scene play out before me. The human male was obviously calling the angry Were on. I couldn’t tell what had started the altercation. Kylarai made an attempt to come between them, and the guy shot her a venomous look. His mouth moved quickly as he spat a nasty remark at her.

Julian said something in response, and the man shoved him hard. This wasn’t going to go over well. I nudged Shaz and was on my feet by the time the first punch was thrown.

A werewolf in a bar fight was always the winner. I didn’t want to see Julian break this guy’s face. I couldn’t let it happen.

Fighting my way through the people that stood between the pool tables and me was a frustrating setback. I managed to cross the distance in time to see Zak pull Ky away from the chaos as if she were a breakable doll. The punches were flying fast. Those in the nearby vicinity were becoming aware of the fight as the guys crashed into chairs and tables in their brawl.

A few bystanders were daring enough to try to split the fight up, but each of them backed off when they quickly failed. Shaz was right beside me. His long legs carried him much faster than my shorter ones carried me. The heels didn’t help my speed.

Shaz was a blur of black and white as he leaped into the middle. He quickly tackled Julian, whom he had no problem taking down. Two more bystanders grabbed a hold of the other guy who struggled violently against them. Julian struggled to break free of Shaz’s controlling hold. As soon as he was steady on his feet, I was in his face.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I growled angrily. Amidst the music and commotion, nobody could hear me clearly but Julian.

He was breathing hard when Shaz released his arms. A trickle of blood ran from his nose. His eyes were wild, all wolf, daring me to keep talking.

“Have you lost your mind?” I wanted to throttle the life out of him for such blatant stupidity.

“Back off, Alexa.” Julian glared down at me from his six-foot-three stance. “This has nothing to do with you.”

Fury burned through me, and I felt my control slip. Right then, I just wanted to kill him. “You will respect me as Alpha wolf, Julian. If you want to expose yourself by being an idiot, you won’t be doing it in my town.”

He eyed me with a smugness that made me want to scream. It took all I had not to backhand the arrogance off his face. “What are you going to do about it? Sick your vampire on me?”

He actually had the balls to taunt me. Big mistake. I could feel Shaz a few feet away, simmering with anger. Kylarai and Zak hovered uncertainly nearby. Everyone else had gone back to their own business now that the brawl was over.

“It isn’t him that you should be afraid of.” I smirked with a conceit that wasn’t the norm for me.

All it took was a thought to throw enough power at Julian to slam him back a few feet. I didn’t even raise a hand. He reached out quickly to catch himself on the side of a pool table.

His dark gaze was filled with hate, which I took great satisfaction in. I had something he didn’t, and that made me the dominating force.

To say I was shocked when he got up in my face then would be a gross understatement. I was blown away. The dark haired werewolf was suddenly growling down into my face with a mouthful of bared fangs.

“If you want to fucking threaten me, bitch, then you better be ready to follow through on that.” He was close enough to kiss, the intrusion into my personal space a blatant show of disrespect.

Before I could take a breath to respond, Shaz was between us, shoving Julian away from me with a push that would have taken most people off their feet. He followed up with a second shove that had Zak moving to their side, as if he thought he could break them up if they decided to go at it.

The dark fury that blazed in Shaz’s eyes, like jade-green fire, almost caused my heart to stop. I had never seen such raw hate written in his gaze as long as I’d known him. It frightened me even as it excited.

“I don’t care who you fucking think you are. I will kill you before I allow you to talk that way to Alexa. You’re a fucking nobody, pal.” Shaz was poised to strike if Julian so much as blinked the wrong way.

“Guys, come on.” Kylarai’s gentle voice was chiding. She was afraid they would fight. “This is all a misunderstanding.”

Julian didn’t look at anyone but Shaz. He pulled himself to his full height before snarling through his teeth. “Just because you want to be her pathetic lapdog doesn’t mean that I do. I will take you any day, Shaz. Even out back, right now.”

My heart surged with adrenaline at Julian’s venomous words. A small cry escaped me when Shaz lashed out with a blow, catching the other wolf with a fierce right hook.

“Shaz, no!” I lunged to grab his arm before he could keep swinging. The motion almost knocked me off my feet, but I held him back.

“If that’s what you want then, buddy, let’s make it official. It has been months since Raoul died. Maybe it’s time to appoint a new Alpha male in this God forsaken town,” Julian sneered as he rubbed his jaw. My eyes widened when I saw where he was going with this.

Shaz studied the other Were for just moments before replying in a low voice, filled with menace. “Where and when?”

“That isn’t necessary, you guys,” Ky pleaded, but neither of them so much as looked her way. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Zak looked extremely uncomfortable as he shifted nervously from one foot to the other. “I think we’d better leave, Julian,” he said, trying to be the neutral party. “Let’s grab some beer and head back to my place. There’s a fight on pay-per-view.”

The approach of a couple of bouncers effectively ended any further incident. With a murderous glare, Julian looked from me to Shaz. “Me and you, on the full moon.”

“Count on it.” Shaz practically oozed confidence, and I had to do a double take.

Julian allowed Zak to pull him along by the upper arm, but his eyes were locked on me. A slow smile spread across his lips. He paused to pull Kylarai into his arms, and I stiffened when she let him. My stomach turned when he kissed her.

“I’ll call you later tonight,” Julian said to her, smirking with the knowledge that I hadn’t known about them.

She avoided my eyes, a frown creasing her delicate features. “I’ll walk you out.”

We both knew she was trying to escape me. Fine. She couldn’t avoid me at home.

Shaz turned to speak to the bouncers in an attempt to smooth over the situation. I could hear him reassuring them that everything was cool and we were all leaving now. As an employee, he was risking his job by brawling in the bar. After a moment, the two security guys nodded and returned to their posts.

When Shaz swept me into his arms, I clung to him. “Have you lost your mind? Why? Please, just tell me why.”

“I can’t believe you have to ask. When he got in your face like that, something inside me snapped. He threatened my mate. And now, I want to kill him.” He said it so matter of factly. I searched his eyes for the monstrous rage I heard in his voice but found only tender love.

“I don’t want you to fight him.” I reached to touch his face, tracing a light bruise that remained from his round with Arys.

“I know that.” He brought his face to mine, kissing me with a sensuality that was all wolf. I savored it. Pulling back, he kissed the tip of my nose. “But, I’m going to. I have to. Everything in me demands it, and it’s a call that I want to answer, have to answer. You have to understand.”

I did understand, but I didn’t like it. I pursed my lips and stared at the floor. “Did you hear him though? He thinks this is a battle for Alpha.”

“It is … now.” He gently pushed a few tendrils of hair from my face. “If he wants this to be about the top wolf in this town, then that’s fine with me. I don’t plan to lose.”

The DJ took over as the band finished off their set and began to pack up. When the Alicia Keys song, “No One,” began to play and the dance floor filled with couples, Shaz gave me a heart-stopping grin.

“No worries, ok? I promise, you have nothing to be anxious about.” He pressed another quick kiss to my lips before pulling me toward the dance floor. “Now … about that dance.”

I allowed him to pull me onto the dance floor among the other couples. My stomach was unsettled, and I just wanted him to hold me. All I knew was that I had to talk him out of fighting Julian before the full moon. That didn’t give me much time.

Shaz’s arms went around me, holding me close. It was easy to get caught up in the music. The heady swoon of the emotional lyrics and the enrapt couples all around us had me seeking comfort and reassurance in his touch. I wrapped my arms around him and nuzzled the warmth of his neck. Pressing my lips to his pulse, I closed my eyes and moved as one with him to the rhythm of the music.

The thought of him fighting Julian scared me to death. It wasn’t that I didn’t think Shaz could take him; I knew he could. However, I didn’t trust Julian to play fair, and I knew he wouldn’t go down easy.

In that moment though, it was hard to think about anything other than how good it felt to be in the embrace of my white wolf. The song itself stirred an emotion in me that was gut wrenching in its strength. When the beautiful music ended, Shaz placed a series of kisses down the side of my neck, causing me to shiver.

“Let’s get out of here.” The heat from his whispered words tickled, and I laughed.

* * * *

A movie played quietly on the TV perched atop my dresser. I wasn’t paying much attention to it, but with a sexy, naked werewolf in bed next to me, how could I?

Shaz and I lay together, a mess of entangled limbs. I always felt the warmth and comfort of the pack when he shared my bed. Our nights apart were less than enjoyable. We cuddled in an affectionate embrace that sparked feelings of giddy love within me. It wasn’t something that I was used to by any means. I still had a hard time believing it was real and not some amazing dream I would wake up from, disappointed to find it wasn’t real at all.

Kylarai’s Escalade was in the driveway when we got home. The door to her room had been closed and would likely remain that way until she was forced to come out. It wasn’t like she owed me any explanations, but she was dating my friend and co-worker. Or at least, I had thought she was.

Once Shaz breathed softly and his eyes closed, I thought that was it for him. I gazed absently at the moving images on the television screen, but my mind was focused on how perfectly our bodies fit together. No matter how we slept, we always seemed to mold to one another.

“I really don’t like this whole thing with Arys’s sire being in town.” Shaz’s voice came low beside me. Since I thought he’d fallen asleep, I was startled. “And I really don’t like that blood bond nonsense. I think you have more than enough vampire influence in your life as it is.”

“I knew that was bothering you. I could feel it.” I reached for his hand, tracing light circles in his palm with my finger. “It shouldn’t. You’re right, it is nonsense. And, I’m not afraid of Harley.” That was only a half-truth. I’d seen things in Arys’s memory that certainly did stir fear inside me. Harley thrived on pain and fear, torture driven energy.

“Why do you think he’s here? I mean, why now?”

I pondered that for a moment, not liking anything that came to mind. “He knows about the power that Arys and I share. I think he wants to see it for himself.”

The tension that seeped into Shaz caused him to stiffen beside me. I didn’t like it. This was supposed to be a place and a time for comfort and relaxation. I rubbed his shoulders, hoping to ease some of the strain.

“Just tell me that you won’t go back to that vampire bar alone.” His arms went around me, blanketing me in his warmth. “I’m not trying to sound like Arys, that cocky ass, but I need to know you’re safe. After Julian’s display tonight, I’m feeling madly overprotective.”

I gave a small laugh. The truth was that if Arys had acted this territorial I would have been super-pissed. Shaz was my wolf mate though, and that was rooted in something deeper than we understood. I knew that implicitly. His urge to protect and defend me was driven by love and nature. When Arys did it, it was all about the ego boost of saving the damsel in distress.

“You are too good to me.” I nuzzled his face with mine before kissing him with undying devotion and passion. “I love it when you’re overprotective. But, I don’t want it to have you scrapping everybody. And no, I won’t be going back to The Wicked Kiss alone. Promise.”

The name of the club brought the blood bond to mind. I hadn’t known vampires called it that. I also hadn’t known that humans could be bonded. The thought sent a chill through my warm insides. I resisted a physical shudder.

“Don’t try to talk me out of fighting Julian. I’m doing it, Lex. I’m putting that pitiful excuse for a werewolf in his place, and I’m going to enjoy doing it.” He pressed even closer, if that was possible, with his head resting against mine. “I love you. And, I know you want me to let it go. But, I’m running on instinct here.”

I sighed but didn’t bother trying to dissuade him. That didn’t mean I wouldn’t try again before the full moon. It just wasn’t something I wanted to think about right now.

“I love you, too, babe.” I breathed in his intoxicating scent and closed my eyes. “Now promise me that you won’t get yourself killed.”

Chapter Six

The crumpled edges of a post-it note crushed beneath my face brought me awake to the delicious scent of bacon frying. The note was written in Shaz’s messy scrawl: You are so beautiful when you sleep. I couldn’t stand to wake you. I love you. Forever.

I would have once scoffed at the sappy sweetness of the note. Now it warmed my heart and brought a stupid smile to my face. I sighed and took a deep breath of his heavenly scent on my pillows and blanket.

Kylarai was clearly feeling guilty over keeping her fling with Julian a secret. She didn’t cook often. It was usually left to my poor attempts and Shaz when he was over. Ky was too busy with work. So, it spoke volumes when I rounded the corner of the kitchen to find her also making her famous omelets, which I loved so much.

“Coffee?” Her first word kind of surprised me. She smiled wide, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Sure, thanks.” I watched her fill a mug and hand it to me. I fetched my own cream and sugar. “Good morning, or afternoon I should say.” The microwave clock indicated that it was closer to the supper hour than breakfast. Such was the life of a werewolf.

“Did you sleep well? I stayed up reading the latest Nora Roberts novel until my eyes were dry. Had some pretty crazy dreams after.” Kylarai bustled around the stove, carefully not meeting my eyes for more than a few seconds at a time.

I took a long sip of my coffee, watching her like a hawk. I didn’t have to say anything. I knew her, and she would cave all on her own. “I slept great. There is no such thing as a bad sleep when Shaz is with me.”

She took two plates out of the cupboard and began to scoop food onto each with the spatula. Handing one to me, she met my eyes with a guilty half-smile.

“You’re not even going to ask, are you?”

That had happened even sooner than I’d expected. I gave her a friendly grin and reached out to pat her arm before grabbing a fork and taking a seat at the table.

“Of course not,” I said. “But, that doesn’t mean I’m not dying to know.”

I took a bite of the mouth-watering omelet and almost had to close my eyes in pleasure. Kylarai was a supreme cook when she had the time. I was going to enjoy this. I’d be fending for myself again in no time.

She took the seat across from me but didn’t pick up her fork. “Ok, this is the quick version. Kale and I called it quits over a week ago. I just can’t do it, Lex. I can’t be with a vampire romantically. Kale has baggage that I can’t even begin to comprehend.” She shrugged and looked like a lost little girl. “I didn’t think it was fair to him. I had to let him go.”

“Is that why he was drowning his sorrows at The Wicked Kiss?” I asked between bites. “That makes more sense now.”

“And, it wasn’t that I was trying to keep anything from you, but then I ran into Julian at Lucy’s and one thing led to another.” Kylarai smiled shyly and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I really like him.”

I wished she had let me finish eating first. I grimaced inwardly but miraculously prevented it from manifesting on my face.

“Just like that, huh?” I took a sip from my coffee cup, using the moment to think of something positive to say. I failed.

“Well … the attraction isn’t new, but acting on it certainly is.” Ky picked up her fork and took a bite of her eggs. She chewed robotically, out of habit rather than desire. “I can’t stop thinking about Kale though. He didn’t want to see me, when I went to him after he bit you.”

I could see how the admittance pained her. Dropping my fork on my plate, I reached across the table to give her hand a warm squeeze.

“Don’t worry about him, Ky. Kale will be fine.” I didn’t sound very convincing, but I’d seen how rough he was. Why didn’t he tell me they had broken up?

She chewed her lower lip, her eyes darting between her plate and me. “I just couldn’t do it. I can’t donate blood to him, and I can’t sit by while he gets it from that whorehouse of a blood bar. Everything unraveled really fast.”

I nodded in understanding. Kylarai hadn’t even been cool with it the first time Arys had fed from me. It was a very personal experience, one that was more intimate than sex. I could understand her inability to be part of that world. And, Kale was the type of guy who needed that in his lover.

“You can’t blame yourself. Kale’s issues go deeper than either of us realize. I’m sure of it. And, if you aren’t able to be with him, then it’s better to figure that out now instead of months or years from now.” I was encouraged to finish my meal when she began to pick at her food again.

“I know,” she nodded and pushed a slice of bacon around her plate before finally spearing it and popping it in her mouth.

We ate in comfortable silence for a few moments. I wanted to ask her why Julian of all people. She could do so much better. That would be rude though, so I bit my tongue against the urge.

“I know it’s hard, Kylarai,” I said instead. “But, Kale will be fine. And, so will you.” As an afterthought I added, “I hope you don’t hold it against me for introducing you guys.” I smiled to soften the seriousness of my words.

Kylarai laughed then which made me feel a million times better. “Don’t be ridiculous, Alexa. I adore Kale, he’s a good man. He just isn’t meant to be mine.”

Her warm grey eyes fixed on me, and the uncertainty in their depths made my heart go out to her. Her energy was very strained and pinched. It stung if I concentrated on it. Too much negativity.

I finished eating and rinsed my dish before stacking it in the dishwasher. That had to be man’s greatest invention to date. I went for a second cup of coffee, needing the caffeine boost in my system. There was more that I wanted to say, but I wasn’t sure how.

I shook my head and resisted the urge to hug her against her will. She wasn’t ready for that though. I could see how hard she was fighting to subdue the depths of her feelings.

“You know I’m always here, right? If you ever want to talk.” I wished there was more I could say, but I could only say so much.

Her face lit up then, and she beamed a grin at me. “I know. I love you for worrying about me. You’re like the younger sister I never had.”

“And you’re like the tough-ass older sister I always needed to throw my boyfriends around.” I had to laugh when I pictured her stepping in between Arys and Shaz the other night. I wish I could have appreciated their surprise at the time.

“We have to stop them from fighting, Alexa,” she said suddenly, and I paused, my coffee partially raised to my lips. “Julian and Shaz, we can’t let them do this.”

“I know.” I nodded and thought back to Shaz’s fierce intensity when he spoke of beating Julian’s ass. “It’s going to be fucking ugly. Shaz refused to listen to me last night. He insisted it’s something he has to do as my mate.”

Kylarai looked worried, her food, once again abandoned. “And, I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. I’m sorry … Julian isn’t the easiest person to understand, but he is a good guy underneath it all.”

“Well, I hope you can talk some sense into him. Otherwise, we’re going to have one hell of a furry mess to clean up.”

“I’ll do my best.” She searched my eyes then, a shadow of doubt passing in her stormy gaze. “But, if they won’t listen to reason, if they still fight, we can’t let it go too far. We have to be ready to split them up.”

I was pretty sure I knew what she was saying. “Don’t worry, Ky. I’ll be more than happy to blast them both on their asses.”

“I just don’t want to see anyone get hurt.”

It never ceased to amaze me how she had such a sweet, gentle nature that could unleash into a frenzy of murderous rage at a moment’s notice. I was counting on her to use that to our advantage if necessary when those boys went head-to-head. And, I could feel it in every part of me that without a doubt, they would.

I moved about the kitchen, tidying up the counter and starting the dishes. I was looking forward to a quiet night alone. Shaz was bartending tonight and judging by Kylarai’s perfectly done makeup and hair, she had plans.

After Ky disappeared to her bedroom, re-emerging in a stylish black cocktail dress, I considered getting dressed. With a questioning brow raised, I asked, “What are you all dressed up for? You look gorgeous, by the way.”

“Thank you. Julian and I are going to dinner.” She had the decency to blush and look guilty when she said it. “I won’t be home until morning. Do you have any plans tonight?”

“Nope. Shaz is working, and Arys is, well, being Arys most likely. I’m going to lie around, watch movies and be thankful that I haven’t had to hunt down any vampires all week.”

The vampire activity had been reasonably quiet in the city recently. Of course, that could just be the calm before the storm. In all honesty, I love what I do. Hunting rogue supernaturals was necessary. Somebody had to do it if we all wanted to keep our secrets. I had a hunger for the hunt and kill that made me a natural for the job. Having partners, like my friends Kale and Jez, alongside me made it a lot more fun than when I worked alone.

“You haven’t done that in a long time. I’m sure you need it.” I watched as Ky gathered her things together to leave. She leaned in to give me a quick embrace before turning to go. “Enjoy the quiet time. It’s good for the soul.”

After she left, I stood in the quiet kitchen, listening to the sounds of the clock ticking and the fridge running. Slipping through the glass sliding doors to the backyard, I was pleasantly surprised to find the night wind to be particularly warm for October. A run would be really nice right now. Just thinking about it brought an itch to my limbs and muscles as the need to stretch out and become wolf grew quickly.

Running alone isn’t something I do often. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I didn’t have Kylarai or Shaz with me. It was kind of a group activity. So imagine my surprise when the first time I do head out alone in a long while, I run in to Zoey Roberts. I hadn’t laid eyes upon her since the night she murdered Raoul. Though, that’s not to say that she hadn’t occupied my thoughts since then.

I was trotting along, minding my own business as I savored the crisp freshness of the night breeze. I rounded a bend in the trees that led to the small forest clearing where several of us meet to run on the full moon. The black wolf caught my eye immediately, my mind conjuring a memory of Raoul. She just looked so much like him. My heart leaped, and for just a moment, I thought it was him.

Then her scent reached me, and the instinctual need to kill was back. Despite everything, I had to lay the blame somewhere, and though Raoul was dead, his vindictive offspring wasn’t. A snarl erupted from me, unbidden and unexpected, yet welcome. What was she doing, so close to my house? This was my turf, not hers.

We stared at one another across the distance that separated us. She looked a lot better than she had the last time I’d seen her. How she’d managed to escape death was beyond me. Her once blood-matted fur was now long and silky, the color of sin. The one feature that set her apart from Raoul was the eyes. She had cerulean blues rather than ebony orbs. I was glad that the similarities only went so far.

I waited, not blinking an eye, but she never came any closer. The seconds ticked by increasingly long. How I kept my feet planted is a mystery to me. Maybe it had something to do with the sudden memory of the challenge in Raoul’s eyes as he lay dying, allowing Zoey to kill him. He had been willing to do anything to give her the vengeance she felt entitled to, regardless of my feelings, my need for vengeance.

After a long, suspenseful moment that had me shaking in my tracks, she backed away toward the thick trees behind her. When she was sure that I wouldn’t give chase, she turned and fled into shadow.

I didn’t hang around to see if she’d return. She wouldn’t, not tonight anyway. Instead, I beat it home to take a soak in a hot bath while I nursed a combination of guilt and confusion.

I wasn’t sure where the guilt came from. Maybe because while I was relaxing in bubbles up to my chin, Zoey was out there trapped in wolf form indefinitely. The confusion was partly due to Raoul’s death having only occurred a few months ago. I just wasn’t entirely over losing the man I’d looked up to, nor could I accept his betrayal from beyond the grave. That would likely never change. How could it? He had waited until he was dead to reveal to me through a letter that he had been the werewolf that killed my family and turned me. That kind of pain didn’t fade overnight.

Since I was alone, I dragged my fuzzy comforter out to the futon in the living room. After making some African red tea and grabbing a bag of chocolate covered pretzels, I was ready to get comfy with a good movie.

I munched on pretzels as I scrolled through the TV channels with the remote. There was a late night showing of one of the old Halloween movies. With Halloween being just weeks away, I also had three or four other horror flicks to choose from. After eliminating them based on cheesiness and gore level, I stuck with Michael Myers and his shrieking teenage victims.

It wasn’t long until my eyelids began to droop. The classic slasher theme played in the background as I drifted between sleep and wakefulness. It accompanied me as I sunk deeper, right into a dream I hadn’t had in months.

I was back in my family home, surrounded by the bodies of my dead family. Raoul stood before me as wolf, but this time I knew it was him. The first thing I noticed was that I wasn’t my teenage self in this dream like in previous ones, and I was fully aware that this was indeed only a dream. I soon came to realize that though it was a dream, it was not at all the same one I’d assumed it was.

Unlike dreams of the past, Raoul wasn’t snarling or preparing to attack. He simply stared into me with calm, coal-dark eyes. I was overcome with the instant urge to tell him what a jackass he was for trying to communicate with me now, after my run in with Zoe. It was always about her.

But, try as I might to say all the things that came to mind, I was unable to give voice to them. I could only look into those dark eyes and feel a mixture of sadness and wonder.

Just when I felt that something was going to transpire, another sensation roused me. When my conscious mind became aware that somebody was in the house, I was wide-awake, on full alert.

My instinct had me swinging before I’d identified the intruder. All at once, I realized it was Arys, but he had already deflected each of my blows, catching my wrists tightly in his grasp.

“Alexa,” he whispered loudly. “It’s me. But, a word of warning. Don’t fall asleep with the front door unlocked.”

I stopped struggling against him and sat up on the futon. Arys leaned down over me, his face, more battered and bruised than it had been previously. He released my arms and stepped back as I pushed my disheveled hair from my face.

“What happened to you? That’s not from Shaz.” I reached out to brush a finger across his bruised eyelid but he caught my hand in his, kissing it softly.

“No. I saw Harley tonight. At The Wicked Kiss.” He stared at me with an intensity I felt in my toes.

Arys looked worried, almost afraid. He wasn’t the fearful type in any way. He pulled me into his arms, burying his face in my hair and inhaling my scent. I tried to pull away, pushing on his chest so he had to look at me.

“Tell me what happened.”

He studied me, his jaw clenching hard. “We had a little confrontation. It didn’t go so well.”

“You don’t say.” I cocked my head to the side, taking in his battered appearance. “Start talking, vampire.”

He reached out for my hand, and I surrendered it but didn’t abandon my stiff position. That had never deterred this vampire though, and it certainly didn’t now. Arys advanced on me, tipping my head up with a hand under my chin, kissing me with a fervor that I felt in my loins.

“That’s not going to get you out of trouble, mister. Start talking. I want to know about Harley.” I managed to pull away though I would have loved to let him continue as if nothing else mattered.

He tensed noticeably, looking away from me to stare at the gruesome horror flick that played quietly. His averted gaze told me plenty. I had to bite my tongue so that I didn’t ramble on in an attempt to pry the information out of him.

When his piercing, blue gaze swung back to me, there was an angry fire burning in their depths. He ran his hand through his always bedroom-messy hair, a sign that he didn’t want to tell me. I chewed my bottom lip nervously. If he didn’t start talking, I was going to burst.

“He’s bad news, Alexa. He wants to see what could possibly be so tasty that even I can’t get my fill.” Arys eyed me closely as he spoke. I felt his gaze like a weight. “He wants to sample you for himself. His exact words were a little more crude, which resulted in the punch in his face that started our little brawl.”

I swallowed hard around the lump that had suddenly formed in my throat. Ok, now I was a little nervous.

“You’ve got to be joking.” My hand went to my mouth, and for a moment, I thought I might throw up. “What is it with people from your past wanting a piece of me? Why? What did I ever do to them?” My voice took on a frantic, high-pitched lilt.

“Oh, Catherine was nothing worse than the jealous-high-school-girl type. Harley is like the evil cartoon villain that never dies. But worse, because he’s real.” Arys lightly touched a finger to one of the bruises lining his strong cheekbone, a thoughtful expression on his eternally beautiful face. “He seems to think you’d make a great toy. And, I know he’s egotistical enough to think he can have whatever he wants. But, he can’t have you. I’ll kill him first.”

I drew him to me, a hand tracing the line of his jaw. “We have nothing to worry about. The very thing that he wants from us is what will give us the upper hand. I’ll be ready for him.” I pressed my lips to his in a kiss that had him wanting more, if his reaction was any indication.

Arys crawled up on the futon so that he hovered over me on his hands and knees. Each of his legs was on either side of mine, and his hands came to rest on my pillow with my head caught between. The position forced me back so that I had to tip my head back to meet his eyes.

“You can’t underestimate him, Alexa.” He nipped lightly at my bottom lip. It sent a hot tingle through me, from head to toe. He had a way of always rousing the most savage energy within me. “He’s powerful and so fucking sadistic, it turns my guts to think of him touching you.”

There was a sharp pain as he bit my lower lip. The blood welled instantly. Before it could spill down my chin, he caught it against his tongue. The warm, moist touch against my wounded lip was heavenly.

“I know that, Arys. But, don’t underestimate me. I take out vamps like him all the time.” It irritated me that he spoke to me like I was defenseless.

“I’m sorry, Alexa, but you have never dealt with a vampire like him. I guarantee it.” He pressed a kiss to my bleeding lip. “And, don’t you dare make this into a damsel in distress scenario. You know it’s not like that.”

The power rose around us in response to the blood and sexual energy. It danced along my body like a strange second skin. His tongue slipped inside my mouth, and I tasted my own coppery blood. It made my heart race, and I sought to pull him closer, needing to feel him pressed against me.

“Don’t start with me,” I said, even as I gasped breathlessly. “It’s always like that with you. I’m not a breakable item that will crumble into dust at the wrong touch.”

“Yes,” he growled down at me. “You are. I’m not arguing about your safety. Nobody is safe when Harley sets his sights on them.”

Just when I loved where we were headed, he pulled back, a serious expression on his face. “I need you to promise me that you’ll stay away from The Wicked Kiss. And, watch for Harley. Seriously. Just until I know how far he’s willing to take this.”

“Arys…” I wanted him to stop talking about danger and getting killed. It was really cramping the mood we’d started.

“I mean it. Don’t make me beg.” He gave me an imploring look, and it was enough to unsettle me.

“This isn’t like you,” I commented, trying for casual. “What’s with the extreme worry? He’s not going to kill me.”

His wane smile grew sad and accepting all at once. “That’s what scares me most. Harley has a penchant for collecting things, most of them being people. Like me. If he gets his hands on you, that’s what you’ll be. Another toy. But, what’s fun for Harley is never fun for his toys.”

The creepiest chill crept over me as he uttered the words. Harley loved torture, and if he got his hands on me, I’d be praying for death instead.

“Stop,” I whispered, suddenly afraid to speak any louder. “I don’t want to go there right now. You have to leave before sunrise. Let’s not spend our time talking like this.”

A small bead of blood overflowed from my lip, down my chin. Arys’s eyes followed it, and his little finger was quick to catch it.

“Alright.” He brought the little crimson splash to his lips. His eyes glazed with the rush of energy, which he openly embraced. “For now, it’s all about us.”

I smiled when he reached to untie the sash to my silky robe, wasting no time hiking my short nightie up around my waist. I gave a small playful shriek and slapped at his hand when he made as if to slide my G-string to the side.

“Hey now,” I said, shoving against his solid chest in an attempt to sit up. “What’s your hurry?”

He remained steadfast so that I was deliciously trapped beneath him. He released his hold on my skimpy underwear and kissed me hard. The thrill that shot through me caused me to gasp, and Arys chuckled seductively.

“We don’t have much time. I want to make the most of it.” He whispered the words against my lips before sliding a hand up my side to cup my breast. “I need to feel you.”

His touch was possessive and demanding but had a gentle quality to it that I noted immediately. As nice as it felt, I couldn’t help but be anxious. I knew his sudden need for me came from his insecurity regarding Harley. It frightened me to know that it was eating at Arys so badly.

My arms went around his neck as I took a deep breath. His scent was made up of cologne and hair products since vampires generally have no distinct scent. When he was experiencing my weaknesses, he also smelled like wolf.

He leaned into me again. His tongue sought mine hungrily. I welcomed the warm, moist heat of his mouth as he pressed his erection against my bare thigh.

All at once, our bonded power began to grow between us, stretching and reaching for more. It was extremely rare that we made love without it encouraging the flow of our passion.

When Arys broke off the mind-shattering kiss, I was momentarily disappointed. His tongue soon traced wet lines down my neck beneath my ear, causing my body to respond with a rush of blood through my veins and a flood of heat between my legs. His fingers deftly found my nipple, and I let out a small moan when he rubbed it until it stood firm.

I entangled my fingers in his amazingly soft hair, loving the sensation as he licked and nipped at my sensitive throat. “I need to taste you, Alexa.” His voice came hot and breathy against my ear. His request caused me to tense in heart-racing anticipation. It was not often that he really bled me, and it was even less often that he asked.

And, something about his use of the word “need” had me on alert. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think Arys was getting emotional on me. As far as emotions go, it’s not something we openly discuss. It’s something that somehow plays a part in our relationship but has a tendency to be glossed over.

We were both guilty of pretending we could live without the other, yet, it was a thought I couldn’t entertain. There were no claims of undying devotion between Arys and me. That was something that only came out with Shaz. But, if forced to look inward to what I felt for Arys, I couldn’t deny that there was something real there.

What it was, I couldn’t define, as it had kind of snuck up on me. I hadn’t ever intended to feel anything for him. Not really. Ultimately, we don’t always choose who we feel for.

Butterflies beat their delightful wings hard against my insides. I was nervous because I was rarely the prey. Allowing Arys to take blood from me took a lot of control on my part. I trusted him, though, and the rush of power swirling around us assisted in my readiness.

Ever so softly, he stroked the side of my face as he pulled back to look into my eyes. The tenderness in his hypnotizing gaze was shocking. I didn’t expect to see such vulnerability hidden in those ocean blue depths. I realized in that moment that, though I had become one of Arys’s strengths, I was also one of his weaknesses.

It went beyond the metaphysical weaknesses that we shared. I worried that, if he developed deep feelings for me, it would destroy him.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” He asked. A tantalizing grin slowly spread across his face. The sight of his sharp fangs had me excited.

“I think I have a pretty good idea. But, I’m really not liking all of the clothing between us.” I began to unfasten his jeans, and he followed my lead, stripping off his t-shirt.

He then slid his jeans off, freeing the smooth as velvet erection that I eyed hungrily. I encircled it with my hand just tight enough to coax a moan from him. His pupils dilated until his eyes were all black. He only allowed me to stroke him for a moment before pushing my hand away.

With a low murmur, he buried his face between my legs, pulling my G-string aside roughly. He directly attacked me with his tongue and I cried out at the overwhelming onslaught of sensation.

My instant reaction was to plunge both hands into his jet-black hair, careful not to scratch him with my claws. I held tight, and a series of groans and growls filled the silence. The climax was almost instant, and I shuddered beneath his persistent tongue.

He quickly slipped my underwear off and tossed it on the floor. My robe was quick to follow, but he left my nightie on, bunched around my waist. I grabbed for him eagerly when he rose above me, expecting him to enter me. When he didn’t, I was surprised to find him staring down at me.

All of a sudden, he hooked his hands under my hips and flipped us over so that he was beneath me, and I straddled him. I couldn’t hide the naughty smile that played across my lips.

Arys grasped my arm and drew it close. His tongue played over that soft spot in my inner elbow. He traced the veins there, sucking at them until they plumped up nicely. His other hand went to my hip, guiding me so that he was ready at my entrance.

I was more than ready but he stopped me with a look. I knew that look. It made my stomach clench.

“You are my wolf.” It wasn’t a question. Arys simply made the statement, but he waited for a response.

“Yes.” I nodded, my voice thick with desire.

In one swift fluid motion, my dark vampire pulled me down on him so that he slid deep inside me as he sunk fangs into my soft flesh simultaneously. A pained noise escaped me as those needle sharp teeth freed the blood trapped within my vein. Every moment of pain was matched with just as much pleasure.

As we moved together, Arys gripped my hip possessively as he sucked at my bleeding arm. A trickle of blood escaped him, streaking crimson lines down to my wrist. The sight of it added to the exhilaration of the moment.

His mouth on my flesh sent a shiver down my spine, increasing the pleasure coursing through me. We rode the wave of power that crashed over us with the natural balance that we’d established over the past few months.

I clung to Arys with my free hand, and my nails left angry red scratches on his chest and stomach. I panted his name, and he made an animalistic sound low in his throat. He lapped at the bloody wound. His touch became more than I could handle as another climax began to build.

When it rolled over me, I embraced it in full and felt him tense as he reached his own peak. I collapsed on top of him, my face pressed against his chest. He licked my wounded arm again before releasing it and wrapping me tight in his embrace.

Arys breathed my name and pressed a kiss to my sweaty temple. Soreness began to set in from the bite on my inner arm, but it was a welcomed pain, much like the one that would set in between my legs.

The best sexual afterglow was the one that needed no words to perfect it. My head rested over his still heart, the very place he once claimed I had breathed new life into, and I wondered what he was feeling. I gripped him tighter, wishing we could stay like that all day. It wouldn’t be long before the coming dawn would drive him from me, taking with him the safety and comfort I was reveling in.

Chapter Seven

After Arys left, I’d promptly fallen asleep on the futon with the TV still on mute and my nightie haphazardly arranged. I’d awoken around three in the afternoon to Ky attempting to work quietly on her laptop at the kitchen table.

After a shower and more than one coffee, I was feeling more alert and almost ready to go hunt down a rogue werewolf.

Honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to go out and mess around with an idiot Were that seemed to think he or she was a product of a Hollywood film, butchering hookers in dirty back alleys. Jez was coming along, so I could probably get away with leaving most of the bullshit to her. I’d rather take out a vampire than a Were any day. Killing a mortal could get incredibly messy.

I stood on the back deck watching Shaz as he hammered and banged at the broken railing. He grinned up at me and winked, setting a swarm of butterflies free in my stomach before flashing a disgusted look at the splintered wood.

“I need to get some new two by fours for this railing,” he announced. “It can’t be fixed like this. I’ll do it next weekend if that’s ok.”

“No problem. Arys can pay for half the cost of the wood. Or, maybe the entire cost since he couldn’t be bothered to fix it.” As soon as I spoke the words, Shaz’s eyes went to the healing bite on my inner elbow. He’d likely noticed it the moment he walked in the door. I felt ashamed and wished I’d worn a sweater.

I tried casually to turn my arm slightly, so that the two puncture marks could not be seen. He made a sudden noise of exasperation and dropped the tools he held to the ground. He took the deck stairs two at a time, coming to where I stood at the top.

“Don’t hide it.” He pulled my arm away from my side, turning it so that he could see the wound. His warm fingers grazed it, and a flood of pleasure and adrenaline swept me momentarily. “I hate that you feel you need to.”

“I don’t want to make it a bigger deal than it is.” I felt foolish and weak and once again wondered why he loved me the way he did.

“If this was something I wasn’t capable of dealing with, I wouldn’t still be here. You really need to relax.” Shaz stared down at the vampire bite with a strange expression on his perfect face. “But, tell me, why do you let him do this? Do you really enjoy it?”

“I guess so.” I searched his green eyes, finding a sincere desire for answers. “It’s all a part of the energy and the power we call. Of course, there are other aspects.” I felt awkward. I didn’t want to talk about Arys feeding from me. Not with Shaz.

He looked more comfortable with it than I felt and that struck a chord that resonated deep within me. I expected Shaz to persecute me constantly for the ways that I’d wronged him. And, when he didn’t do it, I did it to myself.

Sensing my unease, he released my arm and changed the subject. “So it’s really over for Ky and Kale?”

“It is,” I nodded and pulled him close for a tender kiss. “She and Julian seem to be an item now. I can’t say I’m thrilled about that.”

He gave a low growl at my mention of Julian. He didn’t seem to have any intention of letting this go.

“I can’t imagine what she’s thinking.” He shook his head incredulously. “She’s a knockout and the nicest person in the world. Being with Julian is punishment for women like her. She deserves better.”

“She had better.” I kept my voice low so that it wouldn’t carry. “But, it isn’t any of our business. She’s our friend, we have to support her.”

“I know. I’m just not sure how easy that’s going to be after I kick the shit out of her boyfriend.” Shaz chuckled, and the wicked sound made my eyes widen.

I couldn’t share in his enthusiasm. Unlike him, I was worried sick about that fight. Judging by his gleeful expression, he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into Kylarai’s new love.

“Cut that out.” I grinned and poked him playfully in the ribs. I wanted to lighten the mood. “Or, I might have to give you a smack or two myself.”

He grabbed my finger and pretended to bite it. “I’m sorry, babe. I know you’re not happy about this. I can’t imagine that Ky is either.”

I shook my head but said nothing. I couldn’t wait for it all to be over. It was just another thing for me to stress over. As if Harley lurking around wasn’t enough.

“I just want time to fly so I can hit up the Halloween party at Lucy’s Lounge and unwind. For once.” I kissed the end of his cute nose. “And, you better not have to work that night, either.”

He laughed and caught my hand in his, pulling me closer so our bodies were pressed together. “Oh, don’t you worry. There is no way in this world that I would leave you alone for every guy in the place to drool over. Especially if you’re dressed as a Playboy bunny.” He gave my ass a light pinch, and I squealed in surprise.

“You know, I think just for that, I’m not going to tell you what I’m dressing up as. You will have to wait and see.” I smirked because I had no idea what I was going as. I still had plenty of time to shop.

“Well, if you’re not telling, then neither am I.” He flashed me that mischievous grin that I so loved, and my knees weakened.

“I guess we’ll both have something to look forward to then. I’m actually excited at the thought of getting out. I haven’t had much of a social life lately.”

“All kill and no thrill, huh?” Shaz pulled back to nibble my bottom lip before giving me a light nip on the neck.

“Well, a little thrill.” I threw my head back and embraced him tightly. “Not nearly as much as I’d like.” I gave in to the urge to slip my tongue teasingly along the curve of his ear. It caused him to shudder as the nerves tensed and spasmed down his back.

“Stop that! You know I’ve got to get going right away.”

“Yeah well, I’ve got to leave you with a lasting impression. I need to know how bad your wolf craves me.” I wiggled against him briefly before pulling back. I wanted to tease him but not cause him any extreme discomfort.

He groaned and resisted when I went to move out of his reach. “There isn’t a time when I don’t crave you, Lex. Hot damn, you are such a tease.”

He immediately closed the space between us so that my hands came to rest against his hard, alluring body. When he kissed me again, the taste of pine and wolf overwhelmed my senses. It stirred the animal inside, and I had the sudden desire to be furry. Everything felt right with Shaz, natural and serene.

When he broke off the kiss, it was with extreme reluctance. “Be safe tonight. Call me when you make it home so I know you’re safe.”

The genuine affection that he had for me never ceased to blow my mind. There was no question that I loved him, and really, how could I not? He was a dream come true, everything I thought I’d never find. He accepted me in every way, flaws and all.

“You know I will.”

Shaz’s embrace was the best, most perfect embrace that I’d ever been in. He had this way of holding me just tight enough so that I felt nothing but love and security. The emotion I sensed from him when he held me was one of the most powerful energies that I’d ever felt.

After I’d kissed him goodbye another half dozen times, I sent Jez a text to say I’d be ten minutes late but was on my way. Chances were good that she would still be later than I would anyway.

I went to my bedroom and dug through the closet until I found a red, form-fitting, long-sleeved shirt. The stretchy material it was made from was both body hugging and comfortable. My favorite pair of blue jeans made it a great outfit for fighting and running in. Hopefully, that wouldn’t get excessive.

After brushing my long, poker straight hair and staring at it undecided in the mirror, I opted to leave it down but bring a hair tie just in case. Aside from my usual smoky eyeliner and blush, I wore little makeup. I didn’t generally go out all dressed to kill someone unless it was part of the plan.

I took a moment to just sit on my bed and feel the pure energy of the earth. It hummed all around at all times but required concentration and willpower to truly experience it. I used my connection to the earth for many things. Right then, I used to it to ground my own energy and attempt to center the combination of wolf and vampire in my core.

It was somewhat of a metaphysical reset button. I was able to cleanse any negative or excess energy or acquire more should I need it. It wasn’t always the optimum power source, but it was pure and steady. Of course, my energy bond with Arys gave me my very own power source, though, that too had its limits.

Kylarai was softly humming a song I didn’t recognize when I re-entered the kitchen. She looked up at me with a bright smile as she stacked clean glasses in the cupboard.

“Are you taking off now?”

I grabbed my shoulder bag from the counter beside the fridge and rifled through it to make sure I had everything. “Yeah, Jez and I have a new Were to hunt down. There’s no second chance for this one. It’s been slaughtering prostitutes downtown.”

Kylarai pursed her lips and shook her head solemnly. “That’s terrible. And yet, sadly typical.”

It certainly was. The chances of being turned by a werewolf were incredibly slim because, in most cases, victims don’t survive the attack. Of those that do, very few made it through without succumbing to the urge to kill and to have fun doing so. At times, I’m still not sure how I keep from going past the point of no return. This is a thought I have heard echoed by Shaz. It isn’t something that just anyone can adjust to.

“Well, have fun,” she said, sounding like she meant it. “I will be here doing paperwork for a case I’m working on.”

Kylarai had a tendency to be a workaholic, using work to lose herself. A night of paperwork would likely do wonders to help her sort out her recent thoughts and feelings. Trapping herself in the office for days at a time was common self-therapy that usually had her emerging like a butterfly from a cocoon.

“Don’t run yourself ragged. I’ll see you later.”

The chilly October air was like a slap in the face. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t shiver. My resistance to the natural elements was stronger than that of humans. It was much colder than it had been the previous night. That was a typical Canadian fall though. I smiled to myself and paused to enjoy the quiet autumn energy.

The moon glowed overhead, round and vibrant against the night sky, not quite full. Its energy radiated down to me, strong when I concentrated on it. The sudden temptation to throw my head back and howl was hard to resist. Instead, I savored the sensations, anticipating that, in just days, the moon would be full and I would be wolf.

* * * *

Just as I’d thought, Jez still wasn’t at the office when I arrived. The funny thing was that she lives closer to it than I do. The building was dark, and the parking lot was empty. I didn’t plan on going inside.

The Blue Collar Comedy station on satellite radio kept me chuckling while I waited. I may have even snorted a little during a bit by Jeff Foxworthy. I don’t care what anybody says, that redneck humor never gets old.

When I found myself looking at the dash clock for the second time, I decided that if Jez wasn’t here in five minutes, I was calling her. Either that, or heading home to watch scary movies and sleep. The sound of a familiar and easily recognizable engine caught my attention, and I turned down the radio to listen. I had to be mistaken.

It sure sounded like the old muscle car to me, but I didn’t really believe it until Kale’s slick, black ride peeled around the corner at the end of the block. I watched as he turned into the lot with a squeal of tires, stopping a few yards from my car. What in the hell was he doing here?

Kale slid from the Camaro with a strong predatory energy that I could feel from where I sat. I quickly opened my door and got out of the car. I didn’t want him approaching while I was still inside.

He was dressed to kill in pinstriped pants and a fedora that made him look like a vampire mob boss. His long duster was part of the badass look, like always. Those two different colored eyes of his sparkled with a devious glint, the one I saw when he killed. I wasn’t sure that I liked this.

“What are you doing here, Kale?” I didn’t try to hide the suspicious note that crept into my voice. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

He looked at me as if deciding how honest to be. “I need to kill something, Alexa. Something that still has a heartbeat. I’m coming with you tonight.” He flashed me a look that dared me to contest his choice.

I leaned against the back of my car and crossed my arms over my chest. It was the best casual stance I could muster. However, I was overtly aware of the power of the moon above me, and I was prepared to tap it the second he gave me a reason.

“Alright,” I conceded. What could I do, argue with him? “Have it your way. Do you want to take my place with Jez? She should be here any minute.”

There was no way of escaping the awkwardness that fell like a blanket over us. So, I met his blue and brown eyes evenly, ready for anything. He wasn’t prepared for a face off, and he avoided my gaze, looking out onto the street.

“Actually, she isn’t coming. I’m taking her place. It’s just me and you.”

His words rang in my ears, and I stared at him dumbfounded. Please, tell me he was kidding. This was so not cool.

“Look, Alexa,” he sighed and forced his gaze to mine. “I need to apologize for what happened the other night. I still can’t believe I lost to the hunger like that. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

I had expected his apology, knowing him the way I do. Kale is a stand up, respectable guy. I didn’t expect the vibe I was sensing from him.

“Thank you. I understand the temptations. I’ve given in to them, too.” I glanced nervously down the street as if expecting Jez’s beat up white Liberty to fly around the corner. Of course, it didn’t.

I wasn’t afraid of Kale despite what he’d done to me just days ago. But, the devilish look in his eyes mixed with the lusty hunger emanating from him sure had me on edge.

“There’s more.” He took a step closer but stopped a few feet away. “When I took your blood, it wasn’t like anything I’ve ever experienced before. It woke a hunger in me like no other.”

I was keenly aware of the subtle changes in his personal energy. It stirred the atmosphere around us, causing me to grow naturally defensive. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like where this was going.

“Kale,” I began. “Let’s just let sleeping dogs lie. There’s no reason to-,”

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Alexa.” He forced the words out in a rush, and I shut up instantly as I choked on my own comment. “The power in your blood, the combination of the undead and the wolf is like nothing I have ever felt in my lifetime. There is no living power that compares to what you hold inside you. And, it’s all I can think about.”

Oh please, I thought. Let this all just be a bad dream. I struggled to swallow as my mind went into overdrive. I was shocked and at a loss for words.

“I don’t know what to say to that, Kale. I don’t understand.” I swallowed hard, my breathing shaky. “We have a dangerous Were to track down. Let’s do our job.”

“Your blood is like a drug. Ever since I tasted it, all I can think about is tasting it again. You’re drawing me like a moth to a flame, and I don’t know why.”

Alarm rang through me, and I hissed, “Stop it!”

“Alexa…” Kale trailed off pleadingly.

The silence quickly grew strained as we stared at one another. I could feel the glare that adorned my features. His face remained stony, expressionless.

My guts turned when I replayed his rushed confession in my head. A sinking sensation settled heavily in my stomach. I had to fight down the panic that threatened to launch a full-scale attack within me at the thought of Kale obsessing over my powerful blood. Was this something I should tell Shaz and Arys, or keep to myself?

I sighed heavily. “Let’s just go do our job. We are friends, and that’s not going to change. But, we have priorities, like a bloodthirsty werewolf to stop. And, I have no coherent response for what you just said.” There, I was honest.

“Last chance to bail out,” Kale said when I turned to his car. After what had happened last time we rode together, I wasn’t driving. I wanted both hands free.

“Not on your life. If I don’t hunt something soon, my head will burst.” I got into the Camaro and put on my seatbelt, turning to him when he got in next to me. “I am stressed to the max right now, and I just need a good fight.”

His sexy chuckle tickled the nerve endings in my spine, and I squirmed in my seat. “Careful what you wish for, my dear. I may have to remind you that you said that later.”

As we pulled into traffic, I felt a shift in the energy inside me. Something was changing. My stomach flipped a few times, and my fangs appeared unbidden. I swore, and Kale glanced at me, his eyes widening.

“Are you alright?”

I had to think about that before I could answer. The power was roiling around inside me like a rumbling volcano. Closing my eyes against it caught me up in a tornado of undead energy, and I felt like I was falling.

“I’ll be fine.” I ground the words out between clenched teeth. “It’s been worse. Arys must not have fed recently.”

“I can’t imagine how much harder it must be for you than it is for us.” He turned down the radio, plunging the car into silence.

“I have given up trying to figure out how it all works. I feel like a pawn to the power more often than I feel in control of it.” I sighed and stared out the window. “The stress doesn’t help.”

He seemed to consider this carefully before tentatively asking, “Do you want to unload? I’m always happy to listen.”

I debated telling Kale, but before I could censor myself, it was all pouring out. The past few days of fighting, blood bond talk and scary-ass vampires that wanted a piece of me were too much, and I needed to share with a friend. It was easier with someone that was outside the situation.

The scenery outside the window flew by as we made our way downtown. I was hoping we could pinpoint this werewolf by its energy. If we had to rely on physical senses only, it would take forever.

“That’s some heavy shit, Alexa.” He let out a low whistle. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what the blood bond means to mortals.”

“No,” I murmured. “You don’t. I’m fully aware. And, of course, it’s not something I’m even considering.”

“Why do I sense that there is more to that thought?” Kale’s attentive eyes darted from the road to me and back. “Like you left off the words ‘right now’.”

I paused and stared at him in wonder. My tone had indicated that I was leaving something out. Not in a million years. It had taken me ten years to get used being a werewolf, to love it and embrace it as me. Vampire? No, thank you.

It scared me that he had heard something in my tone that I hadn’t intended. Panic shot through me.

“Kale, if you ever hear me say that I want to do it, knock some sense into me. Seriously.” I reached out to touch the cool sleeve of his coat, wanting to ensure he knew that I meant what I said. “I’m afraid of myself and what I might do in the wrong situation. I just need to know someone has my back.”

It got quiet then, and I reached to turn the radio up a few notches. I waited for his response, aware that he was weighing his words. I trusted him. I wanted to hear whatever he had to say.

“I’ll do my best, Alexa. I mean, I’ll try.”

He sounded so uncertain. I smiled and gazed out the window as we went deeper into the slums. “That’s all I can ask of you. Thank you.”

Nerves had my stomach in knots as the anticipation began to build. My fangs itched at the gum, burning to pierce and tear.

I snuck a sidelong glance at Kale, judging his mood. He caught me and with a wry smile asked, “Yes? Is there a reason you’re peeking at me from behind your lovely blonde locks?”

“Maybe.” I might as well ask. “How are you feeling? About the whole thing with Kylarai, I mean. I wished I’d known, the other night, but she didn’t tell me.”

“Ah,” he nodded his dark head in understanding. “How long have you been waiting to ask that? I’ll manage, if that’s what you mean. I adore her, Alexa, but we’re not meant to be. I knew that. Wishful thinking, I suppose.”

He sounded too casual. I didn’t want to push it, but I was curious.

“So you’re really all good? I was worried about you.”

The admittance felt strange in lieu of the last time Kale and I had been together, but we were friends, and I truly cared for him.

“Not nearly as worried as I am about you.” He smiled tightly, and I had a feeling there was something he wasn’t saying.

Well, I sure as heck wasn’t going to ask. Flashing back to the night at The Wicked Kiss was enough to get my power humming and reaching out to him. Focusing on taking deep, calming breaths was harder than it should have been.

We parked on a side street, just off the main downtown strip. The negative energy that filled the neighborhood stung despite the fact that I was shielding hard. It was strong here. Murder, addiction and despair, all powerful in their evil.

This wasn’t looking too good so far. Judging from the fact that we were in a rundown area, away from the business district, with little to no streetlights, houses or people, I was pretty sure this was going to be a gong show. Either that or so easy, it wouldn’t even be fun.

“Are you ready?” Kale raised a dark eyebrow in question as I double-checked the small dagger I had secured to my left wrist.

“You know it. Don’t get me killed, or I will haunt the shit out of you. And, my boyfriends will beat you up.” I stuck my tongue out at the absurdity of my statement.

He gave my hair a ruffle and then shoved my head playfully before climbing out of the car. I frowned and smoothed the mess back into place. Of all the irritating things…grrr.

“Do we have a plan of any kind, or are we just running blind like usual?” I asked, shivering slightly in the chilly night air. The cold didn’t usually bother me, which meant the temperature was really dropping.

“Not a clue,” he replied as his large strides forced me to double time my steps. “All I know is that we’re looking for a werewolf, gender unspecified, that has been snacking on some of the downtown street folk. If they’d used a little more discretion, it may have gone unnoticed, but the slaughter fest has been drawing public attention.”

He stopped suddenly and dug around in the pocket of his duster. “Here. I want you to take the spare key to my car. Just in case.”

I gaped at him with wide eyes. “In case of what?”

“After that incident in the hotel with the demon, I don’t want you left without a way to take off if it comes to that.”

“Are you planning to leave me, Kale? That’s not what I signed up for.” I accepted the key and tugged on the sleeve of his jacket, encouraging him to keep walking.

“Of course not. I’m sure we can handle a Were. It’s merely precaution.”

A few months ago, the two of us had unexpectedly encountered a demon during a routine vampire kill. Kale had urged me to run, to leave him behind. I’d refused. And then, it had been too late. We’d made it out, but it was still nice to know if something came up, I wouldn’t be stranded in the ghetto without a ride.

As we made our way to the main strip, my heart began to race. I was eager to catch scent of this shifter. Any werewolf lurking around out here couldn’t possibly be up to any good.

The neighborhood was filthy. The street was littered with everything from cigarette butts to used hypodermic needles. I wore a disgusted grimace as we passed a series of abandoned shops, each with the windows smashed out. It got slightly better as we progressed to the next block.

Sirens wailed in the distance. A scantily clad woman leaned against a light post, watching us as we approached. Did she have a clue how close to death she was? Of course she did. She thrived on it. Any human that could walk these streets night after night was looking for something, and it wasn’t good. Staring death in the face on a nightly basis was as close to feeling alive as some of these people got. It broke my heart.

I was prepared for her glare when we passed, though it was unlikely she could have mistaken me for a working girl. With my jeans and hoodie, I did not look anything like someone out to turn tricks. Hopefully, we would find this rogue wolf before it found her.

The traffic picked up slightly as we went from block to block. I raised my face to the wind, scenting the air for anything animal. A bevy of smells hit me, automotive fumes being the strongest. Mingled along with oil and car exhaust was an assortment of greasy food, garbage and something unidentifiable. I didn’t like it though. There was a stench on the air, as if the lack of hope and dreams had grown stale and rotten over time.

For more than an hour, we followed both physical and psychic senses, finding nothing but dead ends. We’d covered a lot of ground, miles since we’d left the car. I was beginning to get frustrated. I didn’t expect it to be easy, but my eager anticipation was fading.

When we passed by the entrance to another side street, my senses went on full alert. Everything in me commanded that I follow my instinct. I would find our werewolf.

“Do you feel that?” I turned to Kale with a renewed excitement. “We have to go this way.”

I walked fast, a sense of urgency quickening my pace. Kale frowned down at me, his brow furrowed in thought.

“I feel it now that you’ve drawn my attention to it. I didn’t before.” The weight of Kale’s heavy gaze drew my eyes to his. “I can still just barely make out that Were’s energy. Your powers have seriously grown. And fast.”

I couldn’t be more powerful than Kale. He was older than Arys, for crying out loud. Of course, many other factors played a role in it, such as the fact that Arys killed and derived a lot of pleasure and power from it, whereas Kale was doing the willing victim thing. I turned it over in my head; the realization, shocking. I don’t think I fully realized what Arys and I really had going on together.

The street was lined with apartment and condo buildings on either side. Additional side streets and alleys branched off between them. Though there were lights on in many windows, we didn’t see anyone. If I were a human living in this part of town, I wouldn’t be out at night either.

As we progressed from block to block, my senses began to burn like wildfire. The energy of the Were was strong, thick with the negative lashings of unrestrained primal fury. She was hunting. I could feel it. It caused me to quicken my pace. Kale was hot on my heels.

“This werewolf is hunting somebody,” Kale said, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the silence around us. “Her hunger is so fierce. I hope she doesn’t already have prey in her sights.”

I knew the werewolf we sought wasn’t far. I allowed both my nose and my psychic abilities to guide me. Together, one sense seemed to complement the other so that I could almost see her in my mind’s eye.

My legs moved faster until I was almost running. I knew she was close, and I wanted to reach her before she caught my scent and ran. I could feel Kale beside me, moving with the stealth and grace that nothing living could ever possess. Now that we’d located our target, the urgency within us grew. The power inside me seemed to respond to the excitement of my wolf. It began to scratch at me like a dog begging to be let out.

“This way,” I announced when instinct and the sudden tangy scent of blood pulled me between two shabby looking apartment buildings.

As we slipped between the buildings, the pale glow of the streetlight behind us fell away. There was only darkness ahead. My eyes quickly adjusted, making out what lay before me. It was a parking lot with an alley running behind it. One single, dim bulb glowed in a streetlight near an overflowing dumpster.

Rounding the building, I already knew what I would see between the building and the dumpster: our werewolf and what was left of her prey. She hovered over the body of a man, tearing chunks of flesh from the bone with a ripping, squishing sound. She was so engrossed in feasting on the kill that it took a solid five or ten seconds before she looked up at us.

We were too late for this victim, but there wouldn’t be another. Her dark wolf eyes landed on us, and the vacancy within them struck me as eerie. She was completely out of her mind. Not a semblance of sanity remained in her murderous gaze. Her face and hands were smeared with blood, so much so that I couldn’t tell at first glance what shade her olive skin was. Her long, black hair hung in dread-like chunks to her waist, and her clothing was splattered with blood and gore.

For a split second, I flashed back, seeing an image in my mind of a time when I’d slaughtered a man just like this. After Arys and I had bonded, I’d lost control to the hunger and killed a human who was abusing his girlfriend. She had thanked me later. The gruesome images were never far from my mind. I lived with the fear of losing control like that again.

Then, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Even though it all happened so fast, it was like a slow moving sports replay before my eyes.

Kale launched into action in the same moment that the crazy she-wolf did. I hung back, watching and waiting with a flaming ball of blue and golden energy glowing in the palm of my hand.

She rushed him, her garbled snarl sounded all wrong as it came from between her human lips. He anticipated her blow and easily took her off her feet with one outstretched arm. In a flash, she regained her footing and slashed at him with both clawed, bloody hands.

The craving for blood and power grew inside me. I threw the power I held at the rabid she-wolf, and it successfully knocked the breath from her. She went down on her rear end, choking and gasping for air. Kale stood over her, unleashing blows that would have killed most mortals. It didn’t even faze her.

She came up scratching and biting, fighting for his throat even as he beat her back down again. I moved to shadow him in case she gained an advantage, but Kale stunned her with a blast of power at point blank range. It didn’t throw her like I expected, though it did knock her senseless for a moment. She stared with wide eyes, and a high-pitched wail filled the night.

I made the mistake of letting my guard down for a split second. I turned to Kale with a question on my lips, taking my eyes from her as her instinct kicked in, driving her to fight harder. Despite Kale’s reaction, he wasn’t able to block her and searing heat cut through me as three of her claws bit through the material of my sweater. The blood ran from the deep slashes.

“Alexa?” Kale asked, never pausing to look at me as he grasped the Were by the neck and dragged her close. “Are you ok?”

She flailed wildly, beating at the vampire uselessly. He deflected each blow with his free arm, but his eyes now locked on the pulse in her throat. My fury grew with every crimson drop that coursed down my arm. I lashed out with a blast of energy, causing her to cry out in pain. That wasn’t enough for me. With a growl emanating from me, I struggled to get in between them, punching at her with a tight fist. I wanted to tear her apart.

“Let me kill her,” I cried out, irrational in the surge of rage that swept me.

“No way. She’s mine.” Kale jerked the werewolf roughly so that she stumbled against him. Kale was in need of a fix, and it showed. His lips peeled back in a snarl, and he sunk fangs into the thrashing werewolf so hard that I felt it like a kick in the gut as I watched.

Blood poured from the wound as Kale opened the artery. The scent was suddenly heavy and thick all around us. As he drank in both blood and energy, the combination of physical power and hunger struck deep in me. Though I suffered the same weakness as Kale, our hungers were rooted in different places.

Watching him drain the werewolf to the point of death made me feel like I was spying on a personal moment, one that I shouldn’t be seeing. It was as intimate as if I’d been watching him have sex. I have seen Kale kill but never have I seen him feed.

Turning my back on Kale wasn’t something I wanted to do, but watching gave me the same sensation I got when I saw Arys kill: I liked it. I hated that I did, but there was no sense denying it. So, I didn’t move. I stood frozen, feeling like a naive novice. Every time I thought I knew what world I was a part of, I was thrown for a loop.

It was impossible not to feel the powerful energy rolling off Kale as he feasted on the intoxicating wolf blood. It swept me up in its inviting glow.

The wolf in his grasp put up a pitiful struggle, but it didn’t take long for her strength to wane. She made a series of unintelligible sounds as if she was attempting to speak. It wasn’t long until she was silent and limp as Kale deposited her on the ground at his feet. My eyes strayed to the punctures in her throat and the blood oozing from the wound.

When I met Kale’s eyes, they weren’t crazed or monstrous. However, they were calculating and watchful. I couldn’t help but be affected by him as he crossed the short distance between us. In no way was I prepared for what he did.

Not for one moment did he pause or hesitate as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him. There was a strange look in his haunting eyes as he tipped my head up, forcing me to meet his eerie gaze. He kissed me with a depth that instantly transcended physical. I was pleasantly surprised to find blood still in his mouth. I was also shocked at my own sudden eagerness.

His tongue sought my own, and the blood dripped from his mouth to mine. He was ablaze with energy that forced any doubt or reluctance from me. The mix of vampire and werewolf power inside me was intrigued, curious to know what Kale had to offer.

Even as I savored the way the blood scratched Arys’s itch inside me, I was drawn to Kale’s centuries old energy. It wasn’t the same with Arys. I had a bond with him that went to the root of our metaphysical makeup. Instead, I realized that I could feed on Kale’s power and use it as my own. I realized that my power viewed Kale as a source to feed from, which was empowering after the night in the Charger when he’d made me the victim. I was fully aware of him drawing on my power as well, but this was different because I had control.

I allowed myself to fall into the power and ride out the wave that held us in its thrall. I tasted him with a selfish abandon that overruled my common sense. My wolf was pressing the surface of my control, and the desire to spill his blood won out.

I bit his tongue, just enough to get a taste of him. Kale’s blood was an intoxicating blend of rich, age-old power and time. Power that didn’t get exercised the way that it should. My body responded to him against my will as his deathly alluring darkness touched me in forbidden places.

He broke off the kiss and stepped back. I couldn’t prevent the gasp that came from me. I stared at him in awestruck wonder as I licked the blood from my lips. In light of what he’d told me earlier, I couldn’t decide which of us was the cause of this strange moment.

I searched Kale’s eyes for a sign of his reaction. He regarded me coolly, as if he didn’t trust himself to speak. Tentatively, he reached a pale hand out to touch the bleeding gashes along my upper arm. I was afraid to speak and break the strange spell as I watched him then lick my blood from the tips of his fingers.

“I’m sorry,” Kale spoke softly, a look of shame evident in his contrasting eyes. “We should go.”

Now that I’d tuned into Kale’s personal energy, I could really feel the sadness and sense of loss. I hadn’t been aware he carried it around so strongly. He was a very lost man. Kale needed to find himself. Something I felt I was still only beginning to do myself.

“Don’t be sorry,” I breathed, unable to make the words come out any stronger. I had to take a few deep breaths. “Don’t deny what you are, Kale. And, never apologize for it.”

“You make it sound so easy.” He eyed the pulse leaping hard in my throat, and I swallowed hard.

“It can be. It doesn’t have to be something you deny in order to maintain control. You can’t ignore what you are or what you need.”

His eyes closed briefly, his dark lashes framing them beautifully. A pained expression crossed his face. “I have to ignore this need, so we have to leave before I do give in.”

It frightened me when he said that because I could feel the raw honesty in his tone. After the kiss we’d just shared, my own control was seriously being tested. The energy of the hunger has a way of trying to sway decisions, and it was always about the power.

My tongue held the combined taste of both the dead wolf and Kale. I couldn’t resist licking my lips once again, tasting them both.

“Alright, let’s get out of here.” I nodded toward the dead she-wolf just yards away. “Veryl can send someone else to deal with that.”

“Thank you, Alexa.” Kale nodded and tipped his hat to me like the classy gentleman he usually was. “You are a true gem.”

I concentrated on taking deep breaths in order to slow the beating of my thrashing heart. My mind was reeling, and it was all I could do not to giggle foolishly in response to the power high.

As we made our way back toward the filthy street front, I wiped at my bloody arm. It wasn’t as bad as it felt. If I thought I’d had worries about what to tell Arys and Shaz before, I sure had them now. I chewed my lower lip nervously as I turned that conversation over in my head. Maybe … maybe it was better kept quiet for now.

Chapter Eight

I stifled a yawn and took another sip from my paper coffee cup. Jez pulled a skimpy French maid costume from the clothing rack, and I shook my head vigorously in response.

“You wouldn’t seriously wear that, would you?” I reached past her to finger the material of a velvet medieval gown.

“I don’t know. I could be Magenta from The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” She eyed the price tag before putting it back. “It’s a cute option anyway.”

“You should be someone really badass,” I said, moving to another wall of costumes. “Like Beatrix Kiddo.”

Jez tucked a long golden strand of hair behind an ear that was adorned with a large silver hoop. She looked both casual and stylish in a leather jacket and biker boots. The blue jeans she wore fit her slender legs like a second skin.

“Mmm,” she purred, licking her bright red lips. “That would be a good one. Do you have any idea what you want to be?”

I gave my head a shake, causing my long ponytail to brush against my elbow. I had already turned my nose up at hundreds of costumes. I was getting ready to give up.

“Lex? Why don’t you go as something like this? Blow the socks off your boys.”

When I looked over to where she stood about thirty feet away, I could barely make out the flimsy scrap of fabric she held.

“Um, what the heck is that?” I walked over to her, careful to avoid the nosy saleswoman that had been after us since we walked in the door.

“It’s a Jane costume,” she giggled. “You know, Tarzan’s woman.”

“Oh shit, no way.” I laughed but refused to accept the tiny outfit when she extended it to me. “I’d like to wear a little more than that. And, I think I get enough of that “me Tarzan, you Jane” shit as it is from those guys.”

“But, it would make your boobs look amazing. Mine aren’t big enough to wear something like this.” She tried to hold the small leopard print material up to my breasts and I snatched it out of her hand, returning it quickly to its hanger. She gave me a dirty look and said, “Suit yourself, but it would have been perfect.”

I wandered aimlessly from rack to rack. From Little Bo Peep to the Wicked Witch of the West, I considered and rejected everything. The sales lady decided she was brave enough to ask me one more time if I needed assistance. I successfully resisted the urge to bare fangs and snarl.

“Alright, you’re trying this on if I have to wrestle you into it myself.” Jez approached with a gleam in her eye and something black and red clutched in her hand.

“Jez…” I was wary of what hideous outfit she was going to thrust at me now. She grabbed my hand and dragged me unwillingly into the nearest change room.

Once inside she tugged lightly at my tank top, rushing me before I’d even gotten a look at what she held. “Just hold on a minute here. What are you trying to do to me?” I grabbed the red and black costume from her hand.

A black strapless corset dress laced in red trim along with a silky red cape made me raise an eyebrow in question.

“It’s Little Red Riding Hood. It makes perfect sense. You are the big bad wolf so you might as well be the innocent little vixen as well. Just put it on. You’ll knock ‘em dead if you wear this.”

I had to admit that it was a pretty sexy costume without being overly trashy. Jez may not be straight, but she was one of my best friends. So, even though I would never change in front of my guy friends, changing in front of her wasn’t as awkward as one might think.

She took my coffee cup and motioned for me to get moving. When I’d exchanged my comfy blue jeans and tank top for the costume, I had to do a double take at my reflection in the mirror. The dress clung to my curves, passing my thighs and rear end but ending well above the knee. My boosted cleavage was certainly eye catching. It looked better than usual. My running shoes didn’t look as good as knee high boots would, but I could easily envision it.

The cape was just a little longer than the dress, brushing the back of my knees. It was incredibly soft and a glance at the price tag made me think that for that kind of dough, it had better be.

“This has to be the one. You look amazing. What do you think?” Jez stood beside me. Her reflection in the mirror nodded in serious approval. “Just make sure you wear some lipstick on Halloween. Red will really make your eyes pop.”

I rolled my eyes at her, watching my reflection as I did so. I loved the outfit and the irony of being Little Red Riding Hood kind of appealed to me.

“I like it,” I conceded, and she smiled knowingly. “Does this mean I get to pick something out for you now?”

“Not a chance.”

Twenty minutes and nearly a day’s pay later, we were on our way out of the mall. Jez had settled on the black and yellow Kill Bill costume I’d suggested. I had my moment of gloating at that. She admitted that I was right. No one else could rock that outfit like she could.

It was dark already. The sun descended long before supper during the fall. Arys sure didn’t mind. It gave him significantly more freedom.

The parking lot hummed with the energy of dozens of dimly lit lights. Jez continued to chatter on about the latest hot lady she was dating as we made our way to the car.

“Can you believe that? She actually told me that she’s dating two other women as well as me. That’s some nerve alright. I have to break it off.”

“Hey, hypocrite,” I said, pulling out my car keys as we drew closer to the Charger. “Aren’t you practically always dating more than one person?”

“No, not always. I’m just trying to keep my options open in case Miss Right comes along. And, don’t be tossing ugly words around, Alexa. You’d be super pissed if Shaz or Arys were seeing someone else.” She wagged a finger at me, and I ignored it.

What she said was true, for the most part. However, that just wasn’t an issue with Shaz. But Arys, I didn’t always know what he was up to with his victims. It wasn’t something we talked about. Maybe because I didn’t really want to know.

“So,” Jez continued animatedly. “Are you sure you don’t want to come stake a few vampires tonight? I mean, I know you said you don’t think it’s a good idea to hang with Kale tonight, but we could ditch him.”

I looked up at her suddenly in shock, and she was grinning from ear to ear. I’d told Jez all about my recent outings with Kale, much to her delighted surprise. She was always one for juicy gossip.

“Very funny, Jez. If you had been there last night, you wouldn’t be making jokes.” We got into the car, and I gave her a look. She continued to smile.

“I believe you. I still think it sounds sexy though.” She shrugged and tossed her thick, leopard gold mane. “You’re the one with all of the vampire mojo going on. I’m surprised you don’t want a taste of Kale. And, I mean that in the best way possible.”

She held up both hands in mock defense, and I decided to let that one slide. We cruised through the city, headed toward the office. We carried on casual conversation along the way, but I couldn’t help but mull over what she’d said.

I’d tasted Kale last night. His strong, coppery blood had dripped inside my mouth so that I could taste him in both body and power. I hadn’t known that I’d wanted to until it had been happening, but I had wanted it bad in that moment. The only reason that bothered me was that I’d once accused Arys of being power hungry, wanting whatever he could get from me. It nagged at me that perhaps I wasn’t so different. No, I definitely would not be going out on the hunt with Kale and Jez this evening.

Just the sight of the black Camaro parked outside the office set my heart racing. This was ridiculous. I think part of it was that I hadn’t told either of my lovers about the bloody power kiss we’d shared. Of course, it helped that I hadn’t seen either of them since.

Nobody knew except for Jez. There was no way I was stupid enough to tell Kylarai. It just wasn’t worth mentioning. At least, not at this point.

“Don’t let him know that I told you, Jez.” I stopped her with a hand on her elbow. “He really is like a brother to me, and he’s dealing with enough right now.”

“Of course. No worries.” She beamed and blinked bright green cat eyes at me. “Kale will come around on his own.”

I followed her inside, took a deep breath and focused on slowing my heart rate to normal. If I didn’t have a potential client coming by, I wouldn’t have even come in.

At first glance, it appeared that Kale was the only one there. However, upon closer inspection I was able to determine Lilah’s spooky energy down the hall in her office. Lilah was both vampire and demon, older than dirt, according to some. I didn’t know much about her, but she’d saved my ass, and that made her cool with me.

I couldn’t help but miss Lena’s presence. I wished that she were here, instead of out of town with Veryl. I always had so many questions for her. The witch was damn talented, more so than she let on.

The front door latched behind us, preventing any unwanted guests from entering at leisure. The sound of it was loud in the quiet inside. Kale lounged in a chair at the table in the small kitchen with a newspaper spread out in front of him. He glanced up as we entered, a shadow of something unidentifiable behind his eyes. He banished it with a smile and a shake of his dark head.

“Hey ladies, how are you?” Kale greeted us with a grin, and I could see that he was forcing casual as hard as I was.

“I don’t know about you, honey, but I am ready to take out a vampire.” Jez deposited her shopping bag on the counter before digging through the fridge.

“Just one?” Kale raised an eyebrow skeptically. “What about you, Alexa? Are you up for another hunt?”

I had to force myself to meet his eyes directly. I didn’t want him to know how nervous he had made me. “No, I’m waiting for a client. You two will have to have all the fun for me.”

“I can handle that.” Jez produced a container of leftover Chinese food. “Who’s is this?”

Kale wrinkled his nose in distaste and fanned a hand before his face. “Does it matter? It smells hideous.”

“Not a fan of Asian cuisine, Kale?” She pulled a fork from the drawer and dug into the container. “I hear those Asian chicks taste divine.”

“I guess you would know,” he shot back at her, winking as he spoke. She frowned upon realizing that his lame joke had been better than hers.

“Do we really have to talk about tasting people?” I dug through the cupboards until I found clean coffee filters. Couldn’t anyone put them back in the same place? I was carefully trying to avoid looking at either of them, knowing that Jez would have a grin a mile wide.

Her peal of laughter had me rolling my eyes knowingly. Thankfully, she didn’t say anything facetious like I’d been expecting. Kale made a dramatic show of clearing his throat before rising to his full height.

“How much longer will it be until you’re done stuffing your face and we can head out? I’d like to avoid cutting this one as close to dawn as last time.” He smirked at Jez as he spoke, and her cat eyes narrowed into a glare.

“We did not cut it that close. Besides, it’s still early.” Jez paused, her fork poised in midair. She hissed softly. “I thought vampires had loads of patience. No need to get your panties in a twist.”

Kale merely sighed, regarding her with a cool, unaffected stare. I turned to the sink, running fresh water into the coffee pot. It was more than obvious that Kale wanted to escape my presence as surely as I wanted to be relieved of his. It was just so awkward with that crazy kiss replaying in my head.

I turned to pour the fresh water into the coffee maker, giving Jez a pointed look as I did so. All at once, understanding crashed over her features and a blush colored her cheeks.

“You know, I can get something while we’re out. Just let me grab something from my office.” Dropping the Chinese food container, she dashed out the kitchen door and down the hall, leaving Kale and I alone.

“How awkward is this?” The words just tumbled out of me, and I cringed inwardly in embarrassment. I flashed Kale a tight smile, feeling my cheeks flush.

Despite the span of the kitchen separating us, Kale’s presence felt enormous. His energy seemed to overwhelm my senses once it caught my attention. His power was running strong and steady tonight, not unlike the brewing coffee that I couldn’t wait to drink up. I had to shake myself out of that mind frame.

“Come on, Alexa. It’s us. It shouldn’t have to be awkward, regardless of what happened last night. Again, I’m sorry.”

I shook my head and dared to cross the distance, laying a hand lightly on his leather-clad arm, just for a moment. “No apologizing. This is the world we’re part of, and we should know what to expect from it.”

He seemed to consider this before nodding in agreement. “You’re right. And I, even more so than you, after this many years of existence. No worries then?”

“No worries.” I busied myself with fetching cream and sugar, taking care to double check the expiration date before pouring the cream in my cup. “Your friendship means more to me than any of the power stuff that’s bound to come up. That’s what will keep us sane. I have enough insanity in my life with men. I count on you for normalcy.”

His low chuckle was soothing and comforting because it immediately banished the strange atmosphere that had settled. Jez reappeared in the doorway with a file folder tucked under one arm.

“Ready?” Her bright eyes flicked back and forth between us.

After the two of them had left, I beat a hasty retreat to my office for some quiet time alone. I didn’t get that very often and even brief moments were worth savoring. I wasn’t sure when my potential client was due to show. It could be any time. I didn’t even have the client’s full name. In fact, I wasn’t even sure what gender I was expecting or if this were a human or a supernatural. Had I really agreed to this? I had to start paying more attention.

I passed some time checking email and catching up with various online avenues while waiting for this mystery person to show up. It was likely a run of the mill vampire hunt. One vampire gets ticked at another and outs them for some treacherous deed, gaining them a death sentence. Meanwhile, the original vamp never gets exposed as the one behind it all. Not all vampires were bold and brash. Of course, a cowardly vampire rarely existed for long.

After an hour passed and nobody had shown up, I began to get restless. I wasn’t one for sitting around idly. It wasn’t that I had anything better to do right then, but I would have rather been slaying vampires with Kale and Jez than sitting on my ass in boredom. It wasn’t long before I heard Lilah let herself out of the building.

When the front doorbell rang, I almost leaped out of my skin. A shot of adrenaline slammed through me, and I had to take a deep breath. As my legs carried me to the door, I had to fight the sensation that they were made of jelly.

My fingers closed over the lock and the strangest feeling swept me. Everything inside me screamed not to open the door. I paused and questioned the rationality of that. It just felt like a vampire. And, I had just been reading a slasher novel all alone in a large, dark office.

I forced myself to clear my thoughts and focus on my instinct. It continued to persist that whatever was on the other side of the door was something I did not want to meet with face to face. The bell sounded again, and I stood motionless, uncertain.

Despite all of my instincts, something else was pushing me to open the door. The promise of something big on the other side was almost too much to ignore. Against my better judgment and the cry of protest from my wolf, I unlocked the door and pulled it open. A thousand different words for describing stupidity flooded my brain as I looked out on the vampire smirking down at me on the front step.

Harley Kayson looked just as he had in every memory of Arys’s I could recall. To say that I was frightened would have been understatement of the year. I was staring at a monster far worse than what any horror author could conjure up.

I stared at Harley with dread etched on my features. He smiled back at me, knowing he had me right where he wanted me. I swallowed hard but didn’t dare speak.

“What’s wrong, Alexa? You don’t look very happy to see me.” He stared at me with eyes so dark they appeared black. “I assume I need no introduction.”

He took his time looking me over from head to toe and back again. A shake of his head drew my attention to his short, dark hair. The barest traces of silver lined his temples. Clad in an obviously expensive suit, he looked as if he had just stepped out of one of Arys’s memories.

“You’re just like he said you were. But better.” If his words were supposed to ease my panic, they succeeded in having the opposite effect.

With a thought, I held energy ready at my fingertips. It didn’t seem to faze him. Instead, it encouraged his interest in me.

“So it’s true.” He nodded more to himself than to me. Before I could consider slamming the door in his face, he shoved past me, glancing around at the empty office. “You can relax though. I’m here to talk … this time. Is there somewhere that we can sit? Or, would you prefer to stand?”

My mind raced a mile a minute as a series of horrific images flashed behind my eyes. This monster was beyond vampire, he was pure evil. I stood my ground as he slowly circled me, getting a good look.

“What the hell do you want?” My voice shook with fear, and I swallowed hard.

He studied me pensively. “I haven’t decided yet.”

“Yeah, well I don’t have time for this shit. You really should be going.” I wanted to toss the power I held ready, but something was sapping my confidence. He was giving me a daring look. He wanted me to do it.

Harley cleared the remaining few feet between us in less than a second. I gasped when he stood close, gazing at me with open, raw hunger. I swear I felt my heart come to a stop.

Before I could react, he grabbed my hand, ignoring the dancing blue and golden yellow within it. I almost choked on my fear when the power I held fell flat. He took it into himself with a touch, as easy as if I hadn’t been resisting.

A smile of pure pleasure crossed his face as he tasted my energy. “I’m sorry, darling, but I’m not about to spar with you here. You and I are going to have a little chat. It’s your choice how much of that chat is talking and how much of that is power games.”

I obviously had little real choice in this matter. Of course, the last thing I wanted to do was battle it out with Harley. I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. “What do you want to talk about?”

“What do you think? There seems to be just one thing we have in common.”

“Arys.”

“None other.”

“What about him?” I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the intimidating vampire.

“I want to know more about what you have with him. He wasn’t inclined to do a lot of talking about that when he took it upon himself to defend your honor, which I have yet to truly threaten.” He raised a dark eyebrow and grinned. That action seemed to be threat enough for me. “You are not like any other werewolf, human or vampire. You seem to have a little of every world, and my dear Arys is somehow connected to you. It’s only natural that I am curious.”

“Of course.” I nodded, hating that he referred to Arys as his. Arys had never been his. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying so. “I’m sure you know we’ve bonded our power.”

“What have you gained from that?” His eyes remained on mine, but I could feel his analysis of me on every level.

“I’m still not entirely sure. It’s come with a bit of a learning curve.” I was choosing my words carefully, and from the dark look he gave me, it was apparent.

Harley paced a very slow circle around me so that I had to turn to keep him in my direct line of sight. His coal-black eyes were eerie. A chill coursed down my spine as they peered deep into me. I felt myself falling into them before I could stop it. The next thing I knew, he had me up against the wall, a hand on either side of my head. It was dizzying, and I struggled to clear my mind.

He pressed close, so that I had to keep staring into those drowning pools of black. I gasped when he brought his lips to mine, a gentle press that I couldn’t deny while gazing into those hypnotizing eyes. Though I knew that this was his allure as a powerful vampire, I couldn’t combat it.

I expected him to deepen the kiss, but he didn’t. The press of his open mouth on mine was enough for him to draw my energy directly into him, intimate but not entirely invasive. I was stricken with fear that he would bite me. I didn’t want him tasting my blood. He never did though.

Harley tasted sweet, like forbidden candy. My resistance burnt up like a flammable substance until it was nonexistent. When I found myself reaching for him, I came back to myself with a start. I began to struggle harder against him, and he stepped back with a strange smile pulling at his lips.

I felt ashamed of my weakness and inability to resist him. My hand flew to my mouth, touching my lips as I pondered what had just happened. Harley laughed, low and smooth. My stomach clenched in response.

“He hasn’t blood bonded you.” Harley ran his tongue over his lower lip, tasting me. “It’s incredibly easy to see why he was drawn to you. You are damn powerful.”

I had to concentrate on the mechanics of breathing. I shook my head and choked on my words. I gaped at him for a moment. “You stole the power right out of my hand. How powerful can I be?”

“That has nothing to do with it. I merely took what you were freely giving. It was idle power, fair game.” He shrugged as if it was common knowledge. “What can you really do?”

I thought back to what I’d done to the vampiress that I’d killed with Arys. I’d forced power into her until her heart exploded. Telling Harley about that couldn’t possibly work in my favor. I was glad mind reading was a selective ability for vampires, much like energy manipulation. Some were better than others.

“Nothing,” I answered blankly. “I’m just a werewolf.” I feigned the best, vacant-eyed expression possible.

“Alright, Alexa, have it your way. I won’t be put off that easily. You have successfully made Arys more powerful than even he would have dreamed possible. And, if you think that’s going to go unnoticed, you’d better think again. I won’t be the only one crawling out of the woodwork to get a taste of you.”

I shuddered at his words, hating the feeling of him on my lips. What I hated most was how badly I’d wanted to taste his power as well. I glared at him with all of the hate I could muster.

“Why are you here, Harley? What is it that you really want from me?” I came away from the wall with my hands balled into fists.

He nodded thoughtfully, a slight tilt to his head. “I want to know what Arys has that I don’t. I want to know what is so important that he is willing to destroy anything that dares to threaten you. Clearly he loves you, yet he chooses not to bond you.” Harley’s voice was low, contemplative. “I want to know what joins him to the most powerful werewolf alive.”

I stared at him fearfully as if he were mad, which I was pretty sure he was. This was all about what Arys had that he did not. Was it just a vampire’s need to dominate or was there more to it?

“All I can tell you is this, whatever Arys and I have, it’s meant to be. It’s bigger than we are and try as I might to find my way out, it is here to stay.” I saw no harm in divulging that much to Harley. I was hoping he would see it for the truth it was and leave me alone.

He remained motionless, but his energy sparked hot around me. What I wouldn’t have given to have Lilah return right then.

I felt myself shrink beneath Harley’s sinister gaze. True terror struck me when his power reached out for me, battering my personal shields.

“I created him, wolf. Arys is mine before he will ever be yours.” Harley took an unsteady step toward the door, and I knew he was fighting the urge to hurt me. Or worse. I knew better than to argue with him. “And whatever is his, is likely to be mine, if I should will it.”

My breathing effectively stopped then as his words squeezed my heart like a vice. I stared into those inky orbs, the blank expression on his stony face stealing any response I would have had. His threat was clearly spoken, leaving no room for confusion. I began to pray silently that he would just leave before this situation could get any more fucked up.

“I just had to see you for myself,” he continued, edging closer still to the door. “And, I see what a rare and powerful beauty you are. So much so, that I do not trust myself to stay another minute without tasting your blood. I’m afraid our visit is much shorter than I would have liked. I promise you that next time, we will get to know one another a little better.”

He winked then, his self-satisfied smile unfading. The moment he disappeared through the door, I was moving. I slammed the door closed and secured the locks before backing into the kitchen, a hand over my mouth as I asked myself what the hell had just happened.

Oh, I knew what happened, but I couldn’t believe that it was real. Harley Kayson had set his sights on me. His intentions were clear. Just as Arys had feared, Harley had taken an unhealthy interest in me. And, his obvious jealousy was something to be concerned with.

I sat in the kitchen, shaking in both fear and revulsion. When nobody came back to the office, I paced anxiously until sunrise was so close that I knew I was safe.

No vampire had instilled this kind of fear in me in almost a decade. It was humiliating, and a part of me wanted to cry. It swept me back in time to when I had been a frightened teenage werewolf coming to grips with the urge to shred living things with my bare hands. This was worse, much worse.

Chapter Nine

Shaz was practically having kittens by the time I made it home. Making the mistake of leaving my cell phone in the car had resulted in half a dozen missed calls. I was feeling both stupid and ashamed when I pulled up at home to find his car sitting out front. He probably thought I was dead after being MIA for so long. I wasn’t looking forward to sharing this news with him. My overprotective mate was likely to become even more so.

“Where in the hell have you been?” The look on Shaz’s face was so stricken with concern that I couldn’t even laugh it off like I’d hoped. “I’ve been calling you since I got off work.”

“I know. I’m sorry, I forgot my phone in the car.” I went to him immediately and slipped into the safe confines of his warm embrace. “I had an unexpected visitor at the office last night. Harley couldn’t wait any longer to get a look at me.”

My white wolf lost it then. He pulled back so he could take a good look at me, checking for anything amiss. “What? Why didn’t you call someone? Where was everybody? Did he hurt you?”

I shook my head and smiled in spite of his worry. It was just so sweet. “No, I’m fine. I promise. He just wanted a little taste of my power, which he took against my will. Then he threatened me and left.”

I gave Shaz the instant replay of what happened, walking down the hall to my room to change as I spoke. He followed closely, asking questions here and there. His tone was frantic, and I knew that no matter what I said, he was going to go all territorial male on me.

“I knew that Arys was going to put you in danger. It was just a matter of time.” He ran a hand through his white hair, causing a tuft to stand up haphazardly. “I’m going to fucking kill him, I swear it.”

“Oh please, not that again. I need you to stay calm. Freaking out isn’t going to put me in any less danger from Harley.” I shed my clothing and shrugged into my leopard print robe. “I need you, Shaz. If you go crazy, you could get yourself killed.”

He scoffed but didn’t reply. He knew I was right. Crossing his arms over his firm chest, his green eyes followed me around the room as I brushed my hair and piled my laundry in the corner.

After a long moment, he sighed and said in exasperation, “Arys was adamant that he hear from you. He came by Lucy’s Lounge last night. He was worried when I mentioned not being able to reach you during my last break.”

“I’m surprised you mentioned it at all.” I smiled teasingly, but he wasn’t in the mood. His jade eyes remained serious.

He crossed the room, his footsteps falling softly on the beige carpet. With the gentlest touch, he lightly traced the scabby claw marks that ran down the side of my arm.

“I know there are some things that I can’t save you from and others that I don’t have to. Still, I can’t help but feel the need to try.” He smiled softly and bent to press his lips to mine in a tender kiss. “And that godforsaken vampire is just one of them. I’m sorry.”

I kissed him back with a desperation that surprised even me. My wolf was eager to cling to him and the comforts of pack. “Don’t be sorry. I love everything about who you are. Even when it makes me crazy.” I laughed softly in between kisses with my hands entwined in his downy soft hair.

Shaz slipped his tongue between my lips, tracing a moist path along my lower one. I sucked his tongue into my mouth, loving the taste of wolf and pine. Closing my eyes against the daylight streaming through my window, all thoughts of Harley were swept away. As the kiss deepened, Shaz’s strong arms went around me, and he slowly walked me backwards, to the bed.

I thought he was going to drag me down with him but instead he pulled back. “You better call that damn vampire and get it over with. I want to enjoy you, uninterrupted.”

His touch fell away as he turned to get the phone from my bedside table. I rolled my eyes when he pressed it into my hand, but I dialed Arys’s number anyway. He answered on the tail end of the first ring.

“I know you saw him, Alexa. Tell me what he did to you.” Arys cut straight to the chase, not one to waste time on meaningless small talk.

I sighed and took a deep breath. “You were right. Harley really does want a piece of me. He scared the living shit out of me tonight.” A litany of curses was Arys’s response to that before demanding that I tell him everything. After doing so and taking care to leave nothing out, he immediately demanded that I come to him.

“I’ll be there at sunset.” I watched Shaz who sat on the end of my bed, waiting patiently. Nothing could pull me from his side right now.

“You’re with the wolf.”

“Yes. Is that a problem?” My tone was daring, and he knew better than to push me.

“Of course not.” He laughed outright in my ear, and I realized he’d been worried that I simply didn’t want to see him. “I’ll expect you at dusk.”

“Happy now?” I asked Shaz, replacing the phone on the receiver before turning to him expectantly.

He grinned playfully before his arms went around me, and he tackled me down on the bed. “Almost. I’ll be happier once I’m inside you. I can’t tell you how bad I’ve been aching for you.”

His words instantly brought both a blush and a smile to my face. If my wolf could get away with never leaving his side, she would never part from him. Regardless of the need we had for each other all the time, it was considerably stronger with the approach and rise of the full moon. Just knowing how bad he wanted me had the heat rushing between my legs.

I lay beneath him as he nuzzled my neck. Shaz’s hot breath tickled, sending a delicious shiver down my spine. I pulled him closer, inhaling his scent deeply into my lungs. It stirred me to life inside, and I hungered for him.

“You make me crazy, Lex,” he whispered, dragging his teeth over the sensitive skin of my throat. His tongue was quick to follow, and I squirmed in excitement. “If I had it my way, I’d never let you out of my sight.”

Drawn to touch his bare skin, I reached under his t-shirt, sliding it up so I could run my hands over his hard body. A sigh of contentment escaped me. “I love you, wolf boy. I wish we could stay this way forever.”

Shaz rose up on one arm so that he could look down into my face. The look in his eyes was intense, as if he could see into my soul. Maybe he could. He kissed me suddenly, plunging his tongue deep into my mouth. Things tightened low in my body.

“My mate,” he murmured. “My love … you are my other half. I’d die without you.”

I felt his emotional words to the tips of my toes and the depths of my very being. A surge of feelings swirled like a tornado inside me, and I clung to him. In light of last night’s events, I feared my time with Shaz would be cut short now more than ever.

Shaz trailed a hand over my ribs, up my side to my breast. When his fingers deftly found my nipple, I moaned softly and bit at his bottom lip. With fangs, I carefully bit down, drawing just enough blood to coat my tongue. He made a small pained noise, but his growing erection pressed against me indicated how much he enjoyed my bite.

“I need you,” I panted, pulling at his clothing. Slow and savory wasn’t what I was in the mood for. However, Shaz seemed to have his own ideas. He pushed my hands away, kissing me as he did so, deep and thorough so that I had no choice but to give in.

“Slow down. What are you in such a rush for?” His tongue dipped in and out of my mouth, playing along my sharp fangs. When he kissed and licked his way down to my breasts, I knew it was going to be his way whether I liked it or not.

He drew my nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it in a way that started a fire burning in my loins. It quickly grew into a flame that caused my power to rise. Though it was subtle, it was undeniable. Shaz’s head came up suddenly. His eyes fixed on me as he felt the sensations of the energy as it hummed around us.

After pulling my robe off, he pressed his face against my stomach, inhaling deeply. His tongue dipped into my bellybutton, and I giggled. He held me perfectly immobile as he licked his way down to the edge of my black panties.

His touch seemed to grow rougher as he quickly stripped me of the flimsy underwear. When it had landed on the floor with my robe, he turned back to me, a fire smoldering in his sexy stare.

The direct eye contact when he lowered his mouth to me was exhilarating. He gripped my hips, holding me still beneath him as he worshipped me. Though Shaz was gentle by nature, I absolutely loved it when the wolf in him came out to dominate me.

I moaned and writhed beneath him. The touch of his fangs sent a thrill racing through my veins. I melted as the sensations quickly became overwhelming. Waves of amazing pleasure washed over me with a shattering intensity that had me crying out between gasps for breath.

I couldn’t have formed words if I’d tried. All I knew was that I wanted him inside me, to fill the emptiness and ease the throbbing ache. He bit lightly at the inside of my thighs before nudging my legs open wider.

A moan broke from me, ending in a growl. He responded with a similar sound as he thrust into me with an urgency that I felt in my soul. Wrapping my arms around him, I held him close, crushing my breasts against his hard chest.

Shaz moved slowly at first, teasing me with soft, deep strokes. Though I could feel him shaking with the exertion it took to hold back, he was adept at doing so. My need for more was undeniable. We moved together as one, as if we’d been made for one another.

Moans and growls filled the room with a delectable array of sounds. Shaz’s pace quickened. He reached up to tangle a hand in my long hair. The sweat rolled off each of us to create a slippery layer on our skin. As he kissed me with a heightened fervor, the pleasure became too much to take. I threw my head back and howled.

We remained joined together, savoring the moment until at last, he rolled off me, curling his body around mine. Words were rarely needed in these moments. Everything that needed to be exchanged already was. Both the wolf as well as the woman in me was comfortably sated.

Snuggling up against Shaz was easily at the top of my list of favorite things. I sighed, swept away by the magic of the afterglow. Resting my head against his chest, I closed my eyes and allowed the steady beat of his heart to lull me.

* * * *

Arys scowled down at me from his tall, lean frame. He stood in the doorway to his house, glaring out at Shaz and me. I’d known he wouldn’t be pleased to see the white wolf at my side, but he had insisted on coming with me.

Looking over my shoulder to Shaz, Arys said, “What are you doing here, wolf? This doesn’t concern you.”

“Like hell it doesn’t. My mate has been threatened because of you.” Shaz shoved past me, daring to shoulder his way past the vampire that was shooting daggers at him with his eyes. “Don’t worry, Arys. I won’t be here long. I have to work in an hour. But, I want some answers.”

I shrugged meekly and followed Shaz into the house. Arys gave me a dark look that promised things to come that I may not enjoy. I just wanted to get this over with. Shaz was in a real territorial fit since the incident with Julian. Harley’s visit to my office greatly disturbed him, more than he was really letting on.

“I don’t need you getting up in my face about Harley. I’m going to deal with him.” Arys followed us into the kitchen, his arms crossed over his chest. He leaned against the counter and fixed his ocean-blue eyes on Shaz, then me. “I promise you, Alexa, I will not allow any harm to come to you.”

Shaz scoffed but said nothing, instead waiting for me to speak. I shuffled uneasily from one foot to the other. Arys seemed to be waiting for me to either show my trust in him or outright admit that I had none. I didn’t feel this was a matter of trust. It was a matter of me wanting to stay alive and knowing that would take more than trust. With a ruthless bastard like Harley, staying alive might just be the beginning of my troubles, what with the way he liked to play.

I hugged myself tightly as fear stole through me. “I know you mean that, Arys, but this is a big deal. He could have killed me last night if he’d wanted to.”

“He doesn’t want you dead.” Arys nodded knowingly. “And for now, that means you’re safe.”

“He tasted my power, Arys.” My voice rose to a pitch that was almost shrill. “He drew me in, physically pressed his lips to mine and tasted me. I can’t remember the last time I was that terrified.” Ok, that was a lie. I could remember it. But, I didn’t want to. It had been when Raoul attacked me, before I’d known it was him.

A pained expression crossed Arys’s face. Shaz stood motionless, patient but irritated. The dark vampire eyed me, a questioning stare on his handsome face.

“Did he bite you?”

“No. He left because he was afraid he would go too far.” I swallowed hard and watched the pain flicker through Arys. “He doesn’t want to do that … yet. He clearly has other plans for me. But, his biggest concern was you. He doesn’t want to share.”

The rage that filled Arys then oozed throughout the room as his energy burned hot with anger. “That infuriating mother fucker,” he swore, pacing the length of the kitchen. “How dare he think that I belong to him after all of these years?” A sound not so far off from a growl rumbled in his throat, and my eyes widened.

The look on Shaz’s face said everything that he was thinking. When Arys’s back was turned to him, he made a dramatic show of rolling his eyes. I frowned and shook my head once.

“Look, I won’t be letting him catch me alone like that again. Let’s all just relax and think this through coherently.” I went to Arys, grasping his forearm, forcing him to look at me. I went stone cold when he shrugged me off. I took a step back, slightly hurt but incredibly confused.

Shaz cleared his throat from behind me. His tone was firm when he spoke. “You clearly have issues of your own with Harley, and I think that needs to be addressed.” He didn’t flinch when Arys turned his icy stare on him. “I’m just saying that this isn’t personal, this is about doing what it takes to keep Lex safe. And, if that means never leaving her side, I will do it. You have to do your part.”

The two of them faced off, and my heart began to race. Arys’s energy steadily increased until it began to hurt. I had no way of shielding against it. It was literally inside me as much as it was around me. Shaz appeared uncomfortable but otherwise could not feel it. Not the way I could.

“Watch yourself, wolf. I won’t be cowed by you. Not now, not ever. I can deal with Harley and I will.”

“I didn’t come here to go for a second round with you, Arys.” Shaz’s voice rose as his usual cool self began to grow hot-tempered. “Just cool it. Is it really so impossible for us to be civil? If anyone should be acting like the jealous boyfriend, it’s me.”

My guts twisted at Shaz’s words, and I had to fight the grimace from my face. I tensed, waiting for the snarky response from Arys that I knew was coming. He surprised me.

“You’re right in that regard,” he relented. “But, both of you need to realize how great a danger Harley is. And, I won’t be bullied into handling it any way other than my own.” He raised an eyebrow, giving Shaz the opportunity to dispute him.

I knew how dangerous Harley was, and I did not intend to let him get that close to me again. Shaz seemed to contemplate Arys, the two of them staring at each other as if I wasn’t there. If they did fight, I was walking out and leaving them to it.

“Fine.” Shaz tilted his white-blond head in a slight nod. “Do whatever you need to do. In the meantime, I will do what I need to do.”

Neither of them said another word. From the way Arys’s jaw was clenching, I knew he wasn’t happy. Clearing my throat, I made them both look from each other to me.

“And, if you both choose to pretend that I am not at the center of all this, I will be smacking your heads together.” I put my hands on my hips and mustered my best “take no shit” expression.

Shaz held his hands up in a sign of surrender and flashed me his spine-melting grin. Arys made a noise of disgust and muttered, “Dramatic.” I beamed a smile at him, hoping to enrage him just a little.

“I’m going to take off to work. Will you come by later?” Shaz came forward to slip his arms around my waist, kissing me quickly. “If you don’t, I’m coming to your place right after.”

I couldn’t help but sneak a glance at the vampire who glared at the floor. His energy was beginning to simmer down, but it didn’t cool completely. I returned Shaz’s embrace, following when he made his way back to the door.

“I might come by tonight. If Kylarai is out, I’m not sure I will be up for staying home alone.” I shrugged, embarrassed at the admittance of fear. It felt so unnatural to feel it on this level. Harley had awakened a side of me that had long been dormant, and it pissed me off.

He hugged me to him once more. My scent lingered on him, mixing with his to make a delectable wolf scent. He pressed a warm kiss to my temple before turning to go. “I love you, babe.”

I gave him a small smile, keenly aware of the weight of Arys’s eyes on my back. “I love you, too. Don’t worry about me, ok?”

“Impossible.” Shaz pushed the door open, never once looking back at the vampire. “I’ll see you later.”

When his blue Cobalt pulled away from where he’d parked near my car, I closed the door and turned back to face Arys. He didn’t look any happier.

“Thank you,” I said, approaching him slowly. “You know, for not getting into it with Shaz.”

He sighed and pulled me into his arms. “Only for you.” He sniffed lightly and wrinkled his nose in distaste. “You reek like him.”

I frowned but let it slide. I couldn’t be drawn into the testosterone war between the two of them. Whether Arys liked it or not, he had been the one that pushed me into Shaz’s arms months ago, claiming that I needed the love only my white wolf could give me. And now, it seemed that Arys was regretting that in some ways.

“I need to get really serious with you, Alexa, and you may not like it,” he continued, forcing me to look into his heavenly eyes. “You have to keep that pup away from Harley, at all costs, or you risk losing him.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. I shook my head, momentarily confused. “What do you mean?”

He studied me carefully before stroking the side of my face. “If Harley learns about him, and how much he means to you, he won’t hesitate to hurt him.” Or worse. I could feel the part he was leaving out.

My mouth instantly went dry at the thought of the sadist vampire touching Shaz in any way. I’d give myself to him before I’d allow that to happen. “Oh God. That can never happen.” I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The reality of the danger we were in hit home with a heaviness that made my vision spotty.

“Are you ok?” Arys put a hand out to steady me when I rocked away from him on my heels, unsteady. “It’s going to be ok, Alexa. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to prevent any harm from coming to you … or the wolf pup.”

Try as I might to speak, nothing would come out. I felt the warning sting of tears and fought them back. There was nothing to cry over, not yet. I’d be damned if I was giving into the weakness that fear was stirring inside me.

I finally managed a deep breath. “I’m ok. I just can’t breathe.” I attempted a smile, but it was a poor one. I pushed a lock of red and blonde hair out of my face. He responded by reaching out to grasp it, twirling it around his finger.

“Your wolf is right about one thing. I don’t feel right about leaving you alone, either.” The concern that pulled his sensual lips down into a frown warmed me.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m pretty sure I’m safe for now. He made it seem like he wants to drag it out.”

Arys pressed his lips together. He clearly didn’t believe my claim. I watched him twist my hair, the two different colors creating a candy cane effect. The close proximity made the effects of his energy stronger. It no longer felt angry. Instead, it felt hungry.

The bloodlust rose up then, engulfing me in one giant swallow. It clawed at me like a rabid dog fighting to get out. My gums tingled, and my fangs were suddenly there, large and sharp in my mouth. The need for blood was overwhelming.

“I need to feed before it tears you apart. I can feel it raging through you.” Arys looked torn, as if he wasn’t sure what to do.

“It came on out of nowhere.” A hand to my head, I went to the cupboard that I knew held dishware and fished out a drinking glass. Going to the kitchen sink, I ran the cold water until it was icy. After taking a long, refreshing swallow, I deposited the glass in the sink and turned back to my vampire. He looked anxious. “It isn’t fair. It never eats you up the way it does to me.”

“I’ve had centuries to learn to deal with it. Of course, it won’t be so easy for you.” He shook his head and a familiar expression of self-loathing played along his features. “I wish this didn’t happen to you.”

“It’s not like you escaped unscathed.” I waved a hand dismissively. I didn’t need his guilt right now. Since we’d joined our power three months ago, we have each suffered the other’s weaknesses in the worst of ways. Though it was getting fewer and farther between, the strength and urgency of it, when it did occur, seemed to only increase.

“You’re better at taking care of that than I am. I don’t deserve you.” Arys ran a hand through his hair, messing it further. “I need to feed. Will you be alright for awhile?”

“Yes, of course. Do what you must. Don’t worry about me.” I struggled to appear cool and confident though I was never that good an actor.

“Why don’t you head to Lucy’s, and I’ll meet you there later?”

I debated arguing that and accusing him of thinking I couldn’t take care of myself. I restrained the urge with great difficulty. I couldn’t always give Arys the run around for trying to keep me safe. True, it got annoying when he did it in situations that were so mundane and every day, like when I got hit on by a guy that wouldn’t take no for an answer at Lucy’s Lounge. But, I knew he meant well. I wasn’t sure why I always busted his chops when I would never do so to Shaz. They were different men, and I was a different person with each of them. They drew out different sides of me.

“Alright. Don’t kill anybody that doesn’t deserve it.” I winked when I said it and received a sexy little snarl from him in response. He bared his fangs at me, and my body reacted to it against my will as a thrill shot through my veins. When Arys sensed my response to him, he smiled wide, satisfied.

“I’ll see you at midnight then.” He pressed close. His hard frame against my soft, feminine form felt like magic. “Stay alert, and don’t get caught out alone. I don’t think Harley would come to Lucy’s, but I can’t say for sure. If he wants something bad enough, he’ll go to any lengths to get it.”

“I’ll be fine,” I murmured against his lips as he bent to kiss me. He tasted like power, tangy and savory. I closed my eyes and allowed it to wash over me. It was similar to the sensation of falling into Harley’s power only this was welcome, which made it so much better.

After much contemplation, I pulled away from Arys and turned to go. He walked me to the door. My body reacted to his as he shadowed my movements. Just being in the same room as the smoldering hot vampire stoked the fire inside me. It also caused my power to rise to a dangerously uncontrollable level, especially when the bloodlust was strong.

“See you in a bit.” I fought back an unexpected wave of nausea and kissed him quickly on the cheek. I hurried down the front step to my car, eager to get away from him so that I could think. It wouldn’t make the blood hunger stop, but his presence was feeding it.

I started my car and pulled away from the curb. It was still early. I planned to go back home before heading to the Lounge. Kylarai had been home before Shaz and I had left the house. I’d had time to fill her in on my visit from Harley while she ran around getting ready for another date with Julian. Was I a bad friend for wanting that whole, sordid relationship to dissolve? She was my best friend, and I adored her. I wanted better for her.

I was singing along to the radio as I crossed town to my neighborhood. Passing one of my neighbors, I raised a hand in greeting. When I turned the corner on to my street, my expression froze on my face. A black SUV that I recognized as Julian’s was parked in front of my house. Why did I get the feeling that this was just the beginning of a bad night?

Chapter Ten

I made a face of disgust to nobody at all as I turned the doorknob, letting myself into the house. Kylarai’s laughter rang out, tinkling like wind chimes, and Julian’s low murmur came in response. I let the door slam shut behind me, a little harder than necessary, but I wanted to make my presence obvious right off the bat.

I was hoping that I could bypass the living room where they sat and escape down the hall to either the kitchen or my room. The square layout of our house had the hallway running past every room as it continued around the house. It wouldn’t be all that hard to sneak past the entry to the living room, would it? Hopefully, Ky would know better than to stop me.

Unfortunately for me, the voice that called to me as I hurried past the living room entry was not Kylarai’s. I cringed when Julian’s low, husky tone caught my attention. His hurried, loud whisper of, “Alexa!” had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I shuddered and turned towards the living room, unable to resist as Arys’s bloodlust rode me.

I appeared in the doorway suddenly. Kylarai actually jumped, which I found both odd and surprising. Crossing my arms over my chest, I mustered my best bored expression and said, “What do you want?”

Julian held up both hands in a mocking show of surrender. The smile that played along his lips was more than a little malicious. I stared at him and instantly saw him as prey to be hunted and bled. I think I may have licked my lips as the sound of his steady heartbeat alone suddenly outweighed any other sound in the room.

My eyes went to Kylarai. She was curled up against the corner of the sofa, sipping from a steaming mug. He sat next to her, an arm slung loosely about her shoulders. Though he attempted casual, there was no missing the way he looked me over. I’d caught him doing just the same thing at Raoul’s once. That time it had appeared sexual, this time it was the sign of a wannabe Alpha wolf sizing up the competition. I smirked openly at him.

“I’m not here to get into it with you, Alexa. I just want to spend some time with my girl here.” Julian nodded at Kylarai, and I had to fight down the bile that threatened to rise up in my throat.

“Then why did you call my name when I tried to successfully ignore your wretched presence?” I felt Kylarai cringe more so than I saw it since I was staring down the pathetic excuse for a werewolf beside her.

“Alexa,” she piped up, her voice gentle as she tried to draw my attention to her. “I didn’t know you would be back tonight. Is something up?”

I studied her for a moment before replying. She wore a long, black robe and had her long bob pulled back into a ponytail. Her grey eyes were filled with anxiety. I hated that she was caught in the middle of all of this.

“No, not at all.” Though I looked at Ky, my senses honed in on Julian, sharper than before. “I just had some time to kill before I head to Lucy’s. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Her ponytail bounced as she gave her head a vigorous shake. “No worries. It’s your house, too. We’re just watching some silly ass Freddy Krueger movie. Want to join us?”

Julian seemed to await my response as if he thought I might really say yes. I couldn’t resist the urge to look at him, his scent tantalizing my blood hunger as I did so. It seemed to grow stronger when our eyes met. The spice and pine of Were blood assaulted my senses, and the wave of demanding bloodlust rocked me. It was all I could do not to cross the room dividing us and bleed him.

“No,” I replied, a slight shake to my voice. I swallowed hard, confused at the way I was reacting to Julian. “I won’t be here long. You won’t even notice me.”

I turned to leave the room before the growing, sickening hunger could affect my choices. Julian cleared his throat, and I knew he was going to speak before he did. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten. I was not going to murder him in my own house.

“I just want to say something quickly, Alexa.” When I turned back to face him, he wore a serious expression. “This whole thing with Shaz, no hard feelings, ok?”

Was he freaking kidding me? He looked so damned serious, but I just didn’t buy it. My hands clenched into fists at my sides, and the surge of anger that hit me directly fed my hunger for living, pumping blood.

“Remember that you said that when he wipes the forest floor with you.” The words came tripping out of my mouth before I could stop them, not that I wanted to. A wicked smile graced my lips then, and I knew it was Arys’s smile. Julian may not recognize it, but Kylarai would.

She stiffened noticeably. Her mug smacked the coffee table loudly, and her mouth dropped open. Julian looked like he didn’t know what hit him. I took great pleasure in his shocked expression. I found it somewhat surprising that he hadn’t expected it from me. He recovered fast though, his typical smirk back in its place on his scruffy face.

“And, if he doesn’t? What then, Queen Alpha? Are you going to accept me as your second fiddle in this town or take me on yourself?”

“Julian, that’s enough!” Kylarai warned as her cheeks grew flushed with angry heat.

“I won’t hesitate to run you out of this town with your tail between your legs like the pathetic dog that you are. You will never be dominant to either Shaz or me, so keep dreaming, little boy.” Something moved inside of me, and Arys’s power slammed through me.

It was Julian’s reaction that alerted me to the fact that my eyes were Arys’s startling blue, not my own deep brown. It was something that happened when the vampire’s power was strong, pressing the surface of my being. It was also something I would never get used to. I avoided mirrors like the plague when my eyes turned the eerie vampire blue.

“Holy shit,” Julian breathed. He sat frozen next to Kylarai who just looked plain worried. She thought I was going to kill him. I could see it all over her face.

“Don’t say another word,” she hissed under her breath. Of course, I could hear her as if I’d been standing beside her. To me she said, “It’s cool, Lex. Just calm down , okay?”

Try as I might, I couldn’t shake the snake-like grin from my face. “Trust me. I am calm.”

I wasn’t trying to scare Kylarai, but her face paled, and she ever so slowly got to her feet, motioning for Julian to stay seated. He watched me with dark chestnut eyes that had gone all wolf, leaving no trace of white. It was only natural that his wolf would go on the defensive. It only encouraged the cool energy dominating my focus.

“Maybe I should call Arys for you?” Her tone implied a question, and I realized she was afraid of me, not just the situation. If I hadn’t been so wired right then, I would have been saddened by that.

I could remember the first time this had happened to me, right after I’d lost it and attacked Shaz. That had been the first morning Ky went to bed with her door locked. Did she really think I would hurt her?

“Arys is hunting.” My voice sounded hollow, even to me. “I said I’m fine. I’m not staying.”

It took everything I had in me to turn toward the hall and put one foot in front of the other. I knew how badly I’d massacred that first victim, the woman-beater, and I knew I’d do the same to Julian if I put my hands on him. One foot in front of the other, and I finally entered my room and managed to close the door without going back for a fight.

I didn’t want to be in my room though. I wanted to get the hell out of the house. This was so not good. My best friend and the werewolf I detested, dating. Ugh. Was it wrong to hope they wouldn’t, as gross as it was, fall in love?

Against my better judgment, I went into my en suite bathroom and very quickly looked over my appearance. I didn’t get any closer to the mirror than necessary, unnerved by my unnatural blue orbs.

The black, hip-hugging jeans and equally black halter-top made my hair look so much blonder than usual. The shirt was one of my favorites. It held my breasts perfectly supported so they both felt and looked great, and the fabric that fell around my waist was sheer, longer on one side than the other, and jagged-cut. I didn’t wear jewelry when I knew I’d be shifting, but today I had slipped on a silver charm bracelet that Shaz had given me for my last birthday. If the Hollywood rules about werewolves had been true, I never would have been able to wear it.

After running my brush carelessly through my waist length hair, I tossed the red streaked locks over my shoulder and turned back to my room. It had gotten incredibly quiet out in the living room. If I couldn’t sense their heartbeats, I would have thought they’d left.

Before leaving my bedroom, I grabbed a pair of black ankle boots from my closet so that I wouldn’t have to go back for my shoes at the front door. Silently, I slunk down the hall to the kitchen and let myself out the sliding door into the backyard. I crossed through the yard to the front where my Charger sat large and red against the dark backdrop of night.

I revved the engine a few times before putting the car in gear and driving away. I wanted to make sure they knew I’d left. Arys likely wouldn’t be at Lucy’s for some time yet, but that didn’t mean I had to sit at home with two chicken shit werewolves feeding my fire. I needed to burn off some of the aggressive power I’d built up before I dared to step foot into a bar filled with tantalizing humans.

Turning onto the main drag, I headed for the north end of town and the beautiful little fountain park that also served as a both a tourist attraction and information center. It would be empty at this time of night, perfect for unleashing some negative energy. By then, hopefully, Arys would have appeased both his hunger and mine.

* * * *

As expected, the park was cast in darkness. A few strategically placed streetlights illuminated the path that led to both the gazebo and the path that wound the circumference of the large fountain pond. I parked in one of the many vacant spaces and got out of the car, breathing in the crisp night air.

Thick, luscious trees and brush surrounded the park on all sides except the one with the large hill, which led up to the highway on the edge of town. The sound of vehicles passing by was distant. If I turned away from the hill, it was as if I wasn’t even in town anymore.

I passed the community bulletin board, glancing briefly at a flyer advertising a way overpriced, used Mustang for sale. I chuckled to myself, knowing the guy would never unload it on anyone but a sucker. Passing the gazebo, I continued down the path, headed toward the bridge that spanned the length of the pond.

As I drew closer, the darkness seemed to grow thicker. The fading light behind me was soon no more than a pale glow. The bridged loomed large and spooky beneath the silver moonlight. A chill spilled down my spine like ice-cold water when a memory surfaced, unbidden and unwelcome.

I had come here the day that Arys gave me the letter from Raoul, the one he’d found addressed to me, Raoul’s confession. It had been one of the most horrifying and enlightening days of my life. Everything had changed that day: some for the better and others not so much.

I stepped onto the bridge, light and silent on the wooden planks beneath my feet. I followed its U shape up to the peak of its height, reaching out to the metal railing to steady myself. The water below looked absolutely black. I knew it was filled with thick, dangerous weeds and was actually very deep in places. The glint of the moonlight reflected off the dark surface, catching my eye.

Despite the perfection of the scene around me, the vampire’s bloodlust scarcely waned. The need for the kill was deep in my core, riding me hard. Hadn’t that damn vampire fed yet? Where could he be? At most times, the differing power of the wolf and the vampire co-existed somewhat peacefully within me. Now, they seemed to be battling for control. The approach of the full moon encouraged my wolf’s dominant and controlling nature as it warred with the cold power of the undead.

A visible spasm wracked my body, and I gripped the railing tighter with both hands. The warm living energy of my wolf fought to battle the blood hunger, but something else appealed to my instincts. My head snapped up suddenly as the night air carried the scent of werewolf to me but not anyone’s scent that I knew.

My eyes instantly searched the surrounding darkness; my every sense, on full alert. I was standing in the middle of the bridge, and my instincts screamed at me to both fight and to run. I inhaled deeply, pinpointing the scent to my right, the way I’d just come. I only smelled one Were out there lurking around. His energy was livid, and he was out to kill.

I sprung into motion, moving slowly but steadily along the bridge, towards the other side. I didn’t want a confrontation on top where I could end up going over the side. I couldn’t imagine who this werewolf was stalking me or why. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared shitless.

Judging the distance back to the Charger, I knew I’d never make it in time if this Were was intent on attacking me. Ever so slowly, I made my way down the other side of the bridge, grateful when my feet were back on solid ground. I could feel his energy grow stronger in its intensity as he advanced on me. I had yet to see him in the darkness. I could feel him though, getting closer with every step.

I tapped into the hungry power I held inside, bracing for the attack that I knew was coming. His scent was musky and strong, as if he had been in wolf form for a long time. I was praying he wasn’t on four feet now, or he would easily have the physical advantage. We never saw foreign Weres in this town, not like this.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The shape that came across the bridge then seemed to be nothing but a blur. I gave a small cry, throwing my hands up, the power rushing from me so fast that I almost collapsed. The rush of gold and blue hit him dead on, throwing him back. I turned to run, sensing only one but fearing more than that.

I had barely made it ten feet when a clawed hand reached me, digging into my shoulder and down my back. I felt the blood spill from the gouges before the scent reached me. The adrenaline blasted through me so hard, I almost stumbled from the onslaught of it. I was afraid, but the bloodlust was quickly stripping that away, and I turned to fight him with all I had.

A snarl broke the silence, and everything seemed to speed up again. In the pale glow of the moon, I could see that he had long, dark hair, stringy and matted. His eyes seemed to glow deep amber brown, and his large fangs flashed as he rushed me.

My breath whooshed out as his weight slammed into me, taking me down beneath him. His fangs snapped just inches before my face, and I struggled uselessly to make my lungs work. I lashed out in defense, raining blows like bricks against his face. He seemed to be unfeeling as he took every one with little protest. His eyes were locked on mine as his clawed hands wrapped around my throat.

He squeezed so hard that my vision blurred and white spots danced before my eyes. For a moment, I truly thought I was dying. The power of the undead saved me. It wasn’t afraid to die because it was already beyond mortal life. It wanted to taste this fiery werewolf, to drain everything from him slowly and completely. I reached out metaphysically first, drawing his energy to me.

At first, he didn’t feel me drawing him into me, absorbing his strength, his very life. Then, awareness brightened his eyes, and he tried to pull back. I gulped in the air when he released my throat, grateful to be able to breathe again. I reached for him as he scrambled backward, suddenly desperate to put space between us. He thought that would make a difference.

I leaped to my feet with my fangs bared and a loud growl rumbling in my throat. I wanted to taste his musky wolf blood as I drained his life energy away. My mind wanted to ask him what the fuck he thought he was doing, but my instinct just said kill.

“Vampire.” The word came from him like a hiss. I almost wasn’t sure I’d heard it. His shock didn’t last long. He flew at me again, and this time I hit him with a psi ball that left him panting, but still, he didn’t stop. “You killed her. You killed Olivia!”

Uh oh. It all made a little more sense now. He took another clawed swipe at me, this time painfully close to my throat, grazing my upper chest. It seemed that Kale and I had failed to consider that the she-wolf we’d taken out had a mate. Like any mate would be, he was hell bent on my death as retribution. And, knowing Shaz would be the same, I couldn’t blame him.

“It wasn’t personal. She was endangering all of us.” I didn’t doubt for a moment that he had been a willing partner in Olivia’s rampage. I would have given anything to be in wolf form right then, but it just wasn’t possible, not unless it got really ugly.

I tapped Arys’s power and threw the wolf clear, sailing through the air to land against a thick pine tree. He immediately tried to get up, but he was dazed and moved slowly. Running, I crossed the distance between us, landing on him with a series of power-fueled blows that snapped his head back and forth. I just knew that I couldn’t let him gain the advantage again.

Despite the blows that resulted in a series of crunches and cracks and plentiful blood flow, he didn’t cease his assault either. When his body beneath me began to turn furry, I knew I was a goner if I didn’t get the hell out of there. I didn’t want to shift in the park and be trapped, unable to get in my car and leave. I had to get to the Charger.

Leaping off him, I turned to run, feeling ashamed but knowing I couldn’t take him here and now. The sound of his paws hitting the ground behind me had my heart leaping into my throat.

I threw up an energy wall between us, buying myself some time. He’d either have to wait for it to dissolve or go back across the bridge and around the pond the other way to catch me. Glancing back, I saw him slam right into the barrier and go down. I poured on the speed. My feet barely touched the ground as I ran.

Fear drove me to move faster when I saw the large wolf scramble to its feet and take off the other way, across the bridge. I was closer to the Charger than he was, but he had twice as many feet as I did. I could taste blood in my mouth from a cut I’d sustained during our scuffle. The pain was beginning to set in as my injuries throbbed in time with my pounding heart.

As I drew closer to the car, I fumbled my keychain out of my pocket. With a loud jingle, it dropped to the grass, and I had to jerk to a halt. Cursing, I snatched the keys from the ground and continued sprinting to the car. A large shadow was barreling around the other side of the pond, drawing closer with alarming speed.

Thanking God for the remote unlock feature, I literally threw myself at the passenger side of the car, since he was coming up fast on the driver side. I had just gotten in and slammed the door shut behind me when his two hundred pounds of aggression crashed into the driver’s side of my car. Scrambling to get into the driver’s seat, I jammed the key in the ignition and felt absolute relief when the engine roared to life. I’d been afraid he would have done something to strand me here.

Slamming the car into reverse, I pressed the gas pedal to the floor, and the car flew back in a wide half circle. If he was stupid enough to get in my way, I was going to run him down. He backed off though when I put the car in gear. In a blur, he darted out of my path and in amongst the trees. I didn’t stop driving until I was across town, safe in the parking lot of Lucy’s Lounge. Rather than park at the end of the lot as usual, I double-parked next to Shaz’s car in the staff spaces near the door.

My heart had barely slowed in the five minutes it had taken me to cross town. Flipping down my visor, I studied my face in the mirror. I could have screamed when I saw my face and the tangles and filth in my hair. My eyes were still Arys’s shocking blue, but that was the least of my worries right now.

There were small, bloody punctures on my throat from where he had grabbed me. Crimson stained my bottom lip, and I could only imagine how bad the deep, long scratches down my back were. I’d need a full-length mirror to see it all.

Finger combing my hair was almost useless, and I had to arrange it carefully so that the marks on my neck were hidden from the humans at least. Anything supernatural would know I was injured immediately. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with Julian here, since he was at my house, in my personal space.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the car door and scented the air before getting out. Call me paranoid, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I reached the door in record time, nodding briefly to the bouncer just inside. He raised an eyebrow but waved me through.

My first instinct was to look for Shaz at the bar. I knew I should go for the bathroom to get cleaned up, but I needed to see him. I had come close to biting it at the hands of a crazed werewolf intent on revenge.

Before I’d even made it halfway to the bar, my white wolf’s head snapped up as he scented my blood. With a word to Tawnie, his partner behind the bar, he was moving through the crowd to get to me. My bottom lip trembled as he drew closer and when he pulled me into his arms, I choked back a sob.

“What in the hell happened to you? Don’t tell me this is about Arys or Harley.” Shaz’s expression grew venomous, and I shook my head vigorously. He pushed my hair back, scrutinizing the marks on my neck before dragging me back towards the staff hall at the back of the building.

“No,” I said, clinging to his heavenly warmth with relief. “It’s not that at all. It’s a wolf that Kale and I killed … her mate attacked me in the park.” Saying it sounded so ridiculous. I hadn’t considered this outcome.

With his interest piqued, Shaz scented me closely. His jade eyes widened as he got past the blood and nightclub scent, picking out the musky odor of the wolf who had dared to touch his mate. When he looked up at me again, his eyes were all wolf. “Where is he now?”

“No! You are not looking for him.” I touched his cheek, forcing him to look at me. “He’s out of his mind. Please, don’t.”

“Alexa, you’ve got to stop this. You can’t shelter me anymore. I’m not a kid. I’m your mate, and I am going to make it clear to every wolf that I am the Alpha male in this town. You can’t deny me that. It’s in every part of me.” His chin lifted in defiance, and a gleam lit his eyes that I’d never seen before. Still, I couldn’t back down.

“You can kick the living shit out of Julian and anyone else in this town if you feel the need to. But please, don’t go looking for this wolf right now.” I pressed an urgent kiss to his lips, forcing him to respond. I felt the fight go out of him as his shoulders sagged, and he deepened the kiss until it was hot and passionate.

Arys’s bloodlust honed in on Shaz and I had to pull away. Looking into my blue eyes, he nodded knowingly. “You want to bleed me right now, don’t you? That son of a bitch isn’t supposed to let this happen to you.” His anger teased my senses, bringing a smile to my lips though I didn’t find it at all funny.

“Don’t freak out about it. He said he was going to hunt.” I breathed deeply, savoring the delightful aroma of living, breathing humans. My fangs had disappeared upon leaving the park, but my gums tingled in anticipation, and I ached to sink teeth into something soft and full of life. Shaz’s intoxicating Were energy was both painful and pleasurable.

Shaz scoffed but didn’t spit out the retort that I knew he had. “Stay put. I’m going to get you a warm cloth or something.” His hand lingered, tracing the outline of a bruise on my jaw.

“He got me good, right down my back. I’m not sure how bad it is.” I turned so that he could lift my torn hoodie and shirt to examine the wounds. He swore softly, and a second later, his gentle touch against the stinging claw marks made me jump in sudden pain.

“Sorry,” he murmured, carefully replacing my clothing. “It’s deep, but you’ll be fine. I’ll get you some ice.”

When he’d disappeared from sight, I leaned back against the wall near the staff hall. It gave me a clear view of the door and my vampire, should he walk in. His hunger didn’t dominate my focus as it had earlier, but it did continue to gnaw at me.

I didn’t have to wait long. My dark lover strode into the Lounge with a cool energy that reached out to touch me before our eyes met. He didn’t look anywhere but straight at me, and my heart raced for an entirely new reason. The hunger dissipated, and a cool wave swept the heat of it away. Unable to deny the need, I reached for him.

Arys swept me off my feet, pulling me close in a possessive embrace. “What happened to you, my wolf? Your car looks like it’s been side swiped.”

“I just ran for my life from the mate of a wolf Kale and I killed. I should have seen it coming.” I enjoyed the feelings that ignited in me at his touch. The heightened power within me reached out to him, entwining so that I felt like I was falling into him. The illusion was shattered when he began to look me over. “I’m fine, really. He just caught me off guard.”

“And what does the wolf pup say about this?” Arys’s eyes narrowed, and I knew what he was thinking.

“Don’t you dare start with him. I do not need that shit right now.” I glanced around for Shaz, expecting his return at any moment.

He gave me a look that said I was being ridiculous. “I mean, that I’m sure he has no intention of allowing this werewolf to get away with an attempt on your life. Simmer down, Alexa. I fed an hour ago. Why are your eyes so blue?”

“I begged Shaz not to go after him. That wolf was out of his friggin’ mind. It was Kale and I who caused this, and we will have to deal with it.” I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned, confused. “They’ve been blue for awhile now.”

If I hadn’t sensed Shaz’s approach, I would have known it by the look Arys instantly wore. He looked as if he had the taste of something bitter in his mouth. I rolled my eyes and ignored him when he muttered, “I bet he just loves my eyes on you.” Men, I so did not understand them.

I accepted the warm towel Shaz held out to me with a smile and turned so that he could place a cloth filled with ice against the wounds on my back. I sighed with relief as it eased the burning. Shaz’s energy grew to mirror the aggressiveness that Arys was putting out, but he didn’t so much as antagonize the vampire.

Arys seemed to avoid my gaze purposefully, and I knew why when he blurted out, “So, are we going to go hunt down this son of a bitch or what?”

My mouth dropped open, and I stared in shock at Shaz when he met the other man’s eyes and said, “You read my mind.”

They stared at each other because neither of them had the balls to look at me. Swiping the ice-packed cloth from Shaz, I spun around to confront him. “Excuse me?”

“Well come on, Lex, you have to be serious here. Independence is one thing, but this is my place as your mate. You can’t handle everything yourself.” Shaz shrugged and a glimmer of pain passed over him. “You don’t have to.”

I made a noise of disbelief and wiped my neck wounds with the warm towel. “You two, together? You’re more likely to kill one another than that werewolf.”

Arys snorted and chuckled. I ignored him and stared at Shaz. He looked incredibly uneasy, and by the way his eyes darted around, I knew it was because of my eerie blue eyes. Sighing, I turned to wipe the bloodstained skin of my back. I was unable to reach, and Shaz took the towel from me, cleansing my tender skin with a loving touch.

“I wish you wouldn’t be so uptight all the time,” he admonished. Arys met my eyes and gave me a wink and a nod, as if in agreement with Shaz. I wanted to pout and stomp my feet over the fact that he was saying this stuff in front of the cocky vamp, but I huffed and puffed in silence as he continued. “If we don’t take him out now, he’s just going to keep coming after you.”

I hated that he was right on that count, but it wasn’t worth it to me to risk him for anything. However, I also knew that he was right about one thing. I couldn’t keep treating him like the kid that he used to be. Shaz was nothing if not a man. I just couldn’t help but be protective of him.

“I know that. I just don’t like it.” I scowled when I caught Arys smirking like a cat with a mouse. “And, I don’t like the idea of the two of you running around in the dark together.”

“What are you afraid of, Alexa? That we might actually get along just fine? I think that would scare you more than if we were trying to tear each other apart.” Arys ran his tongue lightly along the metal ring in his lip, drawing my eyes to it. I had the sudden urge to tug on it with my teeth.

What really sucked was that I couldn’t deny that he was right. A part of me didn’t much enjoy the idea of my two men alone together without me. I guess I didn’t trust them, or rather, I didn’t trust Arys. I didn’t think he would hurt Shaz, but I didn’t trust him to keep his opinions to himself, either.

Shaz looked frustrated. “I just want to get this guy before he makes it out of town. I can get Tawnie to take over the bar for awhile. Let us do this, Lex.”

The thought of him going out there without me turned my stomach. “Not without me.”

“Out of the question,” Arys piped up. “You smell wounded, like prey. You will only endanger yourself if you go looking for him.” When I stared hard at him, willing him to shut up, he shrugged and said softer, “We’ll have each other’s back, alright? No harm will come to your wolf.”

“You can’t go back out there.” Shaz nodded, but I could see in his eyes that he hated agreeing with Arys. “We’ll be fine. I promise. Why don’t you head home?”

I gritted my teeth, fighting back the urge to lose my temper with both of them. I didn’t want to feel like the wounded female, dammit. I was the Alpha in this town. “Julian and Kylarai are there. I could have torn his face off earlier.”

Shaz immediately perked up. “Julian is there?”

“Don’t even think it.”

Arys watched our little exchange with mild amusement. I think it intrigued him, the aggressive side of Shaz that rarely surfaced. I seemed to be seeing a lot of it lately. But, what could I really do? Put up a fight and tell him he wasn’t going? That wouldn’t end in my favor.

I sighed, the exasperation authentic. “I don’t want you going after that wolf. But, I won’t try to stop you. You’re both big boys.”

Relief washed over Shaz, and it was so obvious he’d been expecting a fight that I felt foolish. Arys glanced between us, turning toward the exit. “Shall we then?”

A lock of platinum hair fell in Shaz’s eyes as he pulled me close. With a quick kiss, he whispered, “I love you.” Before I could reply, he had turned to follow the vampire, striding smoothly for the door.

I watched them go, wishing I could call him back. Why was this so hard? I wasn’t used to having someone willing to step in on my behalf, let alone two of them. As long as they refrained from turning on each other, maybe, just maybe, they would be ok.

Chapter Eleven

Pouting made me feel like a child, yet I felt justified in doing so. It greatly wounded both my pride and my ego to have my two lovers hunt down the werewolf that had attacked me. I should have been able to handle it myself. And, the fact that they had gone together, united in a cause, had me beside myself with discomfort.

The midday sun beat down through my window, warming my toes where it fell upon them. I was waking up to the local lunchtime news with a coffee in hand and worry at the forefront of my mind. Tonight was the night of the full moon. Shaz and Julian were going to fight it out, and Kylarai and I would have to watch. The thought froze me with fear.

It hadn’t taken Arys and Shaz long to find the Were that attacked me. Within an hour, I’d gotten a call from Shaz telling me to come out to the parking lot. He had been too blood covered to risk walking inside.

They’d found the wolf easily, still near the park. He had been smart enough to stay where there was little light and zero human activity. Perhaps he had simply been regrouping before he came after me again. I didn’t get a lot of details. All I knew was that Shaz wore a loopy grin from ear to ear, and Arys looked sated, like a dog with a bone.

Perhaps what threw me the most was the relaxed atmosphere between the two of them. They weren’t being friendly in any way, but they showed less of the animosity I had seen recently. Killing together had somehow united them. Was I supposed to be reassured by that?

Though neither of them had wanted to leave my side, I had insisted on going home alone. I was shaken and uneasy and greatly in need of some alone time. I knew Arys well enough to know that no matter what, he was still feeling the need to be a bigger bad than my white wolf. And, Shaz, if anything, was playing nice because it was easier than constantly bickering. Despite killing together, their casual complacency was somehow more worrisome than when they’d been throwing punches.

The weather forecast called for a surprisingly warm day for this time of year. This close to Halloween, there were rarely soaring temperatures. It would make for a nice night.

Sighing, I set my coffee mug down and stretched thoroughly before hitting the bathroom. Thankfully, Julian’s SUV had been gone by the time I’d gotten home. I’d almost cried upon getting a detailed view of my damaged driver’s door. That nasty wolf had smacked it good, denting it in so that it crumpled beneath his weight. I would likely need a whole new door. Son of a bitch.

I kept my clothing simple, knowing I’d be shedding it later in favor of fur and four feet. Tight black leggings and a plain white tank top were both comfortable and practical. As usual, I left my long hair down so that it fell past my elbows and abandoned the idea of makeup. It wouldn’t be necessary tonight.

The sound of Kylarai shuffling around in the kitchen reached me, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I should tell her about Kale. It seemed irrelevant, but it also seemed wrong to hide it. Was not telling the same thing as hiding? After all, she had decided that she couldn’t share her life with him. He was my friend, and what we’d shared was ours, regardless of how messed up it was.

Shoving the thought aside, I retrieved my mug and went to the kitchen for more caffeine. I was completely expecting Ky’s apologetic smile, which she turned on me at full blast. I waved it off before she could even speak.

“Don’t apologize for having Julian here, Ky. This is your house, too.” Grabbing the coffee pot, I pulled it out of the machine too hard, and a few drops fell to sizzle on the burner. I beamed a smile at her so that she wouldn’t feel guilty.

She shrugged and looked guilty anyway. “I know, Lex, but it’s a bad situation. I never considered the possible outcome of him being here. And, tonight is going to be a gong show.”

I noted the way her face fell when she said that. Apparently, Julian hadn’t changed his mind either. “I know. I didn’t sleep worth a damn last night. Of course, the attempt on my life in the park may have had something to do with that.”

Tossing two slices of whole wheat bread into the toaster, I pulled the strawberry jam out of the refrigerator. Turning to the cutlery drawer, I was disappointed to find that there were no clean butter knives.

“What are you talking about?” Ky whirled around to fix me with a mothering look. “What happened?”

I began to wash a knife off in the sink since the dishwasher was still stacked with dirty dishes from the previous day. “Kale and I took out a she-wolf a couple nights ago. Her mate came looking for me, and somehow managed to find me last night. He got me pretty good. Arys and Shaz went after him, and he is no longer a problem.”

“Wow,” Kylarai remarked, her warm grey eyes watching my movements as I dried the knife and tapped my fingers on the counter in front of the toaster. “That’s outrageous. You always have the craziest nights.”

I had to do a double take when I heard the longing in her voice. Was sweet, good girl Kylarai getting tired of the same old day to day?

“Yeah well, now, I have to pay for door repairs to my car and somehow accept the fact that Shaz and Arys teamed up to save me.” I made a quotation sign on the words “save me” in the air with my fingers.

She nodded and watched me thoughtfully. I could almost guess what was running through her mind. Her features were drawn, and if I didn’t know her so well, I would say that she was closed off. I could see through that. She was afraid.

“Are you worried?” She asked me suddenly, confirming my suspicions. “I mean, about tonight. Do you think it’s going to get out of hand?”

I didn’t know what she wanted to hear so I told her the truth. “Oh yeah. I can’t remember the last time I dreaded something as much as I dread tonight.”

“I tried to talk Julian out of it, but he wouldn’t even let me finish an entire sentence. He can’t wait to fight it out with Shaz. It turns my stomach to think about it.”

My toast popped, and I turned away to spread jam on it, glad that she couldn’t see the frown I wore. “I know. It kills me that I have to accept Shaz as the man that he is and not the boy that he was when I first met him. So much has changed.” There was a forlorn note to my voice that I hadn’t anticipated. It felt all wrong.

Kylarai surprised me by laughing. “That boy you speak of has been a man a lot longer than you give him credit for. If anything, what he did for you last night should prove that.”

My cheeks warmed as I bit into a piece of warm, strawberry toast. I thought of the previous evening, how he had gently cleansed my wounds, willing to heed my pleas as I begged him not to go after that wolf. It had been against his instinct to ignore that urge, and he was willing to do it for me. Until Arys came along…

Whether I liked it or not, Shaz was the most dominant male wolf in this town. He had to prove it, and I had to play my role as his mate and back him.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m just not sure how far I should let it go before I stop it. If we let them determine that, it won’t end until somebody’s dead.”

Ky made a noise of disgust. “Men! Can’t live with them, and you just can’t kill them.”

“Says who?” I winked and munched away on my toast. I paused, just then noticing her dressy attire. “Are you working today? On the full moon?”

“I have some papers that have to be delivered in person for a client. I won’t be gone long.” She began to put away some of the coffee accessories, a nervous habit on her part, one she could do without. “And don’t tell me that I work too much. If I don’t keep busy, I’ll be a nervous wreck all day.”

I smiled in response, keeping my opinion to myself. I was nobody to talk about work. At least her job wasn’t going to get her killed. There was a likely chance that mine could, if my personal life didn’t catch up to me first.

I glanced at the clock. Shaz would be coming by later. We would be heading out to the forest behind my house together. In the meantime, I had a few mundane tasks to take care of. The large H on the kitchen calendar caught my eye, a reminder that Halloween was just days away. If we all made it to the party at Lucy’s Lounge intact, it would be a miracle. I was actually looking forward to getting out and having some fun.

After Kylarai left, I gathered my laundry together and threw it in the machine. Whenever I wanted to do chores, I knew my anxiety level was up. I had to give both Kale and Jez a call before it got dark. Jez didn’t run with us wolves often, but she would tonight. I’d asked her to come and back me up. I didn’t entirely trust either myself or some of my fellow wolves.

Kale wouldn’t be up for hours yet. I wanted to bust his chops for not knowing our target had a mate. The gashes down my back had scabbed over nicely but still pulled and stung as I moved. Shifting later would be less than pleasant but would aid the healing process.

Picking up the phone, I punched in Jez’s number and waited. I hung up when it went to voicemail. She would see that I’d called. Wishing that I could stop time and knowing it would never happen, I turned my attention to my jewelry box for costume accessories. Hopefully, forcing myself to show interest in what I was going to wear for Halloween would take my mind off the fast approach of nightfall.

I stared into my closet, eyeing the Little Red Riding Hood outfit that Jez had found for me. Whereas a few days ago, I wasn’t feeling all that confident about wearing it, now I just hoped that I would still get the chance. Everything that could go wrong lately had. And, I could only wonder what else lay ahead. I couldn’t escape the feeling that the worst was yet to come.

* * * *

“I’m telling you, Lex, there is nothing more to say about last night. We found him, fought him and killed him.” Shaz shrugged like it was all in a day’s work. He had been in an incredibly chipper mood since he’d arrived. His energy was blazing with a feverish heat as he mentally readied himself for a fight.

“So by that, I can assume that you dropped him and Arys bled him.”

“I insisted. I thought it might make a difference, for you and the bloodlust.”

Maybe that was why Shaz had been so quiet about the details of their shared kill. He’d seen Arys feed. It was nothing if not disturbing. I wanted to keep pestering for details simply because I hadn’t been there and it bothered me. It wasn’t worth it, though, in light of what was coming.

I literally had to bite my tongue to keep from begging Shaz to reconsider this scrap with Julian. The determined look on his face made it clear I’d be wasting my breath. The sun had set. Jez was on her way, and Shaz was antsy to get moving. His continued glances out the kitchen window into the backyard had my guts twisting into knots.

I didn’t miss the way his green eyes followed me as I moved restlessly around the dining room table. When the doorbell rang, I literally jumped as my skin prickled with anxious energy. I called out for Jez to let herself into the house. Rubbing my arms did nothing to ease the sensations of Shaz’s feisty energy, and I frowned when he reached out to grasp my hands.

“Would you stop twitching out? What’s up with you?” His eyes searched mine, concern etched in their jade depths. “Your eyes are brown, and you don’t feel vampy.”

“You know damn well what’s up with me, Shaz. I’m freaking out because I don’t want you to do this. And, I know that’s not going to stop you. So, I’m just trying to keep my mouth shut and get this night over with.”

The sound of the door reached us, and Jez called hello from the front entry. Shaz pulled me closer, his warm hands running up my cold arms to entangle in my hair. “You know why I have to do this. You would do the same.” He pressed a tender kiss against my forehead, and I sighed as my wolf rose to the surface in response to his, flooding my body with heat.

“Please, just don’t do anything stupid.” I whispered the words, leaning in to lay my head against his chest. “I need you, wolf boy.”

“I’m not going anywhere, babe. You’ll see. And then, don’t you dare doubt me again.” He followed up with a sound smack on my behind as Jez entered the kitchen.

She raised an eyebrow and shook her head, causing her long golden waves to shimmer and bounce. “Save it for later, you two. I’m no voyeur.”

Shaz chuckled, and I shot her a playful glare. “Help yourself to anything in the fridge if you need a drink or something,” I offered, attempting to be the accommodating host.

“No thanks, I’m all good.” Her cat eyes slid from me to Shaz as she studied us. “I’m ready to head out whenever you are.”

She moved to the sliding glass door, her slender frame lithe and graceful. Looking out on the bright moon, she cast a coy glance over her shoulder at me. I watched as the green of her eyes spread to obliterate the whites. When she smiled, she revealed four dainty fangs, sharp as razors. Like mine, she had both two on the top and the bottom.

It was clear that I was the only one not at all ready to head out into the night and the forest within it. Influenced by Jez’s intense Were energy, the wolf was strong in Shaz, and he gazed at me with wolf eyes that blazed with fire. The power of their beasts taunted me, luring me in despite my attempt to resist it. It’s what I was, and my resistance didn’t last long.

With the hot, searing power of my wolf forcing my limits, I turned to Jez, nodding for her to open the sliding door. As we made our way into the backyard to disrobe, I told myself to keep a level head. Though no bloodlust afflicted me, anything could set off Arys’s undead power, waking it from where it slumbered so quietly inside me. I had to maintain control because Shaz was going to lose it. One of us had to keep it together.

I had barely descended the patio steps when Jez went to her knees, having quickly stripped off her clothes. In a heartbeat, she was a shockingly gorgeous leopard. With a shake of her body, she loosened up her muscles, stretching and flashing me a look that told me to hurry up and ditch the human body.

Shaz had removed his t-shirt, and the moonlight danced along his finely sculpted body. Before I could reach to pull my shirt over my head, he turned to me, his hand closing on my wrist possessively.

“You know how much I adore you, right?” He waited for me to answer, his gaze heavy and intense.

“Of course.” I nodded, aware of Jez padding silently over to the gate to give us space.

“Then please, trust me. Don’t stop this until it’s truly over.” He gave me a hard look, knowing me far too well. “I mean it, Alexa. Let me finish this.”

His use of my whole name indicated his seriousness, and I didn’t like the monster I saw lurking behind those jade orbs. “I stop it when my instinct tells me to. I can’t promise anything other than that.”

Silently, I fixed him with a look that dared him to argue. Taking a deep breath, he sighed and pulled me into his arms so that I was pressed against him. “You really are a pain in the ass sometimes.” His hand stroked my hair, and I snuggled into his comforting warmth. His scent stirred parts of me that had never been human. I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself around his naked body. Unfortunately, now was not the time.

Jez scratched lightly at the gate, a quiet indication of her impatience. I ignored her and kissed my white wolf with all of the emotion and wild need I held inside. Slipping my tongue between his lips, I hid a satisfied smile when he moaned softly.

The taste and scent of him filled my senses to overflowing, and I gasped when he bit my lower lip. The moist heat of his tongue followed to soothe the delicious pain. It was a dominant move, one that both antagonized and enticed. The need to be wolf coursed through me, and I broke off the kiss when my fingernails became claws.

“Let’s get this over with,” I murmured, slipping out of my clothing and tossing it on the deck stairs. By the time I turned to face him again, he was already wolf, stark white and beautiful against the backdrop of the moonlit night.

I fell to my knees and embraced the change, enjoying the flash of pain that was always followed by a sensual kind of pleasure. After stretching languidly, I went to Shaz’s side, closing my eyes in enjoyment as he nuzzled me. When Jez’s spotted form took off across the field, heading for the tree line, I didn’t attempt to keep up. She could easily outrun us.

I smirked to myself, imagining the look on the faces of the other werewolves when she broke through the trees into the clearing where they would be gathered. Upon further thought, that could lead to trouble. I quickened my pace until I was at a full out run. Shaz ran at my side, his playful nature absent with his darker intentions.

It took just a few minutes for us to enter the forest, cutting through the trees with a natural rhythm that allowed us to move without being caught by twigs or fallen logs. I felt him at my side and at times just behind me, a shadow that moved perfectly in synch with me. The dread in my core continued to build.

Upon breaking through the trees into the clearing, Jez’s golden fur caught my eye immediately. Less than a dozen werewolves filled the clearing, most of them in wolf form. Kylarai and Julian sat among them, together. Part of me felt betrayed by that, though I knew it wasn’t my place to feel that way. She should have been with us, not him. Even though it was a show of support to her new lover, she was selling us out in a way.

More than a few of the gathered wolves eyed Jez uncertainly. Her long tail slapped the ground beside her, moving like a snake. I went to her side, making it clear to anyone wondering that she was there with me. Shaz slunk along slowly behind me, his eyes already locked on the shaggy brown wolf next to Ky.

Before either of them could move, I placed myself in the center of the clearing, drawing all eyes to me. It would be up to me to give the signal for Shaz and Julian to go at it like the testosterone-charged animals that they were. However, before I did so, I had every intention of making them both submit to me. I was Alpha and if I demanded it, they would have little choice.

I fixed my eyes on Shaz first, communicating easily without words. He blinked a few times as if disbelieving what he read in my gaze. I inclined my head and pawed lightly at the ground before me. Slowly, he came towards me, careful not to look at anyone else. The energy of every other Were there seemed to hum as they watched with collective interest.

As Shaz drew closer, he dropped lower to the ground so that his belly almost touched the fertile forest floor. Our connection grew in strength as we stared into one another and my personal power rose up. Desire filled me when he rolled over at my feet, baring his throat to me in absolute submission.

This was love. It really was. How many men would be willing to say with actions everything that this said?

I bent my head as if to gently bite his throat but instead, I licked long warm lines across his snowy white face. I wanted to nuzzle him but drew back before the others could see the tenderness. He scrambled to his feet and backed away. His eyes followed mine to Julian.

The sandy-brown wolf glanced at Kylarai, unease plain on his features. She continued to look straight ahead, at me. He was left to make his own choice. Ever so slowly, he made his way to me. He seemed to drag his back feet as if wishing he could drop into a hole in the ground. This must be killing him. If I could have smirked with glee in his face, I would have.

When he dropped down on his belly, satisfaction slid through me with a cold and slimy sensation. My wolf instantly identified him as lesser, insignificant. He glared up at me with hate shining in his dark eyes. I had never forced anyone to submit to me. We were people first, after all. Raoul had though. And, looking down at the whelp of a wolf at my feet, I understood what he got out of it.

I waited, staring Julian down until at last he gave in and rolled to expose his throat to me. I could feel every set of eyes on me, waiting to see what I would do. I believe a few of them expected me to tear his throat out, eliminating the need for a fight. Everything that was vampire within me cried out for his intoxicating blood, but I would never do that to Shaz. This fight was his.

Julian’s scent filled my nostrils when I bent to his bared throat. Ever so gently, with all of the control I had within me, I placed fangs lightly to his skin. I never so much as grazed his flesh though everything in me demanded that I unleash the tightly bound wolf inside.

I drew back, stepping away from him to clear my head of his scent. He got to his feet in a motion so fast that I braced, my defenses on autopilot. He never made the mistake of coming any closer. He turned then, facing Shaz who stood just ten feet away.

I launched into action, moving between them. This wasn’t starting until I was damn sure that Shaz was ready for him. I looked between the two of them, my question apparent. When a low growl began in Shaz’s throat and was quickly echoed by Julian, I knew it was on.

Reluctantly, I backed away. I looked at Shaz, hoping to meet his eyes, but he saw nothing but his foe. No sooner had I moved out of their space than they flashed into action. The sound of their furry bodies hitting was like concrete on concrete. I ground my teeth together as I watched them meet in a flurry of snapping jaws. Fear coursed through me, and I shook my head slowly.

Kylarai came to my side, her grey eyes mirroring the terror I felt. The two wolves snarled and growled, their angry sounds echoing throughout the clearing. The energy of every wolf watching seemed to ring in my ears. I could feel it well, but it didn’t have the same influence it would have had if I’d been in human form. The thought suddenly occurred to me that if I needed to tap metaphysical power to stop this fight, I would likely have to be in my other form.

Julian and Shaz moved so fast, it was hard to keep an eye on the details of what was happening. They lunged at one another, testing each other’s limits. They started with a lot of defensive movements followed by feinting and circling. I was dying from the suspense, wondering when they would really try for the kill.

Time seemed to stop when Shaz got a hold of the brown wolf’s shaggy neck fur. He bit deep, shaking his head as he did so. A strangled sound escaped Julian, but he twisted and struggled in Shaz’s grasp until he had squirmed free. He didn’t hesitate, lunging at Shaz in an attempt to throw him off balance. It worked.

Shaz went down with the brown wolf growling and snapping in his face. I saw Julian’s fangs sink deep into my wolf, felt it as if he’d bitten me. The blood instantly stained Shaz’s snow-white fur a deep red. It took all of my inner strength to resist surging forward. I needed to go to him.

But, Jez’s watchful gaze stopped me. She was paying more attention to me than to the wolf fight. I think she was planning to take me down if I tried to rush in there. It would be for my own good. I could get myself killed doing something so irrational.

I couldn’t breathe, watching them lash out with all they had. The blood flowed from each of them as the blows were exchanged. It was just as I was considering changing forms that I felt a cool presence in my mind. Arys.

‘Are you ok, my wolf? How is our pup doing?’ His voice was a soothing sensation as it echoed through my mind. This was something we could only do when I was in wolf form. It seemed to be our power’s way of compensating for the loss I suffered by changing forms.

‘This isn’t the best time, Arys. It’s getting bloody.’ I jumped when the two wolves managed to gain a secure hold on one another. They wrestled in the dirt and grass, each of them now bleeding profusely. I didn’t know what to do. I had to stop this, but the winner had to be obvious to everybody present.

Arys’s presence was there but quiet, as if he wasn’t sure what to offer me. If he’d been hoping to hear that Shaz was down and out, he was going to be disappointed.

‘That’s not fair,’ he chided. ‘I would never wish such a thing on him. I’m selfish, not petty.’

That was reassuring. And, most likely untrue. As I watched Julian sink fangs into Shaz yet again, this time in the meaty part of his shoulder, the vampire’s power rose, and I tried to tap it. My body seemed to shudder and a sharp pain stabbed through my abdomen. The wolf was as much a part of nature as the earth’s energy running strong beneath my paws. Yet, I couldn’t access both of them fully at once.

The agony became too much, and I fought to maintain control and keep my eyes on the fight before me. Kylarai bumped against my shoulder, a question in her eyes. I shook my head, backing away. I willed the change to come, and it was brutal. My wolf was confused and unwilling to give in to the human side of me. I was insistent though, and it was going to happen.

A cry broke out of me when I was gasping on my knees, digging my fingers into the dirt. I shivered at the sudden temperature change from fur to skin. The sound of my pain was something that Shaz could not ignore, and the moment he took to look my way gave Julian the advantage.

The large, brown wolf threw himself on Shaz, pinning my mate beneath him. He fought for Shaz’s throat, believing the end was within his grasp. My wolf was nothing, though, if not determined. He effectively angled his head so that his throat was hidden, twisting his body to throw Julian’s balance off. He was unable to maintain his hold, and Shaz grasped his sudden opportunity, throwing himself right in the brown wolf’s face.

Though Arys’s voice was now absent from my mind, the power we shared soared up inside me, forcing me to my feet. I was shaky and pained from the sudden shifting, but I was not going to let them kill each other. A few of the wolves around me moved uncomfortably at my quick change.

Shaz was in Julian’s face with jaws snapping too fast to see. Julian was surprised by the move and fell back, losing his footing in his attempt to backpedal. It gave Shaz all he needed to get on top of the other wolf, successfully pinning him. Everyone seemed to be reacting to the urgency in the atmosphere. The anticipation of the end was heavy.

My hands grew hot as I tapped the roiling mixture of undead and living energy inside me. Shaz gained a clear shot of Julian’s throat, and he took it. Only Kylarai’s tiny whimper reminded me why I was willing to stop this. Shaz’s fangs sunk into Julian’s flesh; in the same moment, I let a blue-tinged gold psi ball fly.

It was enough to knock Shaz off his feet without hurting him. Before Julian could get up, I threw up an energy wall between them. When he didn’t get up, Kylarai rushed to his side. Shaz growled with a low rumble at the barrier that separated them.

Everything had happened so fast. My heart pounded louder than any other sound. It was over though. And, they were both alive. Angling my body so that most of my nakedness was shadowed, I went to them and knelt next to Ky.

The blood pumped steadily from the wound in Julian’s throat. However, it wasn’t a fatal puncture. He would live. And, I couldn’t help but wonder if that would be something both Shaz and I would regret allowing to happen.

I made eye contact with my beautiful white wolf. My heart broke in response to the many red splashes marring his fur. He looked both proud and relaxed. Confident that he wouldn’t try to finish Julian off now that he was down, I dropped the barrier.

Leaving Ky and Julian, I went to Shaz, kneeling before him. Though I was still in human form, I bared my throat to him anyway, acknowledging him as Alpha male. My breath sucked in as his sharp fangs tentatively touched my skin. His breath came hot against my flesh and a rush came over me when I longed for him break the skin.

Shaz’s touch was nothing less than gentle and loving when his teeth grazed me. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, my hands reaching to entangle in his filthy, matted fur. A swell of emotion erupted like hot lava coating my insides. My eyes filled with hot tears, but they did not fall. I wasn’t sad, yet a melancholy feeling enveloped me. I had only kneeled before one other man, claiming him as my Alpha. That man was dead. Was this nostalgia or something else entirely?

Slowly, I got to my feet. I was startled to find a line of werewolves behind me, each waiting their turn to show respect to their new Alpha. I watched them, one by one, as they kneeled and gave Shaz their throat. It caused my heart to swell with pride. He was so much more amazing than I even knew yet. Everything about him told me so.

Julian finally struggled to his feet, leaning his weight heavily against Kylarai. He was in pretty bad shape. When at last they were the only two left to acknowledge Shaz, Ky moved to do so and Julian hung back. He was unwilling, which meant he forfeited his place and protection within our pack.

The silky smooth leopard fur rubbing against my thigh drew my gaze to Jez. She had been such a quiet observer that I’d almost forgotten she was there.

“Thanks Jez,” I whispered for her ears only. “I appreciate that you came here tonight.” I said a silent prayer of thanks that she hadn’t had to tackle me as I feared. With Shaz’s control compromised, I’d worried for my own.

She made a noise low in her throat, something between a purr and a growl. With a chuckle, I added, “You so better not be checking out my ass.” She hissed at me then, her tail flipping around wildly. I knew it was only because she had no voice to blast a retort at me.

Finally, Shaz padded over to me, pushing his muzzle into my hand. I smiled down into his enchanting face, that strange sadness welling up again. He actually didn’t look too bad. Julian was in worse shape.

“I’m not feeling up to running tonight,” I told him, my voice low. “If you feel good enough, stay and run with our wolves. I just need some time alone.”

He studied me, confusion and worry written all over his dirt-stained face. I smiled and kissed the tip of his wet nose. With a sigh of relief, I allowed the wolf within to have her way, and I once again embraced the change. Shaz nuzzled me, rubbing his side along mine. We were the mated Alpha pair. It seemed so surreal to think of it that way.

When he was certain that I meant what I’d said, he glanced around the clearing. Shock shone in his eyes upon noticing that the other werewolves awaited his command to run. Giving me one last reassuring nudge, he loped out of the clearing with every other wolf close behind.

When even Jez had sauntered off into the night, I turned and headed back the way that would lead me home. Leaving Julian and Kylarai in the clearing didn’t feel at all right but staying would only wound his pride further. I trotted in between the tightly woven trees, listening to the voices of my pack, raised together in spine-chilling harmony as I went.

Chapter Twelve

The door creaked as I pushed it open. It had been repaired since the last time I’d been here. I’d broken it when I had kicked it open. That had been months ago. In some ways, it felt like years and, in other ways, like it was just yesterday.

Despite the fact that he’d been dead for three months, Raoul’s scent hit me as I stepped into his house. Closing the door behind me, I counted to five and then turned around. I honestly wasn’t sure what I’d see.

Everything looked completely normal, as if nothing had been out of place. The furniture was the same. Everything was the same. The wolf tapestry that had once hung over the fireplace was gone though. Zoey Roberts had destroyed it.

Closing the door, I slipped off my shoes and crossed the front room until the kitchen came into view. The breath was crushed from my lungs as I took in the sliding glass door that led onto the patio. Though the glass was brand new and the mess long since cleaned up, I could see it in my mind like I was reliving the night Raoul died.

For a moment, I couldn’t think or make sense of why I was there. Something had drawn me. If anything, I needed to be at Raoul’s. I had put off coming here since Zoe killed him. But, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was supposed to be here now, if only for my own sanity. I’d thought that leaving the forest would upset my wolf, but being here, in Raoul’s house where I’d once spent a portion of my life, I felt at home.

Since he had left the house to me in his will, knowing his death was imminent, I had kept it maintained. I’d also refused every offer from those interested in buying. I had no intention of giving it up. Did that make me crazy, nostalgic or just unable to let go?

I flicked on a few lights as I went, flooding the space around me with a warm glow. I came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. Shaking my head, I continued on to the kitchen. I hadn’t been upstairs since Zoey murdered one of Raoul’s lovers, a fellow pack member, and I didn’t feel inclined to go up there now. New carpet and paint wouldn’t wash away the negative energy left in that room.

Raoul’s small den was just off the kitchen. It was where we had shared our first and last truly intimate moment. The door stood open, but it was pitch black inside the windowless room. A hot tear streaked down my face, and I touched it to be sure it wasn’t a vampy blood tear.

Turning on the kitchen light, I squinted against the sudden illumination. A quick glance around the kitchen showed me that it looked as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever taken place there. The beam of light shone into the den, and I followed it, pausing in the doorway.

I looked toward the couch in the corner. I could barely see it from where I stood. Crossing the room, I turned on the lamp that sat on the corner of the desk, the same desk where Arys had found the confession letter Raoul had left me.

Against my better judgment, I pulled open the top desk drawer. It was filled with typical desk clutter like pens and post-it note pads. I closed it and went on to the next one. It had nothing but file folders for Raoul’s real estate business, which was nothing of extreme interest to me.

As I reached for the handle on the third drawer, something told me not to open it. Of course, that only made me want to get into it even more. Pulling it open harder than necessary, I was surprised to see that it was filled with photo albums. There were three of them. I couldn’t help but reach for the first one, the pages creaking uncomfortably as I opened it. Clearly, nobody had looked at it in awhile.

The first page held a very old photo, a young woman with smiling brown eyes and a head of hair to die for. The caption beneath it said, “Naomi”. I was astonished and began to scrutinize the picture closer. This was Zoey’s mother, the human woman Raoul had loved. One of two anyway.

Flipping through the pages revealed more photos, some of Raoul and Naomi together. In all the time I’d known him, I had never seen him look at these pictures. It must have hurt him too much.

Now that I knew about the two great loves of Raoul’s life, one of which was my own mother, I could better understand why he chose the bachelor lifestyle he had lived until his death. It didn’t make it any easier to accept though.

The entire photo album was photos of that time in Raoul’s life, before me. I put it back and reached for another one. Flipping open the cover, I was strangely surprised to see photos of Shaz and myself, among other wolves, from when Raoul had taken us in. It was strange to see a much younger version of me. Looking at the teenage version of both my white wolf and myself, I couldn’t help but think of everything that had changed since that time.

For one, my loss of innocence had gone from learning how to deal with the change to becoming more of a monster than I had ever dreamed possible. The uncertain smile on the face of the teenaged me spoke volumes, and I slammed the album shut. I didn’t bother opening the third one. I didn’t want to take this trip down memory lane.

Casting a glance around the small office, I put the photo album back in the drawer and kicked it closed. I sat heavily on the end of the couch with Raoul’s scent puffing up at me as I did so. I leaned back so that my head rested against the back of the soft, worn sofa. Running my hands over it, I instantly became lost in a memory, one that refused to leave as easily as it had come.

It had been in this very room, oddly enough. The very first time that Raoul and I had made love. My skin flushed hot with the memory of his hands on my body. I had been an eager virgin. Young but wise beyond my years after surviving a wolf attack. He had been the man of my dreams, the one who had saved me in so many ways.

I had been in the den here, crying after an especially traumatic night. A fellow wolf had tried to take advantage of me, and Raoul had kicked the shit out of him. He’d found me in tears on this very same couch and pulled me into his arms, pressing moist kisses to my temple, cheeks and eventually my lips.

The memory ensnared me until it was as real as it had once been. Raoul drew my face to his with a warm touch, and I melted, hungry for what he offered. Our lips met, and my heart raced in disbelief. I had spent so many nights imagining this moment and all of a sudden, it was happening.

He had never been one to take it slow. Once I responded to Raoul, kissing him back, he’d been quick to take it a step further. Pressing me into the back of the sofa, his long black hair fell around my face, and his scent was all I could smell. Intoxicating and overwhelming, I was flooded with heat between my legs as he buried his face in my hair and nipped at my neck.

I reached to pull him closer, needing to feel him against every part of me. He growled low in his throat, and my wolf leaped in response. It was both frightening and awe-inspiring. I gasped when he bit me harder, a shot of pleasure going straight to my groin.

His silky, soft, ebony hair trailed over my skin as he kissed his way down my body. “Are you ready, Alexa?” His voice was powerful, touching me in the pit of my stomach so that I had the urge to squirm.

I tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come so I reached for him instead, my clawed fingers creating red scratches on his forearms. He leaned down and I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding tight as he claimed me.

A low snarl deep in his throat caused my heart to surge with adrenaline. The sound was chilling in its husky maleness. I stared up at him with a mixture of wonder and awe in my eyes. I could feel the adoration spill out of me as I looked at him. He was my Alpha wolf, and I had given myself to him, no regrets.

With the curtain of hair shadowing his face, Raoul spoke softly. “Are you ok? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

The sincerity in his eyes had been heart stopping. If only it had been real.

As I reclined on the very same couch, lost in the past, those words echoed in my head. Yes, you did hurt me, Raoul, I thought. If only it had been physically instead of emotionally. But, I have to forgive you, or I will never be able to move on.

The overwhelming urge to cry struck me, and it was more than I could take. The tears spilled down my cheeks like a waterfall. A sob broke the silence around me, and I felt ashamed because a part of me would have given anything to relive that night. The pain that Raoul had caused me back then ran too deep, I couldn’t completely let it go. Yet, I knew that I had to.

I practically leaped off the couch, feeling like it had burned me. The strangest sensation struck me, the feeling that I wasn’t alone. A chill stole down my spine, and I shivered. I didn’t like the idea that something could be there with me, something like … Raoul? I wasn’t keen on ghosts. I really wanted nothing to do with them. Despite everything that had transpired with Raoul, I hoped that he would have gone on to something better than that.

Feeling uncomfortable, I left the den and descended the stairs near the kitchen, to the living room below. I turned the TV on and let it play quietly while I curled up in an old easy chair in the corner. I didn’t want to leave the house, and that was both comforting and frightening.

* * * *

I didn’t know that I was dreaming. All I knew was that Harley had me pinned beneath him, and I was struggling to fight him off. He wanted to bite me, to draw my blood deep into him while I fought him. I knew that, and I knew that I had to stop it from happening.

This wasn’t about him trying to kill me. His intentions were darker than that. Whatever it was that he intended, it was worse than death. It hit me all at once. I knew what he wanted from me. He wanted to claim me so that Arys never could: the blood bond, the wicked kiss. I couldn’t let it happen.

The dream broke into fragments and as I fought him, it all began to fade away, as fast as it had come. I woke with a scream on my lips, staring into the worried blue eyes of my dark vampire.

Arys took a step back, waiting for me to come to my senses. I gasped and blinked at him, uncertain if I was really awake or still dreaming. When I focused in on the rest of Raoul’s living room surrounding me, I knew I was awake.

“Arys?”

He scowled in response to the inflection in my voice. “What happened to not leaving the door unlocked? We’ve been over this. Do you have a death wish, Alexa?”

“How did you know I was here? What time is it?” I shook my head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs from my brain. I felt disoriented and confused.

It was still dark beyond the windows, but there was a shimmer to the air, invisible to human eyes, which indicated dawn’s approach.

Arys watched me closely, and I felt scrutinized under his heavy gaze. Lifting an eyebrow in question, I shot him an irritated glare. He crossed his arms and cocked his hip in a way that was both sexy and told me that I was being analyzed.

“I’m surprised that you have to ask.” He glanced around before answering me. I had the strangest feeling that he was nervous. “I could feel you. Your pain … it drew me. I had to come.”

Staring into his eyes, I saw the truth there and with it, love? No. I had to be imagining the emotion swimming in the abyss of his gaze. I was reminded then of two things: Harley stating that Arys must truly love me, and another time in this house when Arys had tuned into my pain without laying eyes on me.

My dream came rushing back to me, and I was suddenly much more alert. “Arys, I dreamt about Harley. He was trying to blood bond me.” My eyes closed as I saw the image again, Harley’s fangs flashing in the light as he used his weight and power to hold me.

Arys’s expression grew dark. “He wouldn’t dare.” His fingers clenched into fists, and I grew warm from the heat of his anger. There was something in his anxious manner that betrayed his words.

“You know he would.” I reached out to him, needing to feel his cool skin, his power mingling with mine. “He’s not going to let me have you.”

Arys grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet. His arms went around my waist, pressing me against him. I looked up at him, and he bent his head to capture my lips with his in a breath-stealing kiss. I was sucked into the magnetic draw, falling into him with no resistance. The power we shared sought to control us, and I wanted to allow it. After the torrent of emotions I’d already dealt with tonight, I wasn’t afraid to let the power lead us. I wanted to feel the freedom and release that only came with surrender.

He paused, despite my insistence. Looking down into my eyes, he placed a hand beneath my chin and forced me to look deeper into him. My heart skipped a beat when he whispered, “You already have me.”

Unmistakable emotion filled his eyes. Try as I might to deny it, something was there, something more than I had ever expected from my vampire lover. It frightened me; it truly did, even as it excited me. I already held Shaz’s heart in my hands, precariously at that. Could I honestly say that I didn’t love Arys, in some way?

I don’t give myself to any man without reason. Perhaps the power had joined us, but it wasn’t what kept me coming back. Not entirely. Was it possible to be in love with two men, albeit very different ones? I wasn’t sure. All I knew was what I felt when I was with each of them.

It wasn’t the same. What Arys brought out of me was unlike anything I had felt with Shaz and vice versa. They each held a part of me that was all their own.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I admitted, my lips brushing his as I spoke. I paused to nibble the silver ring in his pouty lower lip. He made a sound that was a combination of a sigh and groan. “I don’t know how to love you.”

Arys ran a strong hand through my hair, balling a handful in his fist. The extremely possessive gesture spoke to the wolf in me. “You don’t know how to admit it.” The room felt alive with energy as our power danced around us.

He was right. I hated when he was right. His firm hold kept me still as he dipped his tongue into my mouth. He pressed harder against me. When his fangs grazed my throat, I gasped, and the adrenaline blasted through me.

“My beautiful wolf, you don’t even know what it is you mean to me.” Arys’s soft murmur was soothing.

The sharp points of his fangs came to rest lightly over my jugular vein, and I could feel the sudden urge to kill rise up in him. He would never do it though. I trusted him completely, only realizing now how deep that trust went. Every time we were in a moment like this, I allowed him the choice to take my life. Dear God, I did love him. How else could I willingly do something so bold and possibly so stupid?

“Then tell me,” I replied, needing to hear now more than ever what I meant to him. “Tell me what I mean to you, Arys. I need to hear you say it.”

I didn’t miss his hesitation. Lifting his head to look at me, I was shocked to see that his eyes had gone all wolf, the whites’ now solid blue. The hand that held my hair loosened but didn’t let go. We faced one another with an open, raw emotion that made me feel uncomfortable and exposed.

Arys gently touched the side of my face, stroking it with an affection that stole my breath. His eyes went to my throat, and he ran his tongue sensually over his fangs.

“Alexa, I have never been more alive in all these years than I am right now, with you.” He paused, second-guessing himself, and I turned my face to plant an encouraging kiss in the palm of his hand. “You are the only light in my dark world. All I see is you.”

I closed my eyes, the emotion overcoming me in its immensity. His next words came low, barely a whisper. Yet, I heard them as clearly as if they’d been shouted at me.

“I love you. You have given back to me everything I thought I’d lost forever.” His voice carried a note of surrender. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me, hope evident in his expression.

“How you feel, Arys, it isn’t one sided.” I placed my hand over his, drawing it to my chest where my heart beat steadily.

“Don’t say it,” he said, placing a finger over my lips. “You love the white wolf.”

Knocking his finger away, I rose up on tiptoes to better look him in the eyes. “I do. And, he has his own place within me. As do you.”

He wanted to believe me, but Arys didn’t know how to be loved any better than I had just a few months ago. I understood how hard it was to trust fully. I’d been there. I still was.

“I’ll never let Harley get his hands on you. I will kill him before he can do anything to separate us.” Arys kissed me then, a hard bruising kiss that spoke of his need for solace. His desperation was evident by the pained energy that rolled off him.

“He wants to bond me, Arys,” I managed to get out between fevered kisses. “I would rather be dead than be bound to him.”

“It’s never going to happen. Trust me.” Arys gestured to the window where the darkness was thinning fast. “I’m not going to make it home. That means you have to stay here with me all day.”

That sounded like a great way to spend the day to me. I wasn’t ready to leave him yet. “Ok, we can take some blankets downstairs to the basement. It’s furnished.” A thought struck me, and I added, “I have to give Shaz a call though. He’s going to be looking for me.”

I expected a grimace or dirty look of some kind from Arys then, but his expression remained neutral. That raised my suspicions, and I was suddenly dying to ask him about his little hunting excursion with Shaz.

“Alright, you go call him. I’ll get us set up downstairs.” He trailed a hand over my back and down my behind, sending a shiver through me.

As Arys rummaged in a hall closet for blankets and pillows, I called Shaz. It wasn’t quite dawn yet, and I got his voicemail, as I’d expected. I left a quick message telling him where I was and not to worry about me. I was almost relieved that I could prolong having to face Kylarai in the light of day. I dreaded that conversation.

I gathered myself, prepared to take on Arys and, hopefully, get more out of him than I had from Shaz. Was my curiosity unnatural? Maybe, but it was driving me nuts to know they had shared an intimate moment, hunted and killed together, and I didn’t know any of the details. Arys was more likely to share things that Shaz would gloss over. And, I had all day to get it out of him.

Chapter Thirteen

I stared uncertainly at my reflection in the full-length mirror on my closet door. The Little Red Riding Hood costume did wonders for my physique. Unfortunately, it also nagged at my insecurities. I didn’t mind showing a little skin, but I usually had a higher clothing-to-skin ratio than this.

My cleavage was more than impressive in the black, strapless corset dress. The red lace trim grazed the top of my thigh high fishnet stockings in a barely there way. I decided to pair the costume up with leather knee-high boots that had killer five-inch heels, sharp enough to take out an eye.

My few accessories included silver bracelets that jingled when I moved and a black ribbon tied like a choker around my neck. The little red hooded cape was my final accessory. Kylarai assured me that it wasn’t too short from where she sat on my bed, watching me do my makeup. I’d gone a little heavier than usual on the dark eyeliner and, after hesitating, had even added the red lipstick Jez had insisted on when I bought the outfit.

Things hadn’t been as awkward with Kylarai as I’d expected. I had said a prayer of thanks when I arrived home to find that she was there alone. We hadn’t said much about the fight between Julian and Shaz. Shaz was Alpha, and there wasn’t much more to be said about that.

I was dying to see him. After getting virtually nothing out of Arys, I was frustrated and ready for an evening out. All Arys had been willing to share was that he and Shaz had formed an unspoken understanding and that I would be wise to stop picking at it. Well … fine then.

I so rarely got the chance to enjoy some cheap entertainment. I had also come home with a ton of ideas and plans for redecorating Raoul’s house. It was still hard to think of it as mine. That would come with time.

I’d enjoyed being there, more than I’d thought I would. I had expected to feel out of place in the house filled with both good and bad memories. Instead I had felt calm and at peace. Strange but true.

I turned to face Kylarai, loving my height in the high-heeled boots. She was dressed as the green fairy, better known to some as the absinthe fairy. Clad in a long, forest green cocktail dress with a slit from floor to hip and the cutest sparkly green wings, she looked like she’d just stepped out of a fantasy novel. Green eyeliner would never have looked so perfect on me. Her grey eyes were dazzling.

“Should I leave my hair down or put it up?” I asked, ignoring the part of me that felt guilty as soon as I met her eyes. Some combination of Julian’s loss and the kiss I’d shared with Kale nagged at me.

“Leave it down but use some mousse and blow dry it upside down to give it that wild look with lots of volume,” she said. “That would look sexy.”

“Are you sure you don’t mean trashy?” I laughed and scrutinized my appearance one last time before ransacking the bathroom for mousse.

“You look amazing. Now stop fussing. The trick-or-treaters will be coming soon.” She slid off my bed and smoothed her skirt down. “They’re going to be so cute, all dressed up.”

I couldn’t help but smile in response to her enthusiasm. She genuinely adored the innocence of children.

“Alright, just let me find my blow dryer, and I’ll be right out.”

The doorbell rang then, and a chorus of small voices called out, “Trick or treat!” Kylarai let out a little squeal and ran for the door. Her inner child really came out during holidays of any kind.

After blasting my hair with the blow dryer to increase the volume, I arranged the pieces of red and blonde around my face and called it done. I left my bedroom before I picked apart my costume any further.

In the kitchen, I poured myself a glass of red wine. The excited chatter of kids reached me along with Ky’s exclamations. After savoring a long sip, I joined her at the front door. She waved goodbye as the small group exited the yard.

Groups of kids could be seen down the street heading this way. Ky’s genuine joy made me wonder if she wished she’d had kids of her own. I wanted to ask, but now wasn’t the time.

Children weren’t something that I thought about much. Since the attack as a teen, it was something I’d come into adulthood accepting wasn’t for me.

“Oh Alexa, look at the little princess!” Kylarai had the door open before the next group of kids had even made it up the walk. “You guys look awesome!”

My eyes widened when I noticed the size of the handfuls of candy she was giving out. The big smiles on the painted faces peering at her with wonder warmed my heart in places that felt foreign to those cozy feelings. I instinctually gravitated closer to the doorway.

A princess, two superheroes and a ghost all called out a happy, “Thank you!” Their mom stood at the end of the walk waiting for them, and I raised a hand in greeting. I couldn’t help but feel deceitful. These people had no idea they were sending their kids to the door of two vicious killers.

By the time we’d had twenty-seven kids come to the door, I was finished my first glass of wine. Not intending to go overboard but needing to take the edge off, I poured another smooth glass of cabaret. I think I was a little nervous about walking into a party where both Shaz and Arys would be. If there was any fighting tonight, I was leaving.

It was almost nine o’clock when the trick-or-treaters stopped coming. The big bowl of candy was almost empty, only a few lollipops and chocolates remained. I’d nibbled more than a few during the past hour. After a third glass of wine, I was ready to go.

Kylarai was permeating a positive, happy vibe as she spritzed on some perfume and gathered her purse. I was still too nervous to ask her if Julian would be at Lucy’s Lounge. She’d volunteered to drive tonight because of an early business meeting. So, I had the liberty of sipping cocktails and socializing. I was looking forward to it. I needed to get out more. Hunting and killing didn’t count as a social life. Did it?

When we were cruising through town in Ky’s white Escalade, I began to feel an anxious flutter. I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was going to be an eventful night.

That feeling didn’t ease when Kylarai said, “You’re definitely going to have those two at each other’s throats dressed like that. Better be prepared to deal with some drama.”

“You have my full permission to smack their skulls together if they start any trouble,” I replied as I flipped the sun visor down to look in the mirror on the back. How is it that celebrities make red lipstick look so easy and perfect? It’s much harder to maintain than any other shade.

“Remember that you said that when the time comes. You look fine. Stop looking in the mirror.”

The drive to Lucy’s Lounge took less than ten minutes. My senses went into overdrive the moment I got out of the big Cadillac. As we crossed the parking lot, a group of guys whistled at us. It boosted my ego immensely. They also cat called to the three girls that walked a few paces behind us, but that was beside the point.

The club was filled with a delightful array of costumes. It was nice to see that so many people had decided to dress up. The typical blockbuster movie characters were there in full force. No Halloween party was complete without the Joker and a Jedi or two.

Of course, the classic horror costumes from devils to Lugosi vampires were everywhere as well as sexy cops, angels and celebrity recreations. It never ceased to amaze me how creative some people get with their costumes.

One of the local bands from the city was dominating the stage. It looked like the bar staff had made a half-assed attempt at decorating. Black and orange streamers hung from the ceiling. Matching candles adorned each table. Otherwise, it was the same drab yet welcoming environment as always.

Arys was not there. At least not yet. I couldn’t feel his presence, but it was early yet for him. I didn’t expect him until later, after he’d take care of the blood hunger. If he neglected to do so, there was going to be trouble. The bloodlust and a crowd like this could make a deadly combination for me.

Once we got through the traffic jammed entryway, I was able to take stock of the entire place. The werewolf energy in the club was strong. I could feel Shaz as well as Zak, which likely meant Julian wasn’t far. I ignored the urge to cast a glance around for him.

Kylarai’s head came up suddenly, sniffing the air. Wherever Julian was, she had found him. I spotted him a moment later. He and Zak were each dressed as characters from a superhero movie. I think it was X-Men, but I’m not much of a movie buff myself. Zak crooked a finger to beckon us over. I was eager to get to the bar for a drink so I could see Shaz. I was dying to see how he was dressed. And, the last person I had words for was Julian. I still wasn’t sure if I should force him out of town or not.

“I’m going up to the bar. Do you want a Coke or anything?” I gestured toward the dark-haired Were that drew her attention. “I know you want to go over there. Feel free. I swear, I don’t mind.”

Impulsively, she hugged me tightly, and I almost lost my balance on the extreme heels. “You really are the best, Alexa. You’re so much more understanding about this than I would be.” Before I could reply, she was gone, flitting off across the bar to her brown wolf.

I shrugged and turned toward the bar. The large line-up prevented me from getting a glimpse of Shaz until I got closer. When at last I caught sight of his platinum hair, my heart increased in tempo. The anticipation was eating me alive.

I laughed despite my sudden speechlessness when I finally laid eyes on my white wolf. He was dressed as Billy Idol, complete with a badass leather jacket. A punk rock style chain hung around his neck.

As the people ahead of me received their drinks and moved aside, I could see that he wore jaw- droppingly tight leather pants. Holy crap! I don’t know what I’d been expecting but this wasn’t it.

Shaz’s white blond hair was a mess of spikes and gel. Combined with the barest smudge of black around his jade green eyes, the look was so sexy on him that I was instantly flushed. I would have fanned my face with my hand if it would have made any difference. He had only minor bruising around his left eye from his scrap with Julian. He looked damn fine.

Though he had yet to see me, he knew that I was there. I was impatiently waiting for the four women ahead of me to get their drinks and get the hell out of the way. Knowing my wolf was so close yet out of reach was making me crazy.

All at once, the crowd seemed to disperse before me, and I sauntered up to the bar with a look that oozed sexuality. Our eyes met, and Shaz’s mouth literally dropped open as he took in my attire. The watchful wolf inside me did not miss the sudden increase in his heart rate.

I flashed him a playful smile and a wink. I was playing it cool, but my guts were twisting in knots. He looked good enough to climb over the bar for in front of all of the people waiting behind me. I couldn’t help but feel like I was staring at him stupidly.

“And, what can I get for you?” Shaz’s eyes roamed over my body, lingering on my fishnet-clad thighs. He swallowed hard, and my pulse raced. “Other than the extreme fucking I am dying to give you.”

His boldly uncharacteristic statement had me literally tripping on my own tongue. I couldn’t get over how delicious he looked. Punk rock was a really good look for him.

“You are so sexy right now. I could just eat you up.” I licked my red lips teasingly. “Red wine, please. And, please tell me this is a joke. You can’t be working now. I have to have you.”

He raised an eyebrow, and a mischievous grin spread across his luscious lips. “I love your costume. It’s so perfectly you. The wolf disguised as the innocent.” He turned away momentarily to grab a fresh bottle of wine and a glass. I gazed hungrily at his leather clad behind. “It really makes me want to bend you over one of these tables. I’m abandoning ship here as soon as Tawnie gets in. Don’t disappear on me.”

He pressed the wine into my hand, refusing to let me pay for it. What a sweetheart. I didn’t want to move, but the line of people pressing behind me gave me little choice.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby.” I blew him a kiss and left the bar.

The glow that filled me just from that brief interaction with my white wolf had me buzzing. Waiting for him to be free of his responsibilities was going to be torture. Every instinct I had as both woman and wolf demanded that I touch him the way I so desperately wanted to.

No sooner had I turned away from the bar than I both sensed and saw the tall, lithe leopard enter the Lounge. Jez looked gorgeous, dressed to kill as Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill. She looked deadly in the yellow outfit with black stripes, replicated from the film. She even carried the notorious Hanzo sword on her hip. Impressive. Her golden hair hung long and silky straight down her back. I was instantly jealous.

She spotted me right away, and I moved to meet her. “You did the red lips like I told you to. It looks so hot.” The first words out of Jez’s mouth shouldn’t have been surprising, especially followed by, “I love those boots.”

The crowd continued to grow as the next wave of partygoers started showing up. So much freely exuded positive energy was more potent than the red wine in my hand.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me along to the nearest shooter girl. I assumed it was to hit on her, but then she thrust an oddly colored shot into my hand. Drinking was one thing but shooting drinks was another.

When I eyed the blue concoction, she leaned in close and said cheerfully, “Here’s to being carefree for a night. Happy Halloween, wolf girl. Bottom’s up!”

She tossed it back like a trooper, and I followed her lead, grimacing in response to the sour taste. I should have known. Leave it to a cat to choose a Sour Puss as her choice of shot. I preferred the wine.

We walked around the lower floor, from one side of the large building to the other. Jez wanted to check out everyone’s costumes and send out her “single girl” radar. I was more than happy to take in the entire place.

I experienced a flash of disappointment when Jez asked a passing waitress to bring us drinks. I wanted to feast my eyes on Shaz again. Seeing him from a distance was an absolute tease. In the back of my mind, I could think about nothing but touching his rock hard body.

We paused on the edge of the dance floor to wait for the waitress to return. The crowd on the dance floor appeared to be having a great time. I was eager to join in.

“Do you think Kale will show up?” Jez asked as she openly admired a tall brunette in a Roman goddess costume. “I invited him.”

I glanced over to where Kylarai was shooting pool with Zak and Julian. From where I stood, I could see bruises marring Julian’s skin. It brought a smile to my face.

“I kind of hope he doesn’t. That wouldn’t go over very well.” I sipped my drink and glared at the lesser wolf, the one that dared to think he could ever be Alpha anything.

When I looked back at my cat-eyed companion, she was giving me a knowing look. “She doesn’t know he kissed you.”

“She doesn’t need to. They’re not together anymore. And, that was personal.”

She clearly didn’t believe that’s all there was to it. “If you say so.”

I had to avoid the temptation to step on her toe as the waitress walked up with our drinks. Jez passed her a twenty, and she put up a hand in refusal.

“I have strict orders from the bar not to let you two pay for anything. I will happily take a tip though.” She beamed and giggled, despite looking uncomfortable dressed as a French maid.

Jez gave her the twenty anyway, making her promise to keep an eye out for us. “Free drinks all night,” she quipped to me. “You must be giving it to that wolf good.”

Her comment warmed my cheeks, and a fire started in my stomach. “Trust me, I am waiting very impatiently to do just that.”

Her musical laughter peeled out like ringing bells. “Come on, let’s hit the dance floor. I have energy to burn.”

Jez was naturally graceful and seemed to move like a willow tree caught in a breeze. Dancing in heels didn’t feel as natural to me as she made it appear. I felt eyes on me and looked up to find a dark-haired pirate giving me the eye. His attention was flattering, but I was grateful when he danced on by. I didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea.

The waitress made good on her promise and came back to us. Despite my higher tolerance, I found myself to be getting quite tipsy. I had to cut back before I did something to embarrass myself in these boots.

After three or four songs passed, my foot developed a cramp, and I begged Jez to use her additional height to find us a table. Miraculously, a couple vacated one nearby almost as soon as we started looking.

I sat down with a sigh of relief after shoving all of the empties to one side. I could see most of the club from where we sat. The stage was in front of us but against the opposite wall. Diagonally to the left was the bar in the center of the room, the staircase behind it and the pool tables to the direct left. The entry and those passing in and out to smoke were between both sides of the room.

Shaz’s hair was visible from a distance but the constant line up at the bar prevented me from getting a good look. I wondered how many girls had already tried to slip him their number.

Jez dug into her tiny purse and pulled out a lipstick and a compact mirror. “This place is really hopping. If Kale doesn’t show up, I’m going to kick his ass. He always misses out.”

I watched her reapply her perfect lipstick without the slightest smudge. No fair. “I just hope he doesn’t go to the Kiss. That place is going to ruin him.”

“No shit. I’ve been telling him for ages to just kill something already and stop torturing himself with that dive.”

We chattered on, watching the activity of those around us. I wasn’t surprised when a fight broke out on the other side of the bar between two drunken fools dressed like Batman and Captain Jack Sparrow. I shook my head at their human foolishness, glad they weren’t my responsibility.

Like usual, Shaz reached them before the bouncers did. It didn’t take him long to separate them. I watched closely, my heart beating out a tense rhythm. No sooner had the bouncers taken over than he beamed a grin my way and headed over.

Jez kicked me lightly under the table and said, “That’s my cue to go chat up that beautiful brunette dressed as Cinderella. I’ll catch up with you later.” With a wink, she clinked her glass against mine and sauntered off.

Shaz’s scent filled my lungs as he approached. I could have breathed it in all night in absolute splendor. He closed the distance between us, kissing the end of my nose lightly. “Give me fifteen minutes, and then meet me by the staircase.”

Before I could reply, he had jogged back to the busy bar. I watched him go, in those butt hugging, leather pants, with a goofy smiled plastered on my face.

Rather than make myself a lone target for the single guys, I figured I would mosey on over to the staircase to wait for Shaz. I was halfway there, carefully picking my way through the crowd when I felt him. My dark vampire had arrived.

Chapter Fourteen

I turned to the front entry, waiting expectantly. Everything that made me more than human was on full alert as that cool, dark power approached.

When Arys emerged from the sea of people lingering near the door, my heart paused and dropped into my feet. I wasn’t sure what I’d done to get so lucky, but as his blue eyes fell on me, I didn’t care. The tingle that swept me with a warm glow woke the power curled up within my core.

I honestly hadn’t expected him to show up in a costume. Not after the comments he’d made about Halloween. So, I was definitely taken aback to see him dressed to the hilt as Johnny Depp’s Sweeney Todd. It couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.

He had the outfit down to a tee. I had never seen him dressed like that. He looked as if he had stepped out of another time.

Desire slammed through me. His hair couldn’t have looked hotter. It was still typically mussed up but with a strategically placed style. Down to the white streak in the front, he had it. He looked sensational.

From the moment his eyes locked on mine, I was frozen in place. Nothing drew his attention from me as the distance separating us fell away.

“You are easily the most heart stopping creature I have ever laid eyes on.” He greeted me, his velvety smooth voice tantalizingly beautiful.

“You’re insanely gorgeous yourself.” I reached up to brush a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe you dressed up.”

He grinned and leaned in to kiss me softly. “Only for you, my precious wolf.”

Everything about him tested my control. The inviting power of our bond enticed me to sink into the pull, to allow it to control us. It was agony to resist.

“I’m glad.” I beamed up at him, my hand clasped in his. It was warmer than usual. That was a good sign. He slid a hand beneath the front of my skirt, stroking it along the edge of my thigh high stocking. The breath was knocked out of me, and I blushed.

“I knew you’d look sensational. I couldn’t come underdressed.” Despite his neutral tone, the heat from his hand on my thigh caused a rush of blood to flood the private place between my legs. I sucked in my breath and quivered uncontrollably. This brought a smile to his lips, revealing fangs.

Between him and Shaz, I wasn’t sure how I could handle this much smoking hot man flesh. I wanted them both with an equal ferocity but for very different reasons. Was that even possible? I forced the thought from my mind, scoffing at the absurdity of it.

I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder, towards the bar where Shaz had gone. “I seem to have my hands full tonight.”

Those entrancing eyes gazed at me with their perfect frame of silky black lashes. “Is that so?” He followed my gaze to the bar before looking back at me. “Do you think you can handle both of us?”

The blush that warmed my cheeks was instant. Only this bold vampire would head down that trail of thought.

“That’s not what I meant,” I laughed nervously and looked away. “Though I can’t say that I wouldn’t love to find out.” It was something that slipped out freely, something I never would have said to Shaz.

I felt Arys studying me, enjoying my discomfort and embarrassment. He leaned in close so that his lips brushed my ear, whispering, “Be careful what you wish for.”

A jolt of electricity slammed through me from where his lips touched me, all the way down my spine. His words were shocking due to the passivity of his tone. There was a lot about Arys that I had yet to understand.

When he pulled back, he wore a strangely disconcerted expression. I felt the shift in his energy as if it had been my own. His instant wariness had me glancing around suspiciously.

“What?” I asked him, a little too fast. I didn’t sense anything amiss. “What do you feel?”

He looked over my shoulder to where Shaz now waited in front of the staircase. A petite redhead dressed like a cop was showing him her handcuffs.

“I’m not sure. Go to your wolf. I’ll come find you.” He was gone in the time it took me to blink, moving rapidly through the crowd in search of something I could neither see nor feel. A chill stole over me in his sudden absence.

I went to Shaz but couldn’t deny the urge to look over my shoulder. The redhead looked up at my approach, vacating promptly when I boldly kissed him full on the lips, sliding my tongue between them.

The passion he kissed me back with matched my own in its fierceness. When he pulled back and gazed deeply into my eyes, the first question out of his mouth was, “Where did Arys go?”

I’d kind of hoped my kiss would have swept the vampire from his thoughts. I was feeling the lively pull of the moon. I’d just have to get his mind to focus on other things.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.” I didn’t hesitate to run my hands over his hard chest the way I wanted to. “So where do you want to go?”

Shaz trailed a hand through my hair, entangling it in his fist. A playful smile danced along his lips. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Here?”

“Here.” I nodded, ignoring the curious looks from those going up and down the stairs. “I just have this ache inside me that I need you to ease.”

Between the moon, the power I shared with Arys and my own wanton desires, I was ready for him. I had been since arriving.

Shaz appeared to consider it. It didn’t take long. “Where would you like to go?”

“Anywhere you want.”

He surveyed the club before saying, “Let’s go out back.”

Honestly, I’d expected more resistance from Shaz. It was clear that the rousing atmosphere was stripping away his inhibitions and riding him hard, too.

He entwined his fingers in mine and pulled me along toward the back exit. Nobody used the exit except for staff. The back door led into a dark alley that just led to another alley and the back of the neighboring buildings.

Outside that door, Arys and I had wiped out a crazed vampiress that had tried to kill me. I used our bonded power to destroy her, forcing the energy into her until her heart burst. That entire scenario had been utter madness, especially since she had been trying to employ my services. She’d wanted me to kill Arys.

I didn’t notice either Ky or Jez as Shaz and I snuck down the long back hall past the washrooms, to the door at the end. I did wonder where Arys ventured off to, but I trusted that he could take care of himself.

I was wild with anticipation when we slipped out into the night. The sudden change in atmosphere was like a slap to the senses. It was so quiet, only a dull roar could be heard from inside. The stars twinkled overhead. The one, lone streetlight stood yards away, casting a pale glow just beneath it.

I allowed Shaz to lead me away from the door to the far edge of the building that was draped in darkness. He pressed my back against the cold brick, taking a dominant role right off the bat. The intrigue that that one action instilled in me was adrenaline inducing.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He gave me one last chance to reject the impromptu setting.

“I can’t believe you have to ask.” I maintained eye contact with him as I ever so slowly lifted the front of my skirt up.

As I revealed more flesh, his eyes darted to my thighs and what lay between. “Forget I asked.”

His first response was to thread a hand into my hair so that he held my head tight, a display of control that thrilled me. His lips immediately sought my throat. The generous erection that he pressed against me was perfectly outlined by the thin leather. The material felt cool and smooth where it touched my bare skin.

When he looked at me again, his eyes were all wolf, and his four fangs made his young face achingly beautiful. His energy was running strong, and I reveled in it. In that moment, it was just the two of us and the moon.

Shaz nuzzled my neck, the tip of his warm tongue darting out to trace the edge of my earlobe. I remembered how Arys’s lips had just been in that same place, and the fire grew within me.

My breath caught as he reached beneath my skirt, hooked his fingers in my thong and dragged it down my legs. After stepping out of it as daintily as I could, I quickly untied the cape and tossed it aside.

The sound of people in the parking lot on the other side of the building carried to us. On our side, it was quiet. Nothing moved but the slightest breeze.

In one swift motion, he picked me up and switched us so that his back was against the wall to support our weight. He had a hand under each of my thighs, and I wrapped my arms around his neck eagerly.

He freed himself from the confining leather pants and slid into me with a slick thrust. I was positioned so that I could move with him as he supported my weight. The excitement of what we were doing and where only added to the overall intensity.

We were directly face to face, almost forced to look into one another’s eyes. And, I loved it. The carnal look in Shaz’s eyes as he buried himself deep inside me was both frightening and enticing. I fell into the mesmerizing pull of his jade orbs as well as the natural rhythm that we had together.

It all felt so natural, like it always did with Shaz. Two wolves and the moon, united. So, the sudden rising of the undead power inside me was both unexpected and surprising.

As Shaz and I moved as one in the dark outside Lucy’s Lounge, I felt Arys. He was close, so very close. Amidst the throes of passion, the awareness did little more than stoke the inferno raging inside me.

My heart raced with the barest trace of fear when I felt those dark blue eyes on us. If Shaz felt it too, he gave no sign. Instead, he kissed me with total abandon.

I knew the exact moment Arys emerged from the dark behind us. Like a ghost, he seemed to materialize from thin air. Because my back was to him, it was Shaz’s face that he looked into.

I watched him as he stared into the vampire behind me. Shaz’s pace slowed but never stopped. I was willing to bet he’d been more aware of Arys’s approach than I thought. The look he wore was challenging, but it lacked menace.

The next thing I knew Arys was just there, his hard body against my back. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous pressed between the two of them. I flashed back to Arys’s question before he left me in the bar. Could I handle both of them? Was it even wise to try?

Part of me fully expected Shaz to withdraw from the situation. But if anything, he liked it. He thrust into me harder, forcing a small cry from me. All the while, he stared over my shoulder at the vampire.

Arys moved slowly, his energy, strong and enthralling. He reached one hand under my thigh, careful not to touch Shaz as he helped to support my weight between the two of them. Shaz looked suspicious, but he also had a curiosity that I could read in his eyes like a book.

With his other hand, Arys reached up to sweep the hair away from my neck. He stroked a finger ever so gently along the sensitive skin beneath my ear. I realized exactly what his intention was then, and my heartbeat thundered inside my head.

The two men shared a look, and I could sense what it was they were not saying. I risked a glance back at Arys. He stared at Shaz with heat in his gaze and more. There was nothing friendly in the look they shared. The rise of power that enveloped us then was enough to force a moan from me. I was amazed to hear Shaz echo it.

As Arys’s lips and tongue touched my neck, I shuddered. I saw my white wolf give the briefest of nods, his eyes locked on the vampire as fangs sunk deep into my flesh.

I let out a pained cry as my blood spilled and the power responded. Though I was tempted to close my eyes, I wanted to watch Shaz’s face.

He stared at the place where Arys’s fangs were embedded in my flesh. There was a combination of horror and intrigue on his youthful features. However, I couldn’t help but notice the renewed intensity of Shaz’s motions.

A trickle of blood began to run down my neck and chest with Shaz’s eyes following it. Arys licked and sucked at the wound, feeding the energy that seemed to captivate us all.

I was hurtling fast toward climax. The sensation of being between the two of them was so extreme I couldn’t believe it was real.

As I’d suspected he wanted to, Shaz gave in to the urge to lick the spilled blood from my chest and collarbone. For the briefest of moments, his head was just inches from the vampire’s. As we all fed off each other, the rush of white noise grew loud around us.

I clung to Shaz as the aftershocks racked me. With one arm, I reached back to Arys, my hand brushing against the side of his face. He promptly placed a kiss in my palm, staining it with a faint bloody smear.

Power hummed around us, cloaking us in a blanket of it. Of all the things I expected to feel right then, the urge to cry wasn’t one of them. Hot tears threatened to fill my eyes as I was overcome by the energy and my own personal emotions. I blinked quickly, but it was too late.

The tears fell to my cheeks, and I saw shock spread across Shaz’s features. He caught a drop on his finger, examining the crimson tear. He knew just as well as anyone that only vampires cry blood tears.

Arys took a step back, bending to gather my things. Shaz lowered me so that I could get steady on my feet again. I tugged my dress into place, smoothing it anxiously. My legs felt like jelly.

“Alexa, are you ok?”

I smiled at my white wolf as Arys draped the cape over my shoulders. That silly wolf worried about me too much. He was high as a kite on my blood and power, and all it took was a few tears to snap him back to reality.

“Yes, Shaz. I promise I am.” I wanted to ask how he felt but didn’t want to put him on the spot in front of Arys.

The vampire stood quietly to one side, observing Shaz but acting as if he weren’t. No sooner had I tied my cape securely than the back door of the Lounge burst open.

Chapter Fifteen

Tawnie stood illuminated in the glow from inside, casting a frantic glance around. It didn’t take long for her to spot our small group huddled in the dark. If there hadn’t been three of us, she may not have noticed us at all.

“Shaz,” she called frantically. “We have a pretty bad fight going on in here. We could use your help.”

“I’ll be right there Tawnie. No worries.”

Shaz’s eyes never left my face as he replied to her. The power that belonged to Arys and I was clearly manipulating him. He’d tasted me both physically and metaphysically, and it had affected him. The dazed expression on his face seemed to overrule his struggle for control. I smiled when he actually gave his head a shake as if to clear it.

Tawnie disappeared back inside. Arys maintained a safe distance as if unsure what to expect from Shaz.

Shaz nuzzled the side of my face as he would in wolf form. “I’ve got to run, but I’ll find you after.”

I didn’t want to let him go, not before the afterglow had begun to fade. He didn’t look at Arys as he made his way to the door though he had to have felt those vampire eyes following him. Knowing the taste and feel of my blood lingered on him drove me crazy with curiosity. I wanted to know what he was feeling.

When we were alone, Arys turned to me with a satisfaction in his eyes that reminded me of the cat with his paws in the fishbowl. I trembled in the breeze as the sweat cooled on my skin. He swept me into his arms in a swift, smooth motion.

“The wolf pup certainly surprised me.” He spoke soothingly, my head tucked beneath his chin. “He is bolder than I ever would have believed.”

“You don’t give him enough credit.”

“He loves you madly.”

Arys’s observation hung heavily as if suspended in the atmosphere around us. It struck me as a strange thing to say just then.

“I know,” I murmured. My hand went to the place on my collarbone where Shaz had licked the blood from me. “I don’t deserve him.”

“Nonsense. You’re both so young with so much yet to experience. Enjoy what you have while you have it. Don’t learn the hard way that there is no time for regrets.”

I pulled back to study his face. He raised an eyebrow and gave me a playful smile, but I wasn’t fooled. He clearly spoke like someone who knew firsthand.

“What’s up with you, Arys?”

“What are you talking about?” He fidgeted then, something extremely uncharacteristic. I tuned into our energy and focused on him, the vibes of his emotions. He was trying to shield what he was feeling from me. I could sense it.

“What’s with the cryptic remark? And, all of a sudden, you’re encouraging my relationship with Shaz. You tend to be very back and forth on that.”

“Yeah well, I’m an asshole. But, I’m also realistic.” He shrugged and held out a hand, playing with the psi ball that rapidly formed. Like always, it was a gaseous vapor swirl of blue and yellow, the color of our energies.

“How realistic?” I laughed when he gave me a dirty look. He dropped the ball, and I felt the energy reach out to us as well as the natural elements before it ceased to be.

“We should get back inside before your lady friends start to think you’ve abandoned them.” With a warm hand, he steered me towards the door.

I didn’t miss the way he scanned the area before turning his back to it. He seemed more alert and wary than usual. I didn’t sense anything when I mentally searched the night around us.

The moment we stepped inside, my senses had to readjust to the volume and the many smells. I winced against the onslaught. All of my senses were heightened after our power play outside. It was a little unbearable.

Before we reached the end of the staff hall, I paused near the ladies room, gesturing for Arys to go on without me. I needed a personal moment to refresh and check on my appearance. I also had a wound that oozed two matching drops of blood.

Thank goodness it was Halloween. With all the fake blood in the building tonight, no one would notice a splash of the authentic stuff. But, the wound looked incredibly real. I’d worn enough to know. I used my hair to hide it as I ducked into the washroom.

It was pretty busy inside. The majority of the stalls were taken, and four girls crowded the mirror. Shit. I recognized one of them right away.

Amanda caught sight of me reflected in the mirror behind her. She was studiously trying to fix fake eyelashes.

“Hey, Alexa!” She called over the noisy din of chattering women. “Great costume. Are you having a good time?”

I smiled at her, but my focus was on grabbing an empty stall and escaping conversation. “Yeah, it’s really pumping out there. How are you? I love the Cleopatra look. Very hot.”

I rushed by before she could stop me, slamming the door of the stall behind me. I willed them all to leave. I didn’t want to come out and get roped into a conversation with Amanda.

The girl is a total sweetheart, but ever since I’d slaughtered her abusive boyfriend, she had developed a strange fascination with me. She didn’t know exactly what I was, but she’d seen enough with her own eyes to know it wasn’t human.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, thinking hard. When I reopened them, the washroom was quiet. Incredible.

When I came back out, no one was there. I couldn’t believe the projected power of my influence had driven them out.

I wasted no time in wetting some paper towel and wiping up the bloodstains on my neck. After washing my hands, I arranged my hair so that the bite couldn’t be seen. It was sore but pleasurable in the raw pain.

There would be no hiding it from Jez or Kylarai. They would smell the fresh wound right away. My face was especially pale, and I pinched my cheeks in an attempt to bring some color back. After a few minor make-up touch ups, I went to brave the teasing and ridicule of my friends.

It took me a minute to pick them out of the mass of people. The crowd had increased in size since I’d gone outside. I could sense Shaz, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Jez’s golden hair stood out on the dance floor where she danced with a couple of girls dressed as naughty angels. Surprisingly, Kylarai was dancing with them. Julian and Zak were still shooting pool across the room. Didn’t they have anything better to do?

I made my way towards Jez and Ky, shaking my head no when a waitress intercepted me. By the time I reached them, they had taken a seat at a nearby table. Jez’s expression was knowing and amused, but Ky looked astonished. I pulled out the chair across from them and sat down, a silly smile on my face.

Kylarai gave me a more pointed, raised eyebrow look. “I’d ask where you were, but I already know.” She smiled and winked before sipping from some ice water.

“What can I say?” I shrugged, trying for casual. “I couldn’t resist.”

“And, so you shouldn’t.” Jez leaned over to nudge me. An approving smile revealed tiny fangs beneath her ruby red lips.

“Where did Arys go? He took off out of here in a hurry.” Ky looked curious, and I frowned in response.

“He just left?”

“Yeah, right before you showed up. Weren’t you with him?”

“I was. I went to the ladies room.” If I thought about Arys hard enough, I could still feel his presence in the vicinity.

A strange sensation began to unravel as I grew suspicious. Where was Arys and what was he up to? He had been acting a little sketchy since he arrived. Something told me I wasn’t paying enough attention. The intensified power running through me was trying to come to the forefront of my mind, trying to make me aware of something.

“Speaking of the ladies room,” Ky interrupted my thoughts. “Is it insanely busy?”

“Not when I left.”

“Good. I’ll be right back.” She grabbed her purse from the tabletop and got up from her chair. She was soon just a green figure among the rest of the crowd.

I scanned the crowd but saw no sign of Arys. I could still feel him when I concentrated, but that didn’t tell me much.

I pushed my chair back with a loud scrape. “I think I’m going to go hunt down Arys. If I miss him and he comes back, tell him I’m looking for him,” I said to Jez.

She waved a hand at me dismissively before sipping from her bright blue drink. “I’ll keep an eye out in case he comes through here.”

Just to be sure, I went around the building once to confirm that he was not inside. I even ran up to the second floor where the atmosphere was more laid back. TVs hung from the ceiling, each playing the same hockey game. My vampire wasn’t up there either. I hadn’t thought so.

Kylarai said she’d seen him leave the building. I didn’t think twice about going outside in search of him.

Exiting the building brought a welcome relief from the noise. The front entrance was packed with people milling about, most of them smoking cigarettes. A small group of girls whined about the cold fall night as I passed. I didn’t find it too bad.

I lingered near the front of the bar for a minute, searching mentally for Arys. I was certain I felt him down the alley to the left of the building, on the way to the parking lot.

That alley intersected with the one at the back of club, where we’d been such a short time ago. Arys was known to sneak away down the alley when luring a victim into his grasp. Though he hadn’t done that as often since we’d become involved.

Despite being drawn to the alley, my gut instinct was telling me to stay away. I was confused and not liking this one bit.

I stared down the dark alley but made no move to venture further. My senses were straining to discover what it was that was eluding me. I could feel it nagging at the back of my mind, something I couldn’t put my finger on.

Feeling like the first ditzy girl to get murdered in a slasher film, I took a few steps down the alley, then a few steps more.

“Arys?” I called, careful not to raise my voice.

I stopped when I had left the safety of the parking lot lights. I looked up at the moon and tried to use its calming serenity to focus harder. I was able to tune out the rest of the night, staring up and seeing only that glowing silver light in the sky.

The energy of everything around me grew more pronounced and I was able to identify everything from the ground beneath my feet to each star overhead. And that’s when I felt him. I sensed the sudden approach behind me and whirled to face the unwelcome vampire.

“You smell absolutely divine.” The melodious voice was rough, yet dangerously attractive.

It caused my stomach to tighten, a wave of nausea sweeping me. I was suddenly breathing too fast. My mind raced with several thoughts at once. I was already defensive, but I couldn’t see an immediate way out of this.

I stared at Harley with horror etched on my features. He grinned, my worst nightmare come to life. I swallowed hard but didn’t dare speak.

“Why so surprised wolf? Surely you’ve been expecting me.”

Chapter Sixteen

“Where’s Arys?” The words just came out. I hadn’t meant to ask.

Harley took a moment to look over my attire, successfully making me feel like a piece of meat. I was silently praying that he was not enjoying what he saw. The slow grin that spread across his face caused my hope to die.

“That’s a great question.” His dark eyes glittered in the moonlight as they bore into me. “You’re bonded to him. How is it that you don’t know?”

I shifted uneasily, knowing I’d never make it far before he caught me. “It doesn’t work that way.” Energy danced along my fingertips, summoned by fear and instinct. Like before, Harley paid it little attention. He didn’t fear me in the least. I wished I could say the same.

“So tell me more about how it works.” He feigned casual very well, crossing his arms over his impressive chest. He wasn’t as well built as Arys or as firm as Shaz, but he could do a lot of physical damage if he wanted to.

“What do you want?” My voice was as shaky as my legs were in my heels. I was regretting my decision to wear them.

Abandoning any semblance of a smile, Harley allowed for a dramatic pause before he said, “You.”

I felt faint, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe. I risked a glance behind me, hoping the entrance to the alley was closer than I remembered it being. He cleared the distance separating us before I could take a step.

I expected a lot of things from him, but a total cheap shot wasn’t one of them. He thrust a rag in my face that reeked of chloroform, and I gagged, trying not to inhale. Eventually the need to breathe won out, and I had no choice but to draw the harsh fumes into my lungs.

Despite how hard I struggled, I couldn’t break free of him. It wasn’t long before the darkness closed in on me.

* * * *

My hands were tied. I was aware of that before my eyes even flickered open. I also knew where I was. The strange, eerie energy of The Wicked Kiss stabbed at me like needles, and I resisted the urge to groan.

I didn’t want to open my eyes, not when I could feel my captor’s heavy gaze on me like a weight. Part of me was hoping that this was all a bad dream and I would open my eyes and be in my bed at home. Fat chance.

There was no point putting off certain death. It was inevitable, right? I finally looked up at Harley, acceptance settling in far too soon. I wasn’t usually one to give in without a fight, but my stomach hurt, and my head pounded from the chloroform.

“If you’re going to kill me, would you at least make it quick?”

He chuckled, drawing my attention to his dark eyes. He looked more amused than anything else. I was confused. What did this crazy ass vampire want with me?

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed. “I’d be a fool to kill such a rare creature as yourself. That would be much like killing a unicorn.”

“Unicorns don’t exist.” I stated, daring to look at my surroundings.

“Exactly.” He let that word hang in the air between us while I absorbed the reality of the situation.

The room we were in was similar to the one where I’d found Kale with its hotel room set up. This one however was twice the size and had a different décor. The carpet was a soft grey, the walls, warm tones of tan accents. Unlike Kale’s room, this one had a full-length sofa and matching easy chair. Wall sconces held candles that flickered away brightly as they were the only source of lighting other than the fire that blazed in a fancy iron fireplace near the sofa and TV.

I was propped against the couch but sitting on the floor. When I glanced down at myself, I noticed that it almost looked as if he had tried to arrange my cape so my underwear wasn’t visible due to my position and short skirt. That was mind-boggling. Was it possible that Harley had a sense of respect after all?

“So what do you want? It must be good if you were willing to take me by force.” I glared hard, uncertain but refusing to let him cow me. Now that I was pretty sure I wasn’t facing immediate death, I was ready to fight.

Harley was sitting at the small two-seat table near the mini bar and the only door in the room. How convenient.

“Honestly, can you blame me for wanting to get a better, more personal look at you?”

“I’m not a fucking museum exhibit.” I spat the words, and he merely smiled. It was beyond aggravating.

“Certainly not.” He stood and approached me, a pocketknife held in one hand. “It’s up to you if I cut the ropes on your wrists or not. I’m not in the mood to play games. Yet.”

I sighed. What choice did I have other than to play along? “Fine. I’ll behave myself. What can I really do anyway?”

“Indeed.”

His approach was slow as if he was trying not to spook a skittish animal. He went down on one knee, knife held ready. I struggled to remain still when I felt the cool steel blade slide between my wrists and the rope that held me.

His close proximity gave me the opportunity to study him. If I had to guess, I’d say he had been mid-forties when changed from human to vampire. He had reached that golden age for men when they start to look better with the onset of years. The lines around his eyes were visible but faint. The hard set to his jaw spoke of more experience in his mortal years than I had had so far in mine. He was astonishingly handsome. But, there was a deep darkness in him. I could feel it like a suffocating blanket, like a spider web I could not shrug off.

When my wrists were free, I sat very still on the floor, waiting for him to move away. Instead, he surprised me by holding a hand out as if to help me to my feet. I stared at his outstretched hand as if it would bite. The look he gave me indicated that I really could trust him not to trick me with something as trivial as a hand up.

Regardless, I chose to ignore his hand and struggled to my feet on my own. I tugged my skirt down and flushed, suddenly wary that he would be aware of my scent. If I thought about it, I could easily smell both Shaz and Arys all over me.

“Here.” Harley strode to the mini bar fridge, pulling a bottled water from inside. “Don’t tell me you don’t need this.”

The bottle was sealed. I was sure it was safe so I accepted it gratefully. My throat was dry, and after the wine I’d drank, I really needed some water. He waited patiently while I soothed my thirst, but I felt the eagerness emanating from him.

It was hard to shake the images I had of him from Arys’s memories. Bloody images of fun-filled torture sessions, his attack on Arys that brought him to the brink of death and back again, all of it swam behind my eyes. I stared at him unflinching, preparing for anything.

“Thank you,” I murmured, indicating the bottle in my hand. I was uneasy and unable to hide it. Of all of the places for me to end up on Halloween, it had to be here with him. What was with my luck?

“How much do you know about me?” His question caught me off guard. It wasn’t what I’d been expecting.

My answer was automatic. “Enough to know that I don’t want to know any more.”

His look became appraising, and I glared in response. I had expected his anger, and the fact that he was enjoying this was driving me crazy.

“I’m afraid you have the advantage over me. I don’t know nearly as much about you as I’d like to.”

“And, what is it that you want to know?” My voice was weak, and I coughed. I wasn’t feeling nearly as on the ball as usual, and it nagged at me. I had to get it together.

There was a long pause as we stared at one another. I could only imagine what kind of a fit Arys would pitch if he knew where I was. He must have noticed I was missing by now.

Harley’s dark eyes sparkled with an evil glint that told me I was about to regret my question. “I want to know if you’re a screamer. I want to know if your blood tastes as good as it smells. And, I would love to know if you would beg me to stop or beg me to bite harder.”

I don’t know what I’d been expecting him to say, but it wasn’t that. The look in his eyes had grown hungry and even though he stood six feet away, I felt like he was too close.

I gaped at him incredulously. I had no words for that. I was filled with terror, something that only fed his fire. Try as I might, I could not force my pounding heart to slow back down to a normal pace.

With nothing more than a blur of motion, Harley had a handful of my hair tight in his fist. My breath caught, but I didn’t shriek like I wanted to. I knew that’s what he wanted. I couldn’t give him that kind of satisfaction.

He exposed the bite on the left side of my neck, and a new panic gripped me. His eyes lit up, and before I had even formed a coherent thought, he leaned in closer, scenting the tender wound.

“He must be hopelessly in love with you.” Those whispered words brought the barest touch of his lips against my skin, and I shuddered. “To be able to stop without draining you dry. Blood this heavenly is so hard to resist and even harder to come by.”

I couldn’t prevent the small shriek that did break free when the moist tip of his tongue touched Arys’s bite. I closed my eyes and prayed that he wouldn’t dare bite me. Against my will, the power rose up inside me as if curious about this close new source of strength. Along with it came the gratifying rush of sexual excitement. It was as unwelcome as it was confusing.

“I can feel him all over you, inside you.” Harley suddenly released me, and I hurried to put distance between us. The way I physically reacted to him wasn’t right. This kind of desire was unnatural.

“Stop that,” I muttered. “Whatever you’re doing, just stop.”

“Come now, Alexa. Surely, you are used to the touch of an incubus vampire. You belong to one.”

Why did I always feel like the perpetual student? “I thought demons were succubus or incubus.”

“What do you think a vampire is, my love? We’re all demons in our own way.” His wicked tone dropped, becoming more physical rather than solely audible. “Some vampires use straight up fear to get the blood and energy pumping for a good feed. Others rush right to the finish, unable to prolong that powerful moment. And, many like myself and those created by me tend to draw out the energy by using sexual influence as well as fear.”

He paced the length of the room near the door, always so close to the door. “If you can withstand the hungers of an insatiable vampire like Arys, then are you more powerful than any other mortal I’ve ever encountered.

“You are young still but I’m amazed you don’t know more about what you are. That explains why you haven’t effectively turned me to dust already.”

“Yeah, well I don’t know a lot of people quite like me. None to be exact.” I shouldn’t have bothered talking to him, but the silence seemed to enhance his eerie qualities.

“Does that make you realize that you possess something that nobody else does? I don’t think you know what you’re capable of.”

I had to agree with him there, but I couldn’t voice the words. In the last few months, I’d learned a lot about my abilities. Clearly, it wasn’t enough.

“You must have some kind of weakness, though,” he continued. The new and darker tone to his voice instantly put me on red alert. “And, finding it is a challenge too good to pass up.”

Anything I said or did would set him off. I could feel it. I stared at him in wide-eyed terror, waiting for him to make a choice. The undead power inside me combined with the power of wolf to fill me as everything in me prepared to fight for my life.

His lips peeled back to reveal fangs. I swallowed hard and braced, expecting an attack. I wasn’t sure if it was possible, but his eyes appeared to be two black pools, beckoning me to fall in.

“You’re supposed to be mine,” he hissed, catching me by surprise. “I was everything to that son of a bitch and all he ever did was punish me for it. He took so much from me.”

“That has nothing to do with me. I wasn’t part of your past with Arys.” The terror was evident in my voice.

One step closer, and then Harley stopped. The hunger in his eyes was hypnotizing. “He loves you, and you are bound to him. It now has everything to do with you. You make him more than a vampire. More than I am.”

I watched Harley take yet another step toward me. He was backing me into the corner between the couch and the bed. As if I were prey. I planted my feet, refusing to move another step.

“Are you going to hurt me then? Is that your big revenge?” Damn my big mouth and quick tongue. Why did I not know when to shut up? I felt the blood drain from my face as instinct told me to brace.

With a ferocious, animal-like sound, he lunged at me. I reacted by blasting him with power that burned my hands with its intensity. He barely raised a hand to deflect it before taking me down so that I hit the floor hard. He was on top of me, trapping me with his weight.

“Can you imagine dying in my arms as I drink your life away?” Harley pinned me effectively and glared down into my face. It was impossible to shield his energy, to prevent it from mingling with mine. A sexual glow enveloped me, and I wanted him to keep talking.

“It would be too easy,” he purred in my ear. I bit my lip to keep quiet as I shook my head furiously from side to side. “Why don’t you give me a challenge, Alexa? Show me what it is that you have with my vampire.”

His reference to Arys was enough to break the spell, and I focused on driving power into him as hard as I could. The force sent him reeling twenty feet or more until his back slammed against the wall near the door. I was on my feet in one leap, following the burst of power with another. As soon as his touch fell away, so did the desire.

His laughter was richly melodic as he regained his composure. My attack hurt him. I could sense it. However, it seemed to drive him at the same time.

I yelped when his power hit me before he did. I was ready for the physical impact, but the metaphysical caught me in a moment of poor preparation.

Harley’s icy hand closed around my throat, and he slapped me hard with the other one. The side of my face stung, and I tasted blood. His eyes were completely insane, like he’d slipped into another state of mind.

“That’s right, wolf. You can’t hurt me. You have power, alright, but I have experience. Something that you are obviously lacking. Anything you throw at me, I can easily use to my own advantage.”

I fought hard, slashing out with a clawed hand. He easily met each of my efforts with one to outdo it. His grip on my throat allowed me to breathe but held me immobile. Panic caused my heart to beat so hard I thought it would burst. My instincts had me fighting for my life, but my every struggle was feeding his fire. Even though I knew this, I couldn’t stop.

“Oh, I can certainly see what made you so appealing to Arys. There is just so much fight in you. Irresistible.” Hooking a foot behind my ankle, he tripped me so that I fell heavily against him. Harley’s arm went around my waist and releasing my throat, he tilted my head to bare my wounded neck.

He leaned down to taste my bitten neck again, and I gagged when the unwanted desire came back with a greater impact. I wanted him so bad physically, but mentally, I knew it was all false.

I moaned in both pain and pleasure when his tongue probed the edges of the wound. I was desperate to make it stop. Right then, I would have rather been dead than loving Harley’s unbidden touch. My power ached to taste his, to draw it into me.

I couldn’t resist as I opened myself up to him metaphysically, drawing in what he was giving off. It was sweet like butterscotch and seemed to coat my insides in warmth. It felt amazing, like a spiritual experience made flesh. And, I hated that I loved it so much.

“Do you feel betrayed by your body, wolf? Does it sicken you that I can command you despite the fact that you are more powerful than I am?”

Through my desire-induced haze, I fought to make sense of what he’d just said. How in the hell could I possibly be more powerful?

I knew that my reaction to him was driving him further into insanity. However, I could not alter the beat of my heart or prevent the flood of fear that claimed me. I was running a series of options though my mind. If worse came to worse, I’d fight as dirty as it gets. And, he’d be sorry he tried this.

My entire body was buzzing with an electrical charge. I was ready for anything. The crazed vampire pulled back, looking down at me with surprise. “My God,” he breathed. “Your eyes … they’re his.”

I didn’t count on the extreme enjoyment that was written all over his face. I was learning very quickly that Harley was the type of guy that would laugh all the way to hell.

“I love it!” He exclaimed enthusiastically. “I never would have dreamed this to be possible. Nothing living should have the kind of power that you have.”

His comment was not so different from what I’d already been told by Arys. The evil shining like a dark light in his eyes made my stomach hurt. Even if I managed to hurt him, it would likely have the opposite effect and would only serve to empower him.

“So I’ve been told. And though I may not know as much as you do, I am always willing to learn through action.” My fingertips sparkled with deep blue energy laced in gold. I knew when I slipped into a different mindset that Arys’s influence was strong in me.

I smiled ruthlessly, waiting for Harley to decide how this was going to play out. Feeling trapped, the wolf in me was fiercely aggravated at his attempt to dominate me.

“Oh, my dear wolf, you surely do coax the hunger within me.” Those dark eyes fixed on the pulse leaping in my throat.

An image flashed through my mind, one from the dream I’d had while at Raoul’s. Oh please no, this couldn’t go down like that. I would force Harley to kill me before I’d let him bond me by blood. I couldn’t let him bite me, anything but that.

I was facing a decision, a reaction to his action. Time seemed to slow down, and I became aware of another undead presence just as Harley turned his attention to the door. I identified Kale’s energy before he called my name. He couldn’t come in here. He’d get us both killed, or worse.

The door burst open with an ear-shattering screech of wood and metal. Kale’s energy was livelier than I had ever seen it when he burst into the room. His different colored eyes were entrancing, and I stared at him in wonder.

Harley waved a hand dismissively and hissed, “This had better be good, Sinclair.” Then to me he said, “Don’t tell me he’s another one of yours.”

I was numb. I stared at Kale, afraid that he had just put himself in very great danger for me. It wasn’t worth it.

“Kale, what are you doing here?”

“Are you alright?” Looking to Harley behind me, Kale strode into the room. “Get the hell away from her.”

Harley barely twitched a hand, but it was enough to take Kale down. He writhed on the floor near my feet, anguished sounds coming from him.

“Stop it!” I stepped between them, attempting an energy wall that I expected to fall flat. It didn’t. It held, effectively stopping Harley’s attack.

Adrenaline crashed through my veins, and I whirled on Harley, fangs bared, a growl rumbling in my throat. “This is between you and me. You want me? Then come and get me, but I’m not going to let you hurt anybody else.”

Harley glanced at Kale as he struggled to his feet. I could feel him analyzing the connection between Kale and I, trying to determine how deep it went. I spoke to Kale but didn’t dare take my eyes from Harley or drop the wall I held strong.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“You know what I’m doing here, Alexa. I’d know your energy anywhere. Are you ok? Did he hurt you?”

Kale began to look me over, blatantly ignoring the other vampire. When he touched me, I couldn’t help but flash back to the kiss we’d shared and a fevered heat stole over me. Harley was smirking as he made a show of dusting off his suit jacket. I was sure I didn’t want to know what he was thinking.

“Kale,” I said breathlessly, pulling away from him before the tension could grow between us. The entire room was filled with way too much vampire energy. It was overwhelming my senses. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Too late.” He shot a dark glare at Harley who laughed wickedly and eyed my barrier. “Where’s Arys?”

“Good question.” Harley piped up. “I notice that he hasn’t come riding in to save you yet.”

“Kale, please.” I shut out Harley’s words, refusing to allow him to get to me. “You have to get out of here. I can handle this. I swear.”

“I’m not leaving you, Alexa. We’re partners, and this is just another dirty vampire to be wiped out.”

Harley quirked an eyebrow in interest at Kale’s words, and I cringed inwardly. “Is that so? Well, I’m sorry to have to disappoint you … friend.”

With a flick of his wrist, Harley destroyed the wall of energy I held steady. He literally jerked the power that fed it, and I stumbled, pained as the sensation became physical. He downed Kale with another powerful blast before stepping over his unconscious form to capture me in his arms.

Harley was done playing around. I cried out as he aggressively bit into my flesh, his fangs sinking deep into my neck just inches from Arys’s bite. It hurt immensely and yet, my body was still flooded with that sexual need for him. Just that easily, I had lost.

Chapter Seventeen

Pleasure flooded me. I clung to Harley as he fed from me, wanting to feel more of him. More pain, more pleasure. My thoughts were dominated with the aching need to have all of him.

As Harley pressed deeper with his fangs, I squirmed against him, unable to fight the amazing sensations. There was a small sense of rationale left in me that urged me to fight back. If only I actually wanted to. The vampire energy in the room was too strong, and it literally swept me away. When he lifted me in his arms and carried me to the bed, I barely even noticed.

I moaned when he placed me on the soft mattress and slipped his fangs from my body. He licked and sucked at the oozing wound as my blood flowed. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him close like a lover.

With one hand, Harley stroked the inside of my thigh, and I shuddered in his embrace. His power called to mine, encouraging it to grow and to envelope us in a heady glow. It was electrifying, and yet it was nothing like anything I’d experienced with Arys. My power didn’t try to bond with Harley’s. Instead, it seemed to roll over and around his energy, tasting and enjoying it, but never becoming one.

He brought his head up to look at me, and my intentions wavered. His eyes were absolutely jet-black, and my blood smeared on his lower lip reminded me that I should be afraid. Very afraid. I was an idiot. I had played right into his hands and proved to be less than a challenge.

“My God, you taste divine.” Harley licked his lip slowly, sensually. He smiled as if intoxicated. I tried to get up, and he pressed me back against the bed with a hand on my chest. “I have to do it, Alexa. I must make you mine.”

His words hit me like a punch in the guts, and I shook my head, confusion slowly becoming clarity as I fought to see through the desire he ignited in me.

“No,” I whispered, struggling to find my voice. I looked to Kale, unconscious on the floor, then back to Harley. “Get off of me.”

“I was hoping you’d fight. In fact, I was counting on it.” Kneeling over me, he pinned my wrists above my head in a move too smooth to have not been practiced. “This is going so much better than I’d anticipated.”

My stomach turned as a wave of nausea hit me. If his intention hadn’t been clear before, it certainly was now. I knew what he wanted, and I couldn’t let it happen. He was going to try to force me into a blood bond. And, if I kept succumbing to the false sensations of pleasure, I wasn’t going to be able to put up a fight.

I tried to tap my power, but I couldn’t maintain focus as I wrestled to free my hands. “You don’t want me, Harley. I am a werewolf, a mated Alpha. I can’t offer you anything.”

“Don’t insult my intelligence, sweetheart. You’re going to take my blood and complete this bond one way or another. I’ve taken more than enough from you. It’s already begun.”

Hot tears stung the back of my eyes as I furiously tried to blink them away. Though I couldn’t recall exactly how I’d gotten myself into this situation, I was pretty sure it had to be my fault.

Harley never took his eyes off me as he raised his wrist to his mouth. He bit into it with a warm, wet sound that both tantalized and horrified me. The scent of his blood almost caused me to salivate as the bloodlust rose up inside me. I licked my lips, the temptation to taste it commanding me to reach for his arm.

Everything inside me that was wolf warred with Arys’s undead needs. The wild animal in me refused to be dominated by this male. Two men could take that role with me, and he was not one of them. The two powerfully opposing sides of me faced off, and I whimpered in confusion.

He brought his bleeding wrist closer, and I leaned as far away as I could. He’d have to drain me to the point of death in order to turn me into a vampire this way, but that wasn’t what he sought. Harley wanted to blood bond me so that Arys never could. And, by doing that, he would seal my fate. Upon my mortal death, I would rise as a vampire, bound to him forever.

The thought truly was worse than death itself. I’d rather he killed me then and there. As badly as I wanted to run my tongue along the bleeding punctures in his wrist, I was wolf first, and that ruled me. I made the decision consciously, and something inside me snapped.

With a snarl, I jerked my bound hands free and sat up with my fists flying. Harley’s head snapped back as I caught him with a mean right hook. He was momentarily stunned, giving me just enough time to roll off the bed as he grabbed for me. I hit the floor hard and scrambled to my feet.

He lunged off the bed at me, blood dripping from his self-inflicted bite. The scent hit me, and my will started to crumble. I wasn’t going to be able to hold out much longer, but I’d be damned if I would go down without one hell of a fight.

My instinct told me to run for the door, but I couldn’t leave Kale behind. Harley threw me into the wall with my head hitting hard. For a moment, I saw stars, and the next thing I knew, he had thrust his bloody arm in my face, filling my nostrils with the intoxicating scent.

I growled and snapped at him, driving him back but just for a moment. He avoided my attack and came at me again, trying to pin me so that I couldn’t move. I couldn’t use metaphysical power, not when he could simply use it against me. I was strong, but he was stronger, and my heart sunk when he caught my right arm and twisted it behind my back.

It was all over for me. When Harley brought his deliciously crimson wrist to my lips, my mind cried out in protest, but the blood hunger swayed my intentions.

Arys was just suddenly there with Shaz at his side. His blue eyes filled with rage as he took in the scene before him. Three strides and he reached Harley, grasping him tightly with both hands and jerking him away from me.

“Alexa! Are you ok?” Shaz smoothed my messy hair back from my face so he could peer into my eyes. I could feel the crazed expression I wore as I gaped at him, wondering if he were real or just a torturous figment of my imagination.

Across the room, Arys had Harley pressed against the wall, gripping him tightly by the lapels of his jacket, letting fly with the shots. Harley didn’t hesitate to retaliate, and I winced when the two vampires collided in a mash of fists and fangs.

“Tell me, Alexa,” Shaz said, giving me a slight shake as I continued to stare over his shoulder at Arys and Harley. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I gasped. “I mean, other than the obvious.”

His eyes narrowed, and he studied the fresh wound in my neck. “He hit you. Don’t deny it because your face is bruised.”

The glance he cast over at Harley was pure venom, and I started to think I’d have to stop him from jumping in. The vampires were on each other like two rabid dogs. I didn’t want to watch, but I couldn’t look away.

When the first blast of metaphysical power was thrown, I felt it in my guts. Every time Arys lashed out, he drew on my power, too, and it felt like a cold fire burning in my core.

They were out of control, each vampire fighting to get leverage over the other. The scent of blood filled the air, thicker now as it mingled with mine. It was empowering, and I embraced the rush that filled me and let my instincts take over.

I had to separate them before they killed each other. I was terrified for Arys, and I wanted this madness to stop. I lashed out with enough force to knock each of them off their feet without serious injury. It happened so fast. They were both abruptly on their asses, staring in confusion.

Blood spilled down the side of Arys’s face from a gash in his eyebrow. It ran down his strong jaw, dripping steadily. Though Harley sported a hell of a shiner, he also carried a natural air of menace and twisted joy. A streak of blood marred his left cheek beneath his eye running to his upper lip. His malicious grin spoke nothing of pain or upset, only anticipatory intent.

With a scathing glance at Arys, he said, “Who invited you?”

“Stick it in your ass, Harley. This is the last time you make trouble for my wolf. I’m ready for you. But, Alexa is off limits.”

There was no mistaking the widening of Harley’s eyes as he took in Arys’s hate filled expression. Was it just me or did fear flash behind his gaze? He dismissed it in a blink, recovering his malicious smile.

“Your wolf?” Harley questioned. “The one that you will not claim?”

I instinctually reached for Shaz’s hand. The action wasn’t missed by Harley who raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Or, could it be that you cannot claim her, because someone else already has?”

When Arys spoke, his tone was low and menacing. I could almost feel the quiver in it as he pleaded with the other vampire. “Please, don’t make me kill you. You know I don’t want to do that.”

Shaz’s predatory stare looked back and forth between Arys and Harley. He was ready for a fight. The intent in his stiff stance and expression was unmistakable. I squeezed his hand, willing him to stay calm.

“You seem to have quite the quaint little ménage à trois going on here. I didn’t realize you liked the beasts so much.” Harley paced casually on his side of my barrier. “If all you wanted was to do a werewolf, we could have explored that centuries ago.”

As Arys and Harley stared at one another, the atmosphere grew painful with the strength of their animosity. I knew there was no way this was going to go smoothly. I was awash with power, instinctually reacting to their unspoken threats.

“If you want to finish this now, then by all means, let’s do so.” Arys’s jaw clenched tightly, and he angrily wiped the blood away from where it ran near his left eye. “I’ve tasted your death for decades. I’m not ready to kill you, but I will do anything to protect her.”

Terror filled me, and I turned to him, ready to beg him to stop this. But, he had eyes only for his sire, and the look in those inky blue orbs chilled me to my very soul.

Harley’s smile had vanished. He now wore a look of utter calm, but it was disturbing in its serenity.

“I am not negotiating with you, Arys. Kill me if you will, but see if I don’t do my damndest to take her down with me.” He nodded in my direction as he spoke.

A growl immediately rumbled in Shaz’s throat, and his body tensed beside me, ready to fly into action. I maintained my hold on his hand, refusing to let him go.

“What do you want with me anyway?” I finally spoke up, hoping to bring a sense of rationale to the situation. “I can’t imagine what I have that you want.”

He stared at me curiously for a long moment until I felt extremely uncomfortable. “No, I don’t suppose you would.” Looking at Arys he added, “You don’t even know what you have here. She is completely wasted on you.”

Arys frowned, assessing the statement. He didn’t seem to know what to make of it any more than I did. “This isn’t the old mine versus yours game, is it? Aren’t we beyond that? I tired of it so long ago.” He looked exasperated, like one dealing with an unreasonable child.

“Everything is a game to you.” Harley began to pace, taunting Arys openly. “Do you even know any other way to play? We both know she’s just the latest in your lengthy history of conquests. And, we both know what happens to those conquests when you’re finished with them.”

I didn’t take my eyes off the finely dressed vampire, noting how he moved. Arys moved in response to him, closing the distance separating them. His fingers danced with energy that was bright gold with only a hint of blue playing around the edge. I felt the power call to me, too, wanting to join through us. I continued to resist, fearing it would push the boundaries of my control.

Even though Shaz couldn’t visibly see the brilliant energy, he immediately reacted to it. There was no way to avoid feeling something so strong. His eyes closed for just a moment, and a shudder caused his body to convulse.

“I’m not here to rehash the good old days with you. I’m here to make sure you never make the mistake of touching Alexa again.” The growl that came from Arys astonished me. I wasn’t the only one. Shaz and Harley wore similar questioning looks, but Harley recovered first.

He appeared absolutely bored and uninterested when he crossed his arms and simply said, “Then, stop me.”

Shaz responded rather than Arys. My heart exploded with adrenaline when he said, “I would love the opportunity to finish you off.” In a move that was not usual for Shaz, he taunted the vampire with a beckoning motion that promised pain. “You dared to force yourself on my mate. You can’t be allowed to think that’s ok.”

The intrigue written all over Harley’s handsome face when he looked at my wolf had me on the defensive. He didn’t seem opposed to the idea of taking on a werewolf.

Was Shaz out of his mind? The thought of my wolf getting physical with Harley was enough to make my skin crawl. The vampire surveyed the room, taking in all three of us. I could almost see the strategic thought process going on inside him.

“So it’s three on one, is it? I thought werewolves were more honorable than that. Though I expect as much from you.” Harley’s eyes shot daggers at Arys who snickered in response.

“No, not three on one. Just me and you.” Shaz took a step toward Harley, and my inner voice cried out in protest.

“Don’t be a fool, kid,” Arys hissed, his eyes darting between the other two men. “You don’t know what kind of monster you’re dealing with.”

Kale groaned and sat up, a hand holding his head. I wondered what Harley had done to him with that shot of power. He gazed up at us, confusion dancing in his brown and blue eyes.

“I’m touched by your heartfelt words … lover.” This from Harley who added a suggestive inflection to his tone. It must have had the desired effect because he grinned when Arys swore. “But seriously, if the kid thinks he can take me…”

“No.” My voice was low, but they all heard it. Shaz’s silence was as good as ignoring me.

“Would you prefer to turn this back into a private party?” Harley smiled widely at me so that his sharp fangs glinted in the dim lighting. “I only want you anyway.”

Shaz stiffened behind me, bracing for action. Knowing it was his only chance, Shaz launched himself at Harley before I could stop him. A sound came from me that was a combination of a cry and a growl.

Harley was poised, ready to meet him. As Shaz sunk claws deep into the vampire’s upper arm, he grappled for the opportunity to use his vicious fangs. With the other hand, he delivered blows so hard and fast I couldn’t keep up. But, Harley had been in tighter spots, and he easily lifted Shaz off his feet, slamming him against the wall.

The bedside lamp shook from the impact and toppled to the cushion of the carpeted floor. The blows never stopped coming from Shaz, and I flinched when one of them connected dead on with the vampire’s lower jaw. The resulting crunch sent a shiver down my spine.

Arys wasted no time leaping into the fight. He tried to get between them, but they were so intent on each other that it was impossible. Harley barely glanced at Arys as he threw power into him. My dark vampire was on his ass across the room in an instant.

Kale was suddenly behind me, a hand on my elbow as he held me back. “Don’t jump in there, Alexa. It will only make things worse.” I stared at him, wanting to ignore him but knowing that he was right.

Shaz’s enraged wolf sounds filled the room. Blood ran from a slash in Harley’s throat. Shaz was fighting full out. No sign of human thought flickered in his enraged eyes as he fought for his kill.

I watched in horror as everything seemed to slow down like a sports replay. Despite the illusion, it all happened so fast. The power in the room rode us all, but it drove those that embraced it.

The two of them were face to face, locked into a violent embrace. As close as lovers, Harley and Shaz were engaged in a battle for the other’s blood. They each struggled to gain a stronghold.

Blood sprayed as Shaz took a hit when Harley had caught him off guard. Red rivulets ran down his chin from his split lip. It seemed to fuel him, and he unleashed on the vampire with a flurry of shots that had Harley on the defense.

It only took one flaw in Shaz’s attack for Harley to gain that split second edge he was seeking. I saw it coming, and I was powerless to stop it.

Harley feinted left, lingering long enough for Shaz to make a counter move. The moment he did, Harley attacked from the right and scored a clear shot on Shaz’s unguarded throat.

I didn’t breathe as I watched his fangs pierce the creamy white flesh of my mate. The wolf in me cried out in a savage roar, rising up to break free. Shaz struggled against him, but it was too late now that the vampire had sunk fangs.

As he sucked the lifeblood from my white wolf, I focused hard and tapped the waiting power in my core. It came forth in a mad rush, victorious as I set it free and relinquished my hold. The sensations had me gasping as my veins burned with a heat that grew hotter. It quickly became painful, but once I directed it, the pain was pleasure.

From deep inside a memory came, playing behind my eyes. I simply drew on the pained memories Arys had of Harley to inflict pain on him. It was a matter of projecting the thought through the power.

I pushed that sensation into him with everything I had in me. My concentration was easy to maintain, taking far less effort than the last time I did something this extreme.

He let out a noise of pain and frustration but did not release his hold on Shaz. He tried to shield against me, a resistance forming that had me struggling to call more power.

Arys stood nearby calling my name, clearly unwilling to touch me and feed my fire. That was fine. I could do this without physically touching him. I had all I needed inside me.

I was moving before I knew what I was doing. The force behind my action sent me hurdling into Harley. I could do nothing that would physically move him. One wrong move would turn those punctures into a gaping hole. So, even though my wolf side wanted to take Harley apart in little bits, instead I grasped his hand tightly. The physical contact connected me to him in a deeper way, and I punched through his shield without a problem. It was like putting my mental hand through an open window.

I knew I was smiling as I pushed everything I had inside me into Harley. It burned as it rushed through my fingertips, out of me and through his cool, undead form. I groaned from the exertion and fought to stay on my feet as the power swirled and roared all around me.

With a loud wail, Harley released his hold on Shaz and jerked away from me so hard I stumbled. His head in his hands, he went to his knees a few feet away. I made as if to pursue him to continue my assault. Arys was suddenly there, sweeping me off my feet with an arm around my waist, pulling me away.

“Alexa, no. I can’t let you kill him. See to your wolf.” He gave me a push towards Shaz who was slumped against the wall with a hand pressed to his bleeding neck.

Though I was ticked at my vampire’s interference, it wasn’t hard to turn my attention to Shaz. I dropped to my knees before him and pulled his hand from the bloody punctures. He didn’t resist me, letting his hand fall away. The bite was deep, as bad as it could be.

Shaz fixed me with a brilliant green stare. “I could taste his death. It was mine.”

“Have you lost your mind?” I stared at the wound, careful not to let my feelings show on my face. It was nasty, pumping the blood out in accordance with the beat of his heart. “You’ve got to calm down, babe. Please. There’s a lot of blood.”

It wouldn’t take much to heal a wound like that, but if he didn’t calm down, it was going to bleed out.

“I’m not going to die on you. I promise.” He reached to touch my face, streaking blood along my cheek in the process. “It will never be that easy to leave you.”

“Don’t talk about leaving me. We’re going home. You need to shift.” I tugged at what remained of his clothing. Shifting would speed the healing process, and near the full moon, that would be even more effective.

He didn’t fight my attempt to unclothe him. His eyes rolled from me to where Arys stood over Harley who continued to howl like a wounded animal. I wrapped my hand around Shaz’s forearm and pulled him to his feet.

“You know I love you, right?” He tried to give me his amazing grin, but it was pained and said more to me than he would ever admit.

“Is that why you dared to get yourself slaughtered? He isn’t worth it. I need you. Alive.”

Shaz was so far gone already. It was eating him alive to resist the natural pull to be wolf. His eyes shone with pain that echoed inside me.

“Shift dammit! You need to. I’m getting us out of here.”

I turned to find Arys hovering over his injured sire. To my utter surprise, he held Harley’s face cupped tenderly in his hands. As I stared in wonder at the two vampires, Shaz was a burst of white fur beside me. I really hoped I wouldn’t have to restrain him. In that form, he had a very distinct weight advantage over me.

A long, angry growl rumbled from his chest, but he didn’t move. I reached a tentative hand out to touch his resilient yet impossibly soft fur. His cold, wet nose nuzzled my palm as if assuring me that he was calm enough, but the low growl never ceased.

A small bloodstain stood out on his shaggy white coat but already the flow from the vampire bite eased. Without doubt, he would be fine.

“Arys?” I spoke softly, aware that his focus was elsewhere.

With Arys gazing deep into his eyes, Harley grew calm. His cries stopped, and I knew Arys was doing that soothing thing that he did so well with me on occasion. In addition to the rush of power enveloping us, the calm emotion was somehow lulling.

I watched, curiosity silencing me, as Arys leaned in so close I thought he was going to kiss the other vampire. Inches away, his lips moved. He spoke so low that even with my enhanced hearing I had to strain to make out the words.

“Never again will I stop her. Next time, you die. And, though a part of me loves you still in some perverse way, I will have no regrets.” And then, he did kiss Harley. The barest brush of lips so brief I had to question if it had been imagined.

Kale stood a few feet away, watching silently. He was an amazing friend. It’s too bad that Kylarai hadn’t been able to love him the way he needed.

When Arys rose to his full height, there was no missing the red tears that filled his blue eyes. I realized more had just passed between them than I was really aware of. Harley never budged from where he knelt. His head bowed and hands clasped, he seemed to be awaiting our exit.

In just a matter of mere moments, the entire dynamic had shifted. When a crimson tear hit the carpet, I took an involuntary step backwards, into Shaz. Ignoring Shaz’s noise of protest, I grabbed my purse and pushed him toward the door. Kale followed with soundless footsteps. The hallway beyond remained eerily quiet.

Of all of the things I wanted to bear witness to right then, Harley Kayson in emotional distress was not one of them. I was simply too sensitive tonight, and I hated him. I couldn’t allow myself to be swayed by his much deserved personal torment. I wanted him to suffer.

When I stood framed in the doorway, I looked back over my shoulder. Each vampire remained as I’d left him.

A strange energy tickled along the back of my neck. The feeling was unexplainable, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“I want her, Sindarys.” There was a noticeable tremor in Harley’s low voice. “And, you owe me. What’s one werewolf to you?” His words ignited the fire in Shaz, and I had to throw my arms around his neck to keep him from barreling back in there.

The chill that ran through me at Harley’s calmly spoken words almost hurt. I didn’t like being spoken of like a possession. An object. A power source.

“You never learn, do you my friend?” Arys’s reaction was nothing like Shaz’s. He merely regarded Harley with a look filled with scorn and pity. “I’m sorry it always has to be this way.”

He wanted to say something else. I could feel it. With a glance at Shaz and me in the doorway, he shrugged his wide shoulders and turned his back on the vampire that made him.

Chapter Eighteen

The sound of water running upstairs was the only noise in the large house. Shaz had gone to clean up, leaving me alone with Arys. We sat on the bed in the guest room downstairs. After calling Kylarai and Jez to tell them I was alive and at Raoul’s with the guys, I had gratefully kicked off my painful boots.

Worry nagged at the forefront of my mind. The entire trip home, I had been plagued with anxiety and questions. So many questions. What was I supposed to do now? I was a vulnerable, tasty power source with no true protection from a vampire powerful enough to force me into submission. Harley was that powerful. And, how many others?

If he didn’t come for me again, which I knew he would, then who would be next? A chill shot down my spine, painful in its intensity. I had to make a choice. One that would enable me the protection that I currently lacked. It was just so huge. It was my whole life. I didn’t know what to do. I’d never felt so lost.

I didn’t have any clothes at Raoul’s so I had been forced to settle for one of his robes. Arys had fetched it from the bedroom closet. I still wasn’t comfortable going into his bedroom. The robe smelled faintly of Raoul, but it was soft and cozy so I snuggled into it anyway. After leaving The Wicked Kiss, I had just wanted to be here, in this house. It felt right.

Arys sat close but not quite close enough to touch. He was kicking himself, guilt riding him hard as he blamed himself for what Harley had done tonight. Try as I might, I could do nothing to console him.

“I wish you would stop being so hard on yourself,” I said, reaching to touch a bruise near his eye. “None of this is your fault.”

He gave me a studious look, long and hard. “And, I wish that you would start being a little harder on me. When did you get so soft, Alexa? You’re usually such a hard ass.”

I frowned and pursed my lips. “Thanks, I think. But, I’m serious.”

“Yeah, so am I. He hurt you and your wolf. Because of me.”

A sound in the hallway caught our attention as Shaz rounded the corner. He paused in the entry, an anxious look on his beautiful face. I hadn’t noticed the water in the shower had turned off.

He was clad in only a pair of grey track pants from a stash in Raoul’s bottom dresser drawer. His skin was exceptionally white, making the vampire bite stand out starkly red in contrast along with the facial cuts and bruises from fighting. The mess of white hair on his head stood up in every direction. I found it as endearing as it was sexy.

I held a hand out to him, beckoning him to come to me. After a fleeting look at each of us, he slowly made his way across the room. Going down on his knees before us, he threw his arms around my waist and put his head in my lap.

A glance at Arys revealed a mask of guilt where his enticing grin should have been. His eyes were fixated on Shaz, and for once, there was no animosity behind them. Call me crazy, but I got the strangest feeling then that the vampire had the urge to touch the head of soft platinum hair resting on my thighs.

The moment should have been awkward, and I kept expecting it to be. Yet, it wasn’t. It felt strangely peaceful despite the fact that we all seemed to be waiting for the weirdness.

I stroked the side of Shaz’s face as I scrutinized the cuts and bruises from his round with Harley. It could have been much worse, but he still looked pretty damn rough. Arys sat tensely beside me. Arys broke the silence first.

“I should have let you kill him, Alexa.” Regret, so much regret, filled Arys, and there was nothing I could do to ease that ache.

“No, you shouldn’t have. You have your reasons, and you don’t owe me any explanations.”

“He’s right, Lex,” Shaz’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible. “He shouldn’t have stopped you.”

I opened my mouth to protest but was interrupted by Arys’s velvet smooth chuckle. “This is one time I agree with you whole heartedly, wolf. Let’s make a note of it. It may be the only time.”

To my surprise, Shaz laughed lightly, and there was a strange sense of camaraderie between them. I was reminded that they’d obviously had their time alone together lately while saving my ass … twice.

Arys shifted closer on the bed so that he could slip an arm around me. The touch of both my wolf and my vampire brought forth a flurry of memories as I flashed back to the sensation of both of their hands on me in the same moment. I flushed with heat and prayed neither of them would notice.

“I’m sorry,” Arys said before daring to briefly lay his free hand on Shaz’s bare shoulder. “I know it’s my fault for what he did to each of you. There is no excuse for what happened tonight.”

At first, Shaz was silent, and I assumed he was trying to keep quiet because he had nothing nice to say to that. I leaned into Arys, resting my head against his.

“Nobody is blaming you for Harley’s actions, Arys. He is his own person. Albeit, a disgusting and pathetic excuse for one.”

“It’s over,” Shaz said then, lifting his head to meet the vampire’s gaze. “Let’s just call it water under the bridge.”

Something passed between them, and I started to feel like I was the odd one out. Then Arys simply gave a nod of his dark head, and that was that.

“If I don’t get out of here, I’m never going to beat the sun.” His arm tightened around my waist as I ran my fingers through Shaz’s tousled hair. “But, I don’t want to leave your side.”

I didn’t want him to go either. The tightness in my gut made me never want to allow either of them out of my sight again. How unfortunately unrealistic.

“Then stay.” The words just kind of fell out of me before I could censor them. “I mean, you don’t have to go. You’re safe here.”

He seemed to consider this while I felt awkward and silly. Shaz remained expressionless, waiting for Arys’s reply. They stared at one another, and I realized Arys was awaiting the white wolf’s permission. Uncanny.

My throat was dry, and it hurt when I swallowed. I didn’t notice that I was holding my breath until Shaz spoke.

“You’re more than welcome to stay with us.”

As I exhaled, I was awash with relief. I’d been worried Shaz would leave if Arys stayed. I didn’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but I couldn’t choose between them, either.

The sudden change in their behavior had me on edge. It wasn’t normal. I think I preferred them to be at one another’s throats. At least it was expected.

Needing a moment alone, I excused myself to the washroom to step into a hot shower. I needed to wash the remnants of Harley from my skin. The shower was heavenly. I easily got caught up in the relaxing sensations as the hot water beat against me. However, there was no forgetting that my two lovers both awaited my return.

Upon exiting the shower, I took a moment to scrutinize my injuries in the mirror. Arys’s was perfectly formed and not too deep. It barely hurt. The one Harley had left on me burned. It wouldn’t take long to heal, but in the meantime, it hurt.

I couldn’t help but think about Harley’s assault. Being blood bonded to Arys may have prevented the entire scenario. Since it had first come up, I didn’t pay it much thought. Now, I knew it was something I seriously had to consider. It was all I could think about.

The scent of fresh coffee reached me as soon as I left the bathroom. Shaz must have known how bad I’d be needing a caffeine fix. I wandered down the stairs, listening to the sound of two male voices low in discussion. I shook my head in amazement when I detected no trace of animosity in either.

They each looked at me when I re-entered the guest bedroom. Shaz leaned against the dresser with a coffee cup in hand and another on top of the dresser, which he quickly handed over. Arys lounged on the end of the bed. I gave them each a suspicious glance as I accepted the cup of steaming hot java. Precious caffeine.

I was nervous, and try as I might, I couldn’t it from either of them. Did they share a smirk, or was that just my mind running away with me? The approach of dawn instilled an anxiety in me like no other.

“How are you feeling, Alexa? You look pale.” Arys’s lips twisted as he tried to hide a smile. “And you smell like frightened prey.”

“Thanks.” I flashed him a middle finger before sipping from my coffee. “I wonder why that might be.”

“If you’re worried about the sleeping arrangements, I have no problem crashing in the living room.” Shaz looked dead serious, but the glint in his eye indicated that he was teasing.

I tilted my head to one side, appraising him studiously. “Is that what you would prefer, my love?”

The blush that colored his cheeks and sped up his heart rate made me laugh. I raised an eyebrow though when he boldly stated, “Of course not.”

“Then I guess we’d better get settled in.” Arys beamed a sexy smile at me, and my pulse hammered in my veins. He’d abandoned his suit jacket and shirt and began to unfasten his pants. I was left standing there staring at Shaz. I’m sure our anxious expressions matched.

I wanted to ask him again if he was sure about this, but before I could, he raised a finger in warning. “Let’s just get some sleep, ok? Whatever you’re about to say, don’t say it.”

Arys smirked but said nothing. I nodded. I got it. Shaz didn’t want to make this any weirder than it was by talking about it. And, after what happened outside Lucy’s Lounge, this shouldn’t be all that panic inducing.

“Fine,” I said. “But, if you feel uncomfortable-,”

Shaz grasped my hand and pulled me along with him towards the bed, almost causing my coffee to spill. The wicked grin plastered on Arys’s face revealed fangs and sent a shock of excitement to my nether regions. Shaz nudged me from behind, causing me to notice that I’d stopped moving. I took a shaky step, feeling like my legs would buckle before I made it any further.

“Is there a reason why you’re looking at me like you’ve just caught a snack unawares?” I gave Arys a dirty look when his smile became a sexy laugh.

“Possibly. Is there a reason why you look like a nervous virgin on her wedding night?”

“Perhaps.” I approached the bed, setting my coffee down on the nightstand while double-checking that my robe was tightly secured. “Don’t try any funny stuff, mister. If you freak Shaz out-,”

Arys reached out in blur of motion, grabbing me and pulling me down on the bed with him. He rolled me so that I was beneath him, his bare chest pressed to the front of my robe. I gave a little squeal as he did so.

“Is it really Shaz you’re worried about? Or is it you?” He nibbled my bottom lip ever so lightly. “Because something tells me that your wolf is probably more game than you realize.”

Shaz coughed lightly, drawing our attention to him. He stood beside the bed, a strange smile playing along his lips. “Actually,” he began, his expression growing serious. “I do have something I want to say, to both of you.”

Uh oh, I thought. Here it comes. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from Shaz, but it was not at all what came next. Setting his coffee down on the night table, he sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. Arys let me up so that I could face Shaz, my heart in my throat as I expected some kind of bad news. Clearing his throat, Shaz took a deep breath and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

“Lex, I think that you should let Arys blood bond you.”

Chapter Nineteen

Shaz paused, allowing the meaning of his words to sink in. My jaw dropped, and I gawked at him incredulously. “Have you lost your mind? Is this a joke? No, forget I asked. You have to have lost your mind.”

He gave me a small smile, as if he’d expected my reaction. “No joke, babe. I’m dead serious. You’re clearly not safe anymore, and it will protect you from Harley and anyone else like him.”

I turned on Arys, glaring hard. “Was this your idea? Manipulate Shaz into your way of thinking so you can make me more of a vampire than I already am?”

“Of course not!” Arys’s blue eyes widened, and he drew back, shock written all over his face. “I didn’t know what the hell he was going to say.”

“Lex,” Shaz gave an exasperated sigh and reached to take my hand in his. “This is all me. Look, I know that there is a side of you that is all wolf and all mine. I cherish it more than I could ever express. But, we all know there is a part of you that has never been human or wolf. A part that is closer to vampire than anything else. It just makes sense.”

“It would join her to me forever,” Arys interjected, forcing Shaz to meet his piercing gaze. “Beyond death, she would rise again. Do you understand that, wolf?”

Shaz looked down at the floor, and I noticed that his lower lip trembled ever so slightly. My heart broke and I gravitated closer to him. He fixed Arys with intense green wolf eyes. “I do. That’s why I’m saying this.” To me, he added, “It’s your choice. Imagine what could have happened tonight if Harley had been the one. I just … I fear for you.”

Arys shifted uncomfortably, and I knew that he agreed, despite what he had said before about not wanting to be the one to take my mortality away. I looked back and forth between the two of them. It became clear to me why neither of them wanted to tell me what they’d talked about the night I was attacked in the park. They had talked about this very moment. Without me.

It stung in strange places. Not that I planned to admit it to them. I avoided eye contact with either man by picking compulsively at the fluffy bedspread. Of course, I couldn’t really hold it against them for discussing my well-being. But, I was anyway, just a little.

I didn’t want to be bound to Harley, but the real question was about my mortality. There was definitely an advantage to being able to die twice, but to live as a vampire, for God knows how long, could I face that? Did I want to?

When Arys looked at me, I saw fear lurking in the depths of his ocean eyes. “I don’t want to influence your decision in any way. It has to be entirely up to you. I’m afraid that Harley will never give up his infatuation with having you for himself. Not if he feels he’s entitled to you.”

I couldn’t help but remember the sensation of Harley’s hands upon me and then his fangs. I had been unable to defend myself. I’d been helpless, and as I recalled how it had felt, I knew I could never allow Harley or anyone else to put me in that position again.

He had enlightened me to one thing though, I had to get more comfortable with my power and learn how to use it to the fullest extent. Harley had so much on me in that regard.

“Would you really want that, Arys? To be blood bound to me until one of us finally bites it?”

It was a crude way of saying things, but I was an anxious ball of nerves. I hadn’t realized I could be faced with a choice like this, at least, not so soon. After tonight with Harley, I couldn’t escape making a decision.

Arys’s voice was softer than I’d ever heard it. “You know I do.”

Shaz sat stiffly beside us. He didn’t seem at all put off by the vampire’s admittance. Worry and love emanated from him, and again, I wondered how I had gotten so lucky to have someone like him in my life.

I could see Harley in my mind, his fangs sunk into my white wolf. Shaz was Alpha now, and I knew he was everything that meant and more. I had to accept that Shaz was as much a part of the supernatural and its dangers as I was. Doing this would be good for all of us. It wasn’t just about me.

“I said what I had to say. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Shaz pulled me close, pressing the warmest kiss to my lips. The love that filled me was unlike anything I’d ever known, and the power of it brought tears to my eyes. A few spilled over before I could blink them away, and I quickly wiped at them.

“I’m not upset. I’m just overwhelmed by the affection you have for me.” I smiled and kissed him back with the intensity of what I was feeling. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. Ever since Harley told me there would be others coming for me … I think I should do it. Now. Tonight.”

Arys looked up sharply, a combination of fear and relief in his eyes. “Are you sure? You should take some time to think it through.”

Shaking my head, I forced back any second thoughts before they could infect me. “He won’t stop, and there will be others. We started this Arys, and we have to maintain it. I want to do what I have to, to protect ourselves and everyone in our lives. Let’s do it … now.”

Arys was a total fit of nerves, and I couldn’t help but vibe off him. His energy tickled me so that I wanted to scratch, but the feeling went beyond the physical surface of my skin.

I frowned in uncertainty. “Arys? This choice is yours, too. You don’t have to do this if you’re having doubts. We’re only bound by power. We don’t have to come full circle and make it blood and body as well.” It wasn’t like Arys to show this type of anxiety. He was always so cool and pulled together.

“Oh, I’m not having any doubts.” The surprised expression on his handsome face had me shaking my head in wonder. “I’ve never wanted any creature the way I want you, Alexa. It’s my control I’m worried about. I don’t want to kill you.”

I couldn’t have been any more astounded. Shocked didn’t begin to describe what his words made me feel. I had no control over the sudden increase in my heart rate. “Excuse me?”

His face was a mask of anguish. “The blood bond is so much deeper than anything we’ve ever done before. It’s called the wicked kiss for a reason, Alexa. I don’t trust myself to stop if I take it too far.” He gazed down into my eyes, and I saw the predator in him, the one I had seen every time I looked at him before we’d become intimate.

Was I so blinded by lust and power that I had failed to remember that he was a vampire? A killer. When had I stopped fearing him?

“Why are you afraid?” Arys asked with concern in his voice, but there was a new hunger in his eyes. Shaz was silent, but I knew he was watching us with a keen awareness.

“I’m not.” I had to force myself to meet his eyes. “I mean, I don’t know. I think I just realized that even though there’s something between us, you’re still a vampire.”

He chuckled, a soothing sound that manipulated my fear into excitement. “That’s what you love about me. The ruthless killer … the darkness. You need that in a lover, because it’s what you are.”

His comment left me unsettled. Shaz stirred uneasily, and I flushed, hating the side of me that went beyond a natural predator. Capturing my hand in his larger warm one, Shaz turned to Arys. “Once you do this, there is no way that he can bind her. Right?”

The vampire stared at Shaz until he appeared uncomfortable. Then he gave a slight nod. “She will be mine, and no other vampire can bind her.”

“Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming?” I asked, watching Arys. His strange mood piqued my interest.

“But,” he flashed a smile at me that made my knees weak. “You will still be a mortal werewolf with more power than you know what to do with, and therefore, still a target. And, don’t forget, my love; we will be bonded on every level, not just metaphysically. Mind and body will also be bound in many ways, some of which are unknown to me. I’ve never bound any mortal.”

I touched Shaz’s face, forcing him to meet my eyes. “Are you completely sure of how you feel about this?”

“No,” he admitted, chewing nervously on his lower lip. “It’s not easy for me to be part of this, but this isn’t about making me comfortable. This is about what’s best for you. And, as much as it does kill me a little, I’m a nervous wreck knowing the kind of danger you’re in.” He glared in Arys’s direction then, and I realized he blamed him for Harley’s intentions. Of course he did.

Arys returned the dark look with one that was carefully neutral. So, their fragile understanding had dissolved. That didn’t take long. Was it wrong that I preferred that?

My discomfort grew when neither of them broke eye contact. The negative energy grew thick with animosity. As if this wasn’t already difficult enough.

“Is there something that you’d like to say, Shaz?” Arys’s voice was low, menacing.

Shaz gave his platinum head a shake. “It’s already been said.”

“This is never going to end, is it?” I asked, looking back and forth between them.

With a toss of his head, Shaz assumed a casual expression. Feigned nonchalance wasn’t one of his strong suits, and I wasn’t buying it. “It’s all good, Lex. This is about you, not us.”

Arys sat back against the headboard with his arms crossed, glowering at nobody in particular. “Don’t let me kill her,” he said suddenly. “I’ve never had to stop myself before. I’ve never wanted to. This won’t be easy.”

The silence was heavy, and the atmosphere, thick with tension. Shaz looked at me so hard with so much emotion in his jade eyes that I started to come apart inside. He would go to the ends of the earth for me. I felt it, without a doubt when he replied, “Not a problem. I assume that means I can do whatever it takes, if it comes to that.”

Shaz gave me a wink and a grin, which was missed by Arys, who frowned. “Of course. No cheap shots, wolf.”

I was calmer than I should have been with the stimulating sensation of each man’s high-strung energy assaulting my senses. This was something I had to do. I grew more certain of it with every passing moment.

Arys moved quickly, jerking me up against his hard chest. I gasped and adrenaline crashed through my veins. “Listen closely to her heart,” Arys told Shaz. “It will be your guide. Don’t let it grow too faint before you stop me. She can take more than a human, but it’s hard to say how much more. She’s already lost a fair amount of blood.” He peered at both of us through those midnight eyes. The hunger already filled him as the bloodlust fought for control.

Shaz flashed him a dirty look. “I’m not going to let her die. Not unless you intend to kill me first.”

Oh, that was just what I wanted to hear before putting myself completely into their hands. I needed to be able to trust both of them to hold it together. “Do you think you guys could lip each other off after we do this, when I’m not dead?”

“Sorry, Lex.” Shaz shifted so that he was closer to us, almost touching. His pure werewolf energy was calming.

I looked up at Arys, expecting him to ease me into this. I had no second thoughts. I just wanted it over. When he gazed down upon me, I felt more like food than I ever had before, including when walking into The Wicked Kiss. The anticipation of feasting upon my blood was quickly stripping his control away. It was that awareness that instilled the first trace of true terror within me.

I struggled to control my breathing as the adrenaline flooded me. Fear would drive him harder and faster, and yet, knowing that made me that much more afraid.

“Ready?” One word, one chance to turn back. At my stiff nod, he tilted my head to reveal the smooth, unbitten side of my neck. Physically, I felt pretty good after my encounter with Harley though I was reluctant to find out how much more I could take.

Had I expected Arys to hesitate? Possibly. What I hadn’t expected was the rough way he grasped my upper arms, holding me immobile. I couldn’t even open my mouth to complain before his mouth was on my skin, his fangs plunging deep.

My blood spilled, and a strangled cry filled the room that I vaguely knew was me. It was nothing like it had ever been when he’d fed from me during our lovemaking. This was pure agony. Every vein and artery in my body seemed to seize as he pulled my blood into him. I went cold inside, the chill forming in my core spread throughout my limbs.

I never could have imagined what being Arys’s victim truly meant. Not until that moment. With his razor sharp fangs buried in my flesh and the intent to drain me, I had never feared him so thoroughly.

I heard Shaz’s voice, but it sounded fuzzy and far away. He didn’t make the mistake of intervening, instead watching helplessly as my vampire lover sucked me dry right before his very eyes.

Arys held me tightly to him. A low groan reverberated in his throat as he pulled hard at the wound. A jolt of searing hot pain burned through me, and as instinct kicked in, I struggled against him. He forced me back so that I lay flat on the bed and ground his fangs deeper until I thought that the pain would surely kill me before the blood loss did.

When he withdrew his fangs to let the blood rush freely against his tongue, I convulsed and shuddered amidst the sudden pull of power blanketing us. It rose up like a thunderstorm, crashing over us. Even as he stole my life source, our bond was as strong as ever.

The room began to spin, and I had to close my eyes as a wave of nausea threatened me. Every second brought me closer to certain death. I could feel it. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

The audible beat of my heart grew louder in my ears until it was all I could hear. Though I physically struggled uselessly beneath Arys, our power seemed to dance all around us. I knew Shaz was reacting to it when he reached to touch us both. One hand gripped Arys’s forearm, ready to drag him off me. The other stroked a few long blonde tendrils that streamed out on the bed spread behind me.

I wanted to beg Arys to stop, but the words wouldn’t form properly. All I could do was gasp for breath amid the pain. Forcing my eyes open, I was saddened to see that Shaz’s face reflected my anguish. I saw his lips move but couldn’t make sense of what he was saying.

It wasn’t long before I was too weak to do more than listen to my heart slow. That’s when everything went from slow motion to full speed ahead. Shaz jumped like he’d been electrocuted. He grabbed Arys and threw him in one solid motion. The sound of his body hitting the opposite wall caused a reverberation throughout the house.

My eyes rolled back in my head, and I battled to maintain my focus. Arys came back at Shaz fast, instinct driving him. Shaz was ready though, delivering a body slam that had Arys on the floor blinking up at him in shock.

“Finish this!” Shaz reached to drag him up, and Arys smacked him away. “Finish this now, before it’s too late!”

I tried to roll over onto my side, and the exertion caused me to cough raggedly. It was enough to draw their attention to me. I couldn’t move, try as I might. Everything was slowing inside me, and I was terrified, not that I would die, but that I would die here with each of them watching.

Arys was at my side in an instant, offering his wrist to me. “Take my blood, Alexa. You must.” When I simply stared transfixed at the smooth alabaster skin, he grew panicked. “If you come any closer to death, you will rise as a vampire a lot sooner than intended. Or just be another victim.” His voice broke on the last word, and his unusual display of emotion was enough to break through the fog that clouded my brain.

When the bloodlust hit me, it was with full force. I had no physical strength to resist. I didn’t want his wrist though. The stark contrast between Arys’s ebony hair and the pale skin of his neck drew my eye. All it took was a look, and he knew. Bending to bare his throat to me, I peeled back my lips to expose my ferocious fangs.

They were made for tearing and shredding, not piercing pretty little punctures like Arys’s. I bit him quickly in an attempt to avoid doing serious damage. His blood hit my tongue, and it was like a rebirth. The power soared through me in a rush of electricity and fire.

It was so much more than a taste. His jugular slowly but steadily pumped the hot crimson fluid into my mouth as I licked and sucked at the gash. The return of my strength was immediate. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him as close as physically possible. Shaz now stood by the bed watching us. As I fed from Arys, my power reached for my wolf.

His energy was alive and taunting. I itched to taste it again. With a finger, I beckoned him closer, something driving me that I wasn’t controlling. Shaz eyed me warily, but he responded by kneeling on the bed near Arys and me.

Arys grunted and attempted to disengage himself from my grasp. It encouraged my hunger, and I resisted, clinging to him when he sat up. The strength with which I held him was unnatural, even for me, but he was still stronger. Gripping each of my wrists, he forced me back against the bed.

I felt the vicious grin that stole over my features, felt its evil to the root of my being. I loved it. Arys’s blood on my lips was warm and delicious as I ran my tongue over it. Despite being pinned down by him, I had the sneaking suspicion that I could escape him if I really wanted to.

“Alexa?” Arys stared into my eyes, searching for a sign of sanity. He turned my head to examine the bite on my neck.

Shaz swore softly and gravitated closer to me on the bed. “It’s already healing.”

“Yes. Thank God. I thought I’d gone too far.” Arys’s voice held a tremor.

I rolled my head so that I could look at each of them in turn. Their expressions couldn’t have been more different. Arys was hard to read, his careful mask back in place. He stank of guilt though, and it turned my stomach. A glance at Shaz revealed curiosity and concern. He reached for me, and Arys released one of my arms.

“Shaz?” My voice came out hoarse and scratchy. “I can’t…” I longed to warn him, to tell him what I was feeling, but all I saw and felt was the hunger.

When I lunged at him, Arys was ready for it. He jerked me away from Shaz hard enough to make me cry out. My shoulder burned, and I turned on him, snarling and snapping. Like the first time I’d experienced Arys’s bloodlust, I saw through a red haze. Blood and death. It was all I cared about in that moment.

It took both men to wrestle me down, and I didn’t make it easy for them. The need to feel something die as I bathed in the heady glow of blood and power consumed me until I was lost inside it. I fought them until I was exhausted.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off my beautiful white wolf. I knew by the look on his face that my eyes were Arys’s sensational blue. “It just aches so bad inside.”

“What the hell is happening to her?” Shaz directed his words at Arys, but he had eyes only for me.

Arys sounded defeated when he replied. He held my arms at an incredibly painful angle but it was helping me see through the blood hunger. “It’s the bloodlust driving her. The bond has been formed, and she’s experiencing her own hunger, not just remnants of mine. The worst of it will pass. Eventually.”

“I’m ok. Don’t talk about me like I’m not right here.” That had been snappier than I’d meant for it to be. “Please let me go. I feel like a prisoner.”

Instead of doing as I asked, they looked at one another to decide. That infuriated me, stirring the power inside me in a negative way. Arys studied me with a look heavy with contemplation. Shaz just appeared confused.

Nodding to Shaz, Arys slowly began to release his hold on me. “Get into bed with her, but keep your guard up. She may not even know what she’s saying.”

Like hell I didn’t. I knew what I said. And, I knew what I wanted, needed. I eyed Shaz hungrily as he slipped back into the bed next to me.

Shaz drew me back against his chest so that he spooned me. Arys wasted no time pressing his nakedness against me, eliminating any possibility of space between us. He was careful not to reach into Shaz’s personal space when he laid a hand on my hip.

“Alexa,” his velvety smooth voice was barely a whisper. “The hunger can be fed by more than blood.”

All it took was the touch of my two lovers to stir the hot embers of the fire simmering in my core. The hunger refused to fade, but it wasn’t averse to taking a new direction.

Arys’s eyes were heavy upon me. My breath caught, and I waited in eager anticipation as he slowly leaned in close. He tasted slightly like blood and spice, which triggered a yearning in me for more. I instinctively reached to bury my fingers in his thick, glossy hair.

Shaz pulled my long hair to the side, baring the back of my neck. When his mouth came to rest against my sensitive flesh, I quivered between their two firm bodies. His lips and tongue traced hot, wet circles along my sensitive skin, and I became flushed with heat and desire.

Arys deepened the kiss, and I fell into his seduction. There was possessiveness to his touch that spoke volumes of need. When he nipped and bit my tongue and lower lip, Shaz did the same along the back of my neck.

A throb began between my legs as Shaz ran a gentle hand down to my thigh where my robe parted. His fingers grazed my skin, stirring the nerve endings to life. A tingle spread from where he touched until it filled my entire body with a warm glow.

My breathing grew heavy as the burning hot power built along with the physical lust. As I tuned into my metaphysical side, I was able to clearly taste and feel each of their differing energies: warm and cool, life and death, the power in my core was ravenous, with a viciousness I’d had yet to experience. I was intrigued by what they had to give, and I couldn’t help but want it all.

My hands glided over Arys’s taut chest and abdomen, feeling the muscles ripple beneath my fingertips. There wasn’t a lot I could do caught between them the way I was. It was both intimidating and exciting.

A sexy, low growl rumbled in Shaz’s throat, increasing my need as the sound touched me in intimate ways. With each one of them kissing, licking and touching me, I grew weaker willed by the second.

The power that commanded Arys and I once again expanded to include Shaz as his Were energy enticed it to take note of him. As the physical pleasures grew, so did the blinding rush of power that had never taken no for an answer. The combination of their hands and mouths upon me was more than I could take without my sanity collapsing into fragments.

I lay between them, enrapt in bliss. Despite the uncertainty and danger that had become a regular part of my life, there was nothing better than being a werewolf in love.

Chapter Twenty

“I think you were right to do it. It’s obvious that you had to do what’s necessary in order to protect yourself and those you love.” Jez absently stirred her gourmet coffee with a stir stick, but her serious, green eyes were fixed on me.

Kylarai sat across from me, her eyes downcast as she picked at the apple pie on her plate. She didn’t agree with Jez or Shaz as far as the blood bond issue was concerned. She thought it was a huge mistake.

It had been four days since I’d entered into the blood bond with Arys. I had felt incredibly out of sorts since then. I’d learned quickly that I couldn’t handle the mid-afternoon sun any longer. It burned both my skin and my eyes. The bloodlust had been my constant companion every night since. Without Arys to ease me through, I never would have succeeded without going on a murderous rampage.

He promised that the worst of it would wane and I would gain control of the many vampire tendencies that now ruled me. If I thought experiencing Arys’s weaknesses before was bad, this was a whole new ball game. They were my very own vices now.

I had asked my two best friends out for dinner, wanting to share with them the decision I had made. I wanted their opinion, knowing they would each be completely honest with me about what they thought. I valued what they had to say.

“I just don’t think you should have rushed into anything, Lex,” Ky’s voice was soft, and she beamed a shy smile at me. “You altered your own death.”

Things had been better between us since I’d starting spending more time at Raoul’s. It gave her and Julian time together without taking chances on having Shaz in the house as well. That would just get incredibly ugly.

I had barely touched the Alfredo pasta dish I’d ordered. It was the best in town, yet it wasn’t encouraging my weak appetite. “I know that. I was confused and scared. But, I can’t help but feel that it’s what I needed to do. Especially after what happened with Harley.”

“That’s just the thing,” Jez piped up again. “He won’t stop until he has you. And, it’s only a matter of time until other power hungry vamps seek you out.” She gave me a pointed look, one that Kylarai missed. I knew what she meant. Kale had already developed an attraction to my power. How many others would?

Would Harley give up once he discovered Arys had bonded me after all? Lord, how I hoped so. I felt like a weapon that I didn’t know how to use, that could go off at any moment.

Kylarai reached over to pat my arm affectionately. “You know I love you no matter what you do. That’s just my opinion. I don’t want to see you regretting this decision. Regret is a hard thing to live with.”

I felt like I would have some kind of regret either way. Choosing to bond myself to Arys through blood had completed the bond we’d begun when we joined our power. My life and death would never be the same again. Yet on the flip side, it was already so beyond any semblance of normal. I couldn’t help but feel empowered in a way, knowing that Harley wanted me as badly as he did. I didn’t even really know why.

“I appreciate you both coming out tonight.” I swirled the ice in my tea and took a sip of the too sweet juice. “It feels good just to hang with the girls sometimes. I need more of this.”

“I’d say you do. I miss killing things with you. It’s not as fun with Kale.” Jez’s voice was loud enough to carry, and I blushed and hid my face when a lady at the next table stared open-mouthed at her.

“I hate having to cut and run, but I’m meeting a source that’s helping me out with a case.” Kylarai reached for her wallet, and I stopped her with a gesture.

“Forget about it. I invited you out. I’ll pick up the tab.”

“Fine, I’ll get the tip then.” She tossed down a few bills and pushed her chair back. “Will I see you at home later or are you going to Raoul’s?”

I had to think about that. I’d been pretty much living there over the past week. “I’m not sure. I may have to come by the house to grab some more of my things. Feel free to have Julian over.”

“How’s he doing anyway?” Jez asked with interest.

Kylarai shrugged and forced a smile. “Let’s just say that his ego took the worst of it.” She rolled her eyes and to me said, “I think it’s great that you’re staying there. You need to face that part of you and find peace with it all. Let me know if you want any help redecorating.”

“Actually, now that you mention it, I do.” I grinned when her face lit up in excitement.

“Sounds great! I’ll give you a call later, and we’ll talk about it.” She stood and slung her purse over her shoulder. “It was nice seeing you again, Jez. Have a good night, you two.”

After she’d disappeared out the door, I turned to the leopard, finding her staring at me with an expectant expression. “What?”

“I have something to tell you.” She raised a brow and her ruby lips curved into a smile.

“Please don’t. I’m sure I don’t want to know.”

“Kale’s been dreaming about you. He told me. I just thought you should know. You’ve had one hell of an effect on that man.”

Why did she have to look so pleased when she said that? “What do you mean, dreaming about me?”

She shrugged and sipped from her coffee. “I’m not sure. He didn’t go into detail. I think he just needed to say it out loud to someone and that happened to be me. I just wanted to let you know.”

“Shit.” I let out an exasperated sigh and reclined in my chair. “That’s just what I needed to hear.”

“Sorry.”

Kale meant a lot to me. He was more than a colleague; he was a friend. And, because of the power I had, I now had power over him. There was something so wrong about that.

“Anyway,” Jez quickly changed the subject. “Kale and I have been taking out new vampires all week.”

That caught my attention. “New ones all week?”

She nodded, and her golden waves bounced. “Yeah. We haven’t been able to determine where they’re coming from yet. So … you want to come out tonight?”

That was intriguing. After the past couple of weeks I’d had, I was certainly up for a challenging hunt. “Definitely. Count me in.”

* * * *

The evening had been going splendidly. Hunting down a coven of new vampires with Jez and Kale had been a release that I’d desperately needed. It had taken no time at all to locate a handful of new vampires lurking in a local cemetery. It was typical really. Many of them wound up in such places, either from seeing it in Hollywood films or because it was guaranteed to be free of anyone else.

It had been almost too easy to take out the two we had followed to the cemetery. Upon arriving we had discovered another four of them nesting there. From the looks of it, they had been up to no good. There was more than one old corpse decomposing beneath some trees. Nasty.

The last two put up a nice fight that had Jez smiling as she slashed her way through one of them with clawed hands as he shrieked like a little girl. After slashing a hole in his throat the size of her fist, she pulled out the stake she carried strapped to her wrist and plunged it deep into his chest.

No sooner had she done so than the last one escaped me and rushed her head on. She had just a split second to defend herself. Throwing her arms up in front of her, she took the brunt of his force as they tumbled and rolled as one.

I moved abnormally fast as my legs carried me across the distance. I snapped his neck with a powerful twist. The resulting crunch echoed as I went for the heart, stake in hand. He had already succeeded in lashing out at Jez, drawing blood from a deep cut above her eye. The scent of her living and highly potent blood caused a tightly wound string inside me to snap, and I lost all control.

One moment, I was focused on the pathetic vampire on top of Jez, and the next, I was tossing him aside so that I could get to her myself. I shudder to imagine how that would have played out if Kale hadn’t been there.

Being as in tune to my energy as he was, he felt the shift in the atmosphere when the bloodlust dominated my actions. All of a sudden, he was just there, throwing me off her so that I landed in a sprawled heap not far from one of the decomposing victims. As I leaped to my feet, there was no conscious thought in my mind. I was acting on instinct.

With a snarl, I turned on Kale. I didn’t want him though. I wanted the natural born Were blood, the blood that had never been human. I practically salivated as the scent drove me into a frenzy.

The pain was like a punch right in the guts when Kale knocked me on my ass with a blast of power. It didn’t hurt me otherwise, but it successfully knocked the breath out of me. Before I could get up, he was on top of me, straddling my body with his strong frame, a silver psi ball burning in the palm of one hand.

It was as if a cool breeze blew through my mind then, bringing with it the presence of my dark vampire. Arys’s voice was soothing, snapping me back to myself as if I was jolting awake from a nightmare. ‘My wolf, what’s happening? I knew I never should have left your side.’

I stared up at Kale, struggling to reply with something sensible to Arys. Kale’s sweet energy was alluring in its own right, and I found myself falling into his enchanting eyes.

“Alexa?” Kale lightly slapped the side of my face, a frown creasing his fine features. “You never should have done this. The blood bond is not meant for one as free spirited as you.”

I was confused by his words. All I could think about was reaching to touch the lock of dark brown hair that fell in his eyes. As I remembered the taste of his blood, I licked my lips seductively. “Kale…” The word fell on a hushed whisper, and I knew that he was mine if I wanted him.

“Don’t do this,” he pleaded, and I could feel his resistance crumbling. “I’m trying to stop you from making a huge mistake here. Don’t draw me into another one. You know I can’t deny you.”

Jez came to stand nearby, careful not to get too close. I concentrated on Arys, on his cold blue energy raging inside my mind. ‘I’m going to self-destruct before I can begin to have regrets.’

It was strange, knowing I could share my thoughts with him and finding that I could also shut him out. I wondered if I would ever get used to it. Arys could feel my edgy emotion, yet he could only know what I revealed to him. There was something very reassuring in that.

Wrapping a strong hand around my wrist, Kale jerked me upright and pulled me to my feet. He didn’t let me go, though. As much as it killed him to touch me, reaching right into my personal energy, he did it anyway.

The blood hunger didn’t leave me, but I was in control now that Kale had stepped in. He was an amazing friend, one that I owed dearly. Despite that, the sinister vampire essence within me couldn’t help but want to toy with him. The look he fixed me with insinuated that he wasn’t new to this game. Of course not. The guy had centuries on me.

“Cut it out, Alexa. Don’t you understand that you’re playing with fire?”

“Why? What am I doing?”

“You know damn well what you’re doing.”

Kale and I faced off, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread over my face. Regardless of how wrong I knew it was to continue down that path, I didn’t want to stop. However, I did know what I was doing. I couldn’t help but think about what Jez had said at dinner. Kale had been seeing me in his dreams, unable to escape his attraction to my power. Knowing his history and his dependence on The Wicked Kiss, I knew I couldn’t be just another power hungry female that would use and abuse him. He’d had enough of that in his past.

It actually hurt to deny the many hungers and urges commanding me. Yet, it wasn’t as if being a werewolf hadn’t been much the same in its own way. This was just a new kind of pain. I was able to make it back to the office without eating another silver blast from Kale.

Arys’s presence lingered in the back of my mind, but I didn’t acknowledge it. It was still too strange, and I didn’t want to share my thoughts with anyone. Jez laughed and joked as if I hadn’t been ready to bite into her jugular vein, already brushing it off like no big deal. I wished I could roll with the punches as easily. Although, it was refreshing to have someone in my life who could so simply shrug it off, knowing it wasn’t worth altering her life. I could learn a lot from Jez’s take on things.

Despite her attempts to loosen Kale and me up, the tension between us couldn’t be dismissed. I watched the clock tick past one am in the kitchen of our office building. Jez wasted no time closing up her office and heading for the door.

“Since I have made it through yet another night without facing certain death, I will be celebrating by sipping wine by a crackling fire with a smoking hot redhead.” She announced. “I assume you two will be out of here right away?”

I knew what she was really asking. Was it safe for her to leave us alone together? All I knew was that it was safer for me to be alone with Kale at that moment than with her. The cut on her head wasn’t critical, but the blood drying there was taunting me.

“Yeah, I won’t be here much longer.” I gave her a look, one of those that women share, which enables them to have an entire conversation with others present, with no more than the right expression. Without batting an eye, she quickly bid us goodnight before sashaying to the exit.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Kale was waiting for us to be alone. He had something to say. I leaned against the small kitchen counter and considered but then abandoned the notion of feigning nonchalance. Why bother? He would see right through it anyway. So instead, when the door had closed behind Jez on her way out, I looked at Kale expectantly.

“How’s Kylarai?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. A moment later, he uncrossed them and stuck his hands in the pockets of his black leather duster. He didn’t seem to know what to do with himself.

I could see by the look on his face that he already knew about Ky and Julian. I could attribute that to Jez and her willingness to talk. He really wanted to know though. There was no faking the concern in his eyes.

“Are you really asking how she is, or are you asking about him?”

“Both.”

That was fair. “She’s good, although, I’m not sure that she’s really happy. I don’t think Kylarai really knows what she wants right now.”

“I heard Shaz kicked his ass.” He didn’t have to say Julian’s name, and I understood why he chose not to.

I nodded and thought back to that night. It had been an intense scrap. “Hell yeah, he did. It’s been a little awkward at home since. Shaz and I have been spending a lot of our time at Raoul’s.”

“If he hurts her, I’ll tear him to pieces.” Kale promised with a glint in his eyes as if he was hoping to get a shot at Julian himself.

“He’s all yours.”

Kale studied me, and though his gaze was heavy, I didn’t flinch beneath it. I merely waited calmly for him to speak. I knew him well by now, and it wasn’t hard to tell when he had something to say. When his eyes fell to my wrist, I knew he was thinking about the night in the car when he’d bitten me. Though the bite was long gone, I had to resist the temptation to rub the place where it had been.

He looked away before he spoke, as if suddenly intrigued by the pattern on the linoleum. “I understand why you made the choice that you did, but do you really think it was the best option?”

“Honestly,” I replied. “I don’t know. It feels very surreal right now. If I didn’t bond myself to Arys, it would have been anybody with enough power to force me.”

Kale nodded, his gaze coming to land on me again. I felt the weight of his analysis as he truly studied me. “It’s going to change you, you know. Tonight … that kind of thing isn’t going to end, even if it gets easier to deal with.”

That wasn’t really what I wanted to hear though I couldn’t say I was surprised. “Thank you. For being there and making sure I didn’t do anything stupid. And, for intervening at The Wicked Kiss.” What else could I say? Kale was bush beating, and we both knew it.

“That gossipy little leopard told you, didn’t she?” He gave me a knowing look, and I had to laugh. He knew Jez just as well as I did. “Well, whatever she said, I’m sure it was exaggerated.”

“Was it?” I raised an eyebrow, my smile fading. “She told me that you’ve been dreaming about me, Kale.”

He didn’t appear upset. If anything, he’d fully expected her to tell me. When at last he made direct eye contact, it was forced, as if he didn’t trust himself to look at me. Nervous energy trickled from him to tease my senses.

“I’m sorry.” His face crumpled, and he looked ashamed. “It was bad enough after I took your blood, but then we killed that she-wolf together … I kissed you … and everything went to shit.”

As his agonized energy marched along my skin like red ants on their way to a picnic, I picked it apart to determine what it was made of. Kale was filled with regret and more than enough guilt for both of us. Despite the urge to soothe him, I bit back my response when he slowly crossed the small kitchen until he stood before me.

I looked back and forth between his brown and blue eye, entranced by the difference. This was so much more than a power trip between two friends. He was getting something from me that he hadn’t had in years, possibly more than I even realized. Though I knew that, his next words shook me to the center of my being.

“You have awakened something within me, Alexa. Something that has been cold and buried for decades, centuries. It’s dark, it’s deadly, and I have only known one other who could ignite within me the sensations you do.”

He didn’t say who because we both knew and to mention the one who made him could bring out the predatory side of Kale that I’d encountered in the car. I was all for avoiding that at all costs. Like the last time Kale had made a confession to me, I didn’t know what to say. So, I said the first thing that came to mind.

“What is it that you want from me, Kale?” The urge to touch him played with me. “Let’s just be straight up here. Friends or not, there is something bigger that we have in common. And, if we can just talk openly, it will be a lot easier to deal with.”

“I don’t know.” His answer came quickly, suspiciously so. “The things that I want from you are new to me. It doesn’t feel right.” He actually looked embarrassed. “You’re a friend, almost a little sister that I drag into trouble. I’ve never wanted you like this before.”

The heat in his dazzling gaze had me tingling with adrenaline. My heart jumped, and my lungs deflated of air. I’d be nothing but a filthy liar if I tried to say that I hadn’t wanted him the night we’d kissed. I had wanted to devour him.

“I understand what you mean by that better than you might assume. Most of the time, I feel like I’m being pushed along by this tidal wave that I have very little control over. It seems to have the snowball effect, getting bigger and bigger by the day.” A sigh escaped me as I said to Kale what I never said to Arys or Shaz but probably should. “I’m afraid it’s going to consume me, and I’ll be a total maniac, feeding off the blood and energy of everyone I love.”

Kale chuckled humorlessly and nodded knowingly. “It’s not all bad. Not when they’re willing.” He flashed fangs at me, and I shivered when he added, “In fact, it can make the transition a little smoother.”

“I’ll bet.” A swirl of undead power spiraled like a tornado inside me. My next words came unbidden. “Is that an offer?”

The atmosphere thickened and pulsed, much as it had the night of our strange kiss. I felt that shift in my brain, the one that brought the vampire power alive. A teasing smile graced my lips. I felt Kale’s hunger like a storm coming on the wind.

He took a step back and then another, each one looked like it was killing him. Instinct commanded me to advance on him, to back him into a corner. Would it really be so wrong? I just wanted a little taste.

“If I do what I want to right now, I won’t be able to let you out of this building without bleeding you.” His eyes were wide as panic gripped him. “You barely even feel like a werewolf anymore. Without your wolf scent, I would think I was in this room with a vampiress. A damn powerful one.”

That was unsettling. I held myself in check, the warmth of my wolf balancing the cool undead urges. It was a constant battle inside me. I had to get out of there, or we were both going to lose the struggle for control.

“I’m going to go before we do something we really regret.” Pushing away from the counter, I aimed to fly past him on my way out of the room. When his hand snaked out to grasp my arm, jerking me to a halt, my power instantly reached to touch his.

Like with Harley, there was no bonding. That was with Arys and no other, which was defining all on its own. Yet there was no escaping the way my power sought to taste his, feel it and draw it into me.

“Wait,” Kale gasped, his voice low and strained. Whatever it was that he craved from me, it had him trembling. I could have stopped him. His control was pushed to the limit, not mine. “There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you. Remember that.”

Pressed against him, the scent of leather toyed with my sense of smell. His eyes held hunger, but they also possessed a wealth of knowledge and genuine affection. I allowed myself a moment to enjoy touching his exhilarating aura.

“I will. Probably sooner than you’d like.” I managed a friendly grin as I disentangled myself from him. I paused to give his hand a squeeze. “I’ll tell Kylarai you asked about her. I’m sure she would appreciate it.”

I adore Kale. He is easily one of my most favorite people. But, he had a longing I couldn’t begin to dream of and something in me spoke to that yearning need. As I headed for the door, I felt the weight of his gaze upon me. It would be best to avoid feeding those hungers, for both of our sakes.

Chapter Twenty-One

The house was quiet when I slipped in through the sliding door. I was glad to see that the railing had been fixed and looked better than ever. No thanks to Arys of course. Shaz got the credit for taking on the task.

Kylarai hadn’t been around when I’d come by the house to go for a much needed four-legged run in the forest. It had been quiet, and when I’d first stepped into the house, it hadn’t felt like my home anymore. My belongings had slowly been disappearing, taking up residence at Raoul’s. I had been putting off moving my furniture. Raoul’s place was fully furnished, and I hadn’t the need to do so. It also made me feel like I wasn’t completely leaving the house I shared with Ky.

The rush of sexual energy slapped at me when I came inside, pulling my robe closed around me. I padded down the hall towards my room to get dressed when the hush of murmurs and whispers carried to me. Aw, crap. Maybe I could change fast and bail out before I had to hear much more.

Despite closing the bedroom door behind me, I could still hear Julian’s animal rutting sounds, and it creeped me right out. They clearly hadn’t known I was here or hadn’t expected me back for some time.

I got busy jamming my legs into my jeans in a desperate attempt to get dressed and get out. Pulling a t-shirt over my head, I headed for the door with my robe in hand so I wouldn’t have to keep wearing Raoul’s. I slid my feet along the hardwood floor so that I made not a sound on my way out.

Today they were going at it like bunnies, but three days prior, they had been having a shouting match in the kitchen when I’d arrived. It really was none of my business. I wanted Ky to be happy, but I was starting to appreciate having another place to call home. It was evident that she was enjoying my absence in her own way, as well. Since the beautiful stretch of forest was outside her back door, I would likely be here often enough regardless of where I spent my nights.

I took a moment to admire my car as I approached. After two days in the shop, the damaged driver door was now good as new. My smile turned into a glare when I noticed how close Julian had parked his SUV to my Charger. There was no way he could have gotten out without dinging it with his door. I stalked around it angrily until I was sure that he hadn’t scratched my car. It was the principle of the thing.

Raising my face to the fall night air, I inhaled deeply. I couldn’t detect anything, but I knew I’d picked up a trace of Zoey’s scent while running. I hadn’t seen her though. Raoul’s daughter had crossed my mind recently. I’d been asking myself if it would be a bad idea to track her down and try to communicate with her. If that was even possible. One could only guess as to the state of her sanity. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I should seek her out … one day anyway.

When I turned onto Raoul’s street, my heart soared at the sight of Shaz’s little blue Cobalt parked in front of the house. Would my heart ever stop fluttering in anticipation of seeing him? I hoped not.

Arys and Shaz both had a key to the house, but they rarely came by at the same time. Since Halloween night, when we’d formed the blood bond and the three of us had been intimate not once but twice, they didn’t spend much time in close quarters.

I pulled into the driveway and ducked into the garage where Raoul’s Jaguar was parked. I made it a habit to check over the property regularly. I couldn’t afford not to be careful. I paused to run my hand over the smooth black finish of the expensive car. I hadn’t driven it yet, but I intended to use it for my evening hunting excursions. It wouldn’t stand out like a bright red beacon the way the Charger did.

Surveying the cold, damp garage, I was again enveloped with the feeling that I was right where I was supposed to be. I was greeted by the heavenly scent of dinner when I entered the house. Shaz called out from the kitchen, and I smiled to myself. He was simply amazing. If the scent of chicken and baked potatoes indicated anything, I was in for a treat.

When he met me at the entry to the kitchen, he held a glass of red wine in one hand and a single long stemmed red rose in the other. Though it was simple, it was easily the most romantic gesture I’d ever received. My heart melted, and I blushed.

“You rock my world, wolf boy.” I accepted the wine glass and took a grateful sip before pulling him close for the hot kiss that I craved. Shaz didn’t get many nights off, and I tried to take advantage of every one. “You take such good care of me. Thanks for fixing the railing at Ky’s. It looks great.”

He teased me by tracing the outline of my lower lip with his tongue before dipping it inside my mouth to taste me. I pressed against him, careful not to spill the wine. When at last he pulled back, he raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Ky’s? Have you officially moved out, or are you still on the fence with that?”

“I’m not sure. I do know that being there when she and Julian are going at it is a nightmare I don’t want to face again.”

Shaz chuckled and pressed the rose into my hand. I followed him into the kitchen, watching with admiration as he attended things on the stove. The temptation to rub the soft petals on my face was too strong to resist, and I gave in happily. It was less than an hour later when we were lying in those petals on the living room floor before the fireplace.

I pulled a throw blanket off the nearby sofa, and we got comfortable in front of the blazing flames. I couldn’t help but flash back to a time when I’d lain naked in this very spot with Raoul. I couldn’t deny how much I missed him, even as I shoved the memory from my mind.

Shaz fed me dessert from a platter of strawberries and chocolate sauce while I played with his near white locks. The night couldn’t have been going any better. So of course, it had to get worse. When Arys projected his thoughts to me, it was loud and clear, setting off a domino effect reaction in me.

Wherever he was, he was hunting. His victim’s screams drove him over the edge, and the walls between us came down as he tore into her with a savagery that had me shaking. If I closed my eyes, I could almost see through his as images swarmed me.

She was bleached blonde, middle aged and heavily made up. I had no way of knowing why he’d chosen her. She fought hard, and the thrill that raced through Arys in response was easily transferred to me. Like a rabid dog, he tore into her without holding back. She didn’t make noise for long.

I could hear Shaz asking if I was alright as I sat frozen stiff in his arms. Arys’s strong emotions were flooding me with more than I could take. His excitement as the blood spilled was what pushed me over the edge. Snapping into action, I scrambled away from Shaz and focused on forcing Arys out of my mind. It was easier than I expected, but the damage was done.

I forced myself to concentrate on the sound of the fire crackling and the smell of logs burning. Anything to combat the bloodlust that rocked me. I closed my eyes so that I wouldn’t look at my wolf mate and see food. He wasn’t prey to me, but he was still a blood source. It hurt in places that never should feel that kind of agony.

Shaz was no fool, but he approached me anyway, hands held up cautiously. “Whatever that was,” he said softly. “You can’t run from it, Lex. We can deal with it.”

I whimpered softly and hid my face behind a curtain of my hair. The closer he drew, the stronger the beat of his heart sounded in my sensitive ears. I didn’t realize I’d started growling at him until he told me to stop. Shaz wasn’t afraid of me though, not in the least. Not a trace of fear emanated from him.

When I bared my fangs at him though, his demeanor changed. The look in his eyes was fierce when, with a solid motion, he grabbed me and flipped me so that I landed hard on the floor beneath him. He used his body to pin me, and it came as a shock to find him dominating me like the Alpha male that he now was.

I grunted when I hit the floor. My wolf was instantly subdued as Shaz commanded respect from me with the action. Though the wolf in me was calmed, there was a part of me that was enraged and then ashamed. I was roiling with emotions, each of them leaving confusion in its wake. I choked back a sob and bared my throat to Shaz, submitting to him completely.

He didn’t hesitate to bite me, and it was nothing short of astounding. I hadn’t expected him to go Alpha on me. His teeth didn’t break my skin, but the act spoke volumes rather than the injury. I was awed and also madly turned on.

“I’m sorry, Lex, but I’m not going to let you worry about making me a victim. I’m your mate. You should never be running from me because you think you’re going to hurt me.” With a strong hand wrapped around my arm, he jerked me to my feet. “Call it tough love, baby, but I have to stop this now, before it spirals out of control.” I stared at him with wide-eyed astonishment. I thought I was hearing things when he said, “You’re just going to have to take my blood. It’s the only way for you to realize you can handle this.”

I swallowed hard and tried to say no. My lips formed the word, but nothing came out. He smiled down at me, clearly enjoying his moment of power. When at last I could speak, I squeaked out, “Why?”

Shaz’s hands were rough where he gripped my arms. “You know why. I’m not letting you do this by yourself. You’re only weak if you don’t let me help you.”

Awe filled me, as well as complete adoration. He was everything I needed in a man and more. But, when he held his wrist out to me as an offering, I paled and shrunk back, shaking my head. “No, Shaz I can’t.”

“You will.” His tone held no room for argument, and I did a double take. If Arys had said that to me, I would have told him to shove it up his ass. This was Shaz, though, and all I could do was stare stupidly. When he saw my face fall, dismayed, his expression softened, and he added, “Trust me.”

Was he serious? Trust him? I trusted him more than I trusted any creature on the planet. It was me that I had little faith in.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I peered at him through strands of blonde and red hair as a lock fell in my eyes. He reached out to brush it away, the gesture filled with tenderness.

“It hurts me more to watch you suffer like this. For months now, I have kept quiet about this side of you, but things have changed. Let me be part of this. I’m your mate, Lex.”

There was no changing his mind. I knew that look in his jade eyes. He had made up his mind, and he was taking a stand. I should have been overwhelmed with emotion at his words, but instead I was stricken with terror.

With the bloodlust eating away at me, I was unable to cling to that terror. It fell away from me like abandoned clothing. The pulse beating in his offered wrist drew my eye, and I licked my lips hungrily. We faced each other in all of our naked glory, completely at ease with the naturalness of it.

I watched him pensively, a question in my eyes. Without words, Shaz merely nodded, waiting with acceptance and even a hint of excitement. Because it was him, I didn’t snap in a frenzy of blood hunger. However, I was clinging to sanity by a very thin rope. And, I could feel that I was slipping quickly.

I had to do this. It was vital to preventing my quick descent into blood madness, and it meant something to Shaz. If I didn’t act soon, I was going to lose it.

With shaky hands, I encircled his wrist with my fingers. I was virtually salivating when I drew in the clean wolf scent of him. I indulged in the urge to rub my face against that perfect skin. Pressing my lips to his pulse, I closed my eyes and savored the sensation of his life force pumping just beneath the surface.

That was all it took, and there was no going back. I bit into his wrist fast, hoping to ease the pain. When Shaz gave a small gasp, I thought I had hurt him. The pleasure that oozed from his energy indicated otherwise.

Once released, the blood dripped fast and steady. I rushed to catch it with my tongue. The scent, taste and feeling of it in my mouth hit me like a tornado. Everything around me seemed to fall away. Nothing was left in the entire world but Shaz and me in that moment.

Along with the hot, flowing, crimson stream, I took in the freely exuded energy of a male Alpha wolf. It was like having electricity poured over and through me. Tasting Shaz was like sipping from a fount of lively power, one that I couldn’t get enough of. He tasted like heaven.

It didn’t take much to satiate the hunger for blood. I didn’t need it to survive. Not yet. The craving for the energy high that was building had only just gotten started. My need for my mate was immense, and giving the slowing bleed a long satisfying lick, I began to kiss my way up his arm.

Shaz reached to pull me close. The power ruled us both as we fed it with our voracious desire. He kissed me roughly, his tongue delving into my mouth between my fangs. Tasting his own blood, he shuddered.

Something had changed between us, something that transcended everything we’d known so far. Allowing him to meet one of my needs had enabled him to be my mate in every sense. He needed it as badly as I’d needed to be dependent on him. Shaz’s devotion spoke louder than any words.

Epilogue

The taste of human blood lingered on my tongue like sweet copper. With a pinky finger, I wiped a minute trace from the corner of my mouth. Breathing hard, I glanced at Arys, who watched me like I was the most delicious thing he’d ever seen. The dead pimp at my feet stirred no emotion within me. He’d been a peddler of teen girls barely old enough to drive a car. Worthless.

How I had managed to avoid slaughtering an innocent was beyond me. The bloodlust was a strange and funny thing. It no longer assaulted me when Arys neglected to feed. It assaulted me on a nightly basis. My hunger was my own, yet, his neglect reverberated through me when his energy infected me with his inner desires. That’s when it became too much for me to bear, and my control was stripped away in layers until I was a maniacal mess.

On the flipside, nothing had changed for Arys as far as my personal weaknesses go. My wolf lurked inside him due to our metaphysical bond, but Arys was long past mortal afflictions, and he experienced nothing further in that regard. Though as far as connections go, ours had undergone many transitions.

We could now open a telepathic link by will and tap one another’s power when we were apart, though we were strongest when together. If Arys had been packing a loaded weapon before … well now, we were really something to be feared. Of course, that would be more accurate if I knew how to handle half the power I possessed.

Arys insisted that we could command this power ourselves, wield it as needed, however needed. Lena once told me that we were two souls cut from the same magical cloth, destined to unite as one regardless of our physical forms. If this power is to be of any real use to me, I need to be the one in control, and that is something that I intend to focus my strength on.

It nagged me to no end knowing that Harley has the valuable information that I seek. He can’t possibly be the only one. Finding a source willing to share was among my priorities.

I wasn’t naive enough to believe that I was safe because of sharing the wicked kiss with Arys. Harley’s warning continued to haunt me. If he wanted a piece of me so bad, who else out there did? As a mortal with this kind of power, I was a walking snack to bigger, badder predators than me. My biggest fear continued to be endangering those I loved. Though they can all protect themselves, there are things out there that may not hesitate to use them to get to me.

“Alexa,” Arys murmured, pulling me into his arms. He nuzzled my hair, inhaling my scent before tasting the blood on my tongue with a deep kiss that had me swooning.

My heart pounded until I thought it would burst. The exhilaration of the feed along with the rush of the hunt was better than any drug known to man. This was why vampires and Weres lost it. It was why I took them out before they did something stupid to expose the rest of us. Control was not an option. I had to have it.

I was curious as to what Veryl would say when he returned to town. After the secrets he’d hid from me for the past ten years, I didn’t feel that I owed him anything, least of all explanations regarding my personal life.

If Arys and I hadn’t been standing in a dirty back alley behind a filthy nightclub, I would have been tempted to hike my skirt up and take him right there. The high that I was flying was that spectacular. Instead, I took his hand and led him down the alley, towards the light at the far end. I wanted to go home.

It was strange still to think of Raoul’s house as home, but that got easier the longer I stayed. I still hadn’t braved his bedroom, but I had been thinking long and hard about what I was going to do with it. Though I missed having the stretch of forest behind my house, Kylarai’s was just a short jaunt across town. Easily accessible.

Strolling down the dingy alley with my vampire lover, my senses were working on overdrive. I was informed of everything from the sound of each and every separate car on the parallel main street to a couple having sex in the bathroom of the nightclub we’d just walked away from. The smells were a whole other world unto themselves.

Perhaps the best part was that I could now feel every supernatural creature in the surrounding vicinity. Like a hot red glow, I could sense two vampires four blocks to the west and a werewolf sitting in a coffeehouse at the end of the street. If I really concentrated, The Wicked Kiss stood out like a blinking beacon in my mind, ablaze with the energy of all those inside.

I couldn’t help the satisfied smile that curled my lips. There were certainly perks to this blood bonding thing. The increased psychic awareness was almost worth the occasional agony. It gave me great peace of mind to know that Harley wouldn’t so easily catch me off guard again. There is more to being empowered than an increased arsenal, but nobody can say it doesn’t make a difference.

“So,” Arys began hesitantly, drawing my attention. “What do you think the point is to all of this?”

That was random. I frowned, pondering what he was getting at. “What do you mean?”

“Uncanny abilities don’t just happen. Isn’t there usually some reason, some purpose for the greater good?”

That drew my eyes to him, and I gave him a studious look that had him glowering in response to my scrutiny. Was Arys feeling the need to justify what we had, or did he know something I didn’t?

“Maybe it’s up to us what we do with it. That whole good versus evil kind of deal.” I’d asked myself the very same question that Arys was voicing now. I was sure there was something he wasn’t sharing.

“Yeah … maybe.”

We ambled along in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Walking in darkness didn’t mean having to become one with it, did it? Could we not live with our inner natures without embracing the true evil we all are privy to? Humans are no less evil than the worst of vampires at times. Surely right and wrong couldn’t be so perfectly cut and dried.

Reaching the end of the alley, we stepped out into the glow of the streetlights. The city traffic flew past us as those out and about for the evening sought entertainment, companionship or things unknown to the rest of us.

A homeless man on the corner began to shout, “I see you, bloodsuckers. You ain’t gonna get me. No sir, I know your kind.”

It was somewhat expected. The mentally ill had a tendency to see right through our human appearance. Thankfully, nobody paid them any mind when they ranted and raved about it.

We strode past him without a second glance. I didn’t want to encourage his shouting by making eye contact. The heavy stare of a young woman waiting for the bus drew me. She wore a knowing expression but quickly averted her eyes when I met them. Psychic? Possibly. Those with sixth sense abilities could often detect our inhuman energy. For the most part, they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut.

The werewolf I’d sensed in the nearby coffee shop watched us with little interest from his place in the window. He held a coffee cup in one hand and a book in the other. I chuckled to myself, finding it amusing that so many supernatural creatures were nothing like the average person would assume. Of course, I was probably exactly how they would assume: blood hungry and power tripping.

Arys reached for my hand, stroking my fingers gently with his thumb. The zap of our energy making a sudden physical connection tingled all the way up my arm like a bad static shock. It created a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach, which spread to encompass my limbs. The sexy grin he shot me stirred the sensations into a fire that blazed just for him.

As we drew closer to the car, my anticipation grew. I hungered for many things, but my need for Arys and Shaz was something I was happily learning to live with. I’d just opened the driver’s door when the strange awareness struck me.

That glowing place in my mind, The Wicked Kiss, had just spawned another vampire. I felt the new undead existence as surely as if I’d been inside the club. Perhaps I should look into how often that was occurring in the blood bar. I wanted nothing more than to chase Harley back to Vegas and out of my domain. Maybe that would get the ball rolling.

“Did you feel that?” I asked Arys, afraid I was the only one.

“Yes.” Arys stared off into the distance, as if seeing The Wicked Kiss in his mind. “Somebody has just awoken as a vampire.”

One thing was for sure, I would be keeping a close eye on the vampire bar. The Wicked Kiss was definitely on my radar; however, it would have to wait for another night.

Tonight, I wanted nothing more than to go home to a hot bath and curl up in front of the fireplace. If Arys’s libidinous energy was any sign, he was thinking along the same lines.

As we made the short trip home, I felt surprisingly peaceful. The stars twinkling overhead called to my wolf. Though I wasn’t so foolish as to believe that everything was perfect, I was content, and that’s what mattered.

My heart was shared by two men, each of them I desperately ached for. They completed me in ways that I still could barely comprehend. With them in my life, I was learning how to trust again.

I never would have come this far without either of them. I have gained so much: strength in mind and emotion as well as the ability to set my past free. But perhaps most important of all, the desire for more from this world.

Only Vampires Cry Blood

Alexa O’Brien Huntress Book Three

By Trina M. Lee

Only Vampires Cry Blood

Trina M. Lee

Copyright  2010 by Trina M. Lee

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Editor

B. Leigh Hogan

Cover Artist

Michael Hart

Published by

Dark Mountain Books

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Chapter One

The city scenery flew by as I hurtled down the street at full speed. The ice cold, night wind whipped my hair around behind me, and the sound of snow crunching underfoot accompanied my pursuit. I was hot on the heels of a vampire I’d been tracking. It hadn’t taken him long to determine that he was being followed. He ran and I gave chase, unwilling to lose this one. The fact that he ran only enticed me more. He was acting like prey.

This son of a bitch was mine. The chilly, seasonal air carried his scent, guiding me with perfect precision. The combination of blood, citrus and a woman’s perfume on him made it easy to navigate the twists and turns he was taking. The bastard had about a block on me. With inhuman speed, I shot through the night like a bullet.

Ice and snow marked the path I took despite the fact that spring wasn’t far off. Nearing the end of the block, I followed his scent around the corner, careening out of control as I hit an icy patch on the sidewalk. My arms flailed, and I swore heartily but, miraculously, never went down on my ass.

I recovered quickly, regaining speed as fast as I’d lost it. He was so close, I could feel him. I surged forward, closing the distance. Once I got him in my sights, my heart jumped with joy. Oh yes, here we go.

He was stupid enough to cast a frantic glance back at me over his shoulder. It was enough to slow him down on the icy sidewalk. I moved so fast, it felt like my feet never even touched the ground. All I could focus on was having him on the ground beneath me while I tore his throat out.

The impact when I hit him was mind jarring. I threw myself into him, taking him down with all of my weight on his back. He grunted from the force and struggled to roll over beneath me. I used my forearm to pin his head to the snow covered concrete, pressing hard against the back of his neck.

“Get the hell off of me!” He attempted to dislodge me from his back, but I held tight, grinding his face harder into the ground. With a knee planted firmly between his shoulder blades, I held him down with far greater ease than I’d anticipated.

“Guess what, pal. You are all mine.” I growled the words at him around my four fangs. “It’s up to you if you go out quick and painless or slow and agonizing.” For good measure, I gave his head another smack against the ice packed cement. He grunted but lay still beneath me. “I know you’ve been spawning vampires at The Wicked Kiss.”

He was giving off energy that stank with anxiety. It told me a lot though. He was afraid. Knowing that I intimidated him only fed my fire. I was more than ready to dust him, but I had to force him to talk first.

“Aw, fuck,” he groaned. “Not you. Not Arys’s bitch.”

“Ah, you’ve heard of me.” I barely resisted the urge to smack him. “Piss me off, and I can drag this out until dawn and let the sunrise finish you off.”

Silence. He had to be considering his options, which were incredibly limited. After a moment passed and he hadn’t said or done anything, I knew what was coming, and I braced for it. I felt it when he gathered his power and prepared to lash out at me. I was prepared to meet it with my own, so when it began to burn instead, I was beyond shocked.

I let out a small yelp. No two vampires have the exact same abilities though most are metaphysically inclined. Whatever he was doing, it burned. I leaped to my feet and tried to place one booted foot on the back of his head. He took advantage of my action and rolled, grabbing my foot in his hands as he did so.

Before he could twist my ankle, I stepped on his arm with my other foot. I could feel the bones grind but nothing broke. Too bad. He let go of me, and I immediately put a few feet between us. This gave him the opportunity to get to his feet, which hadn’t been my plan but would have to do.

“You’re nothing. Just a goddamn werewolf.” The look he gave me indicated that he believed his own statement. He was so wrong.

I’d come out here alone to hunt this jackass down, and I wasn’t leaving until the job was done. This was a personal hunt. Neither Kale nor Jez were with me. This had nothing to do with the vampires and Weres that I usually hunt down. Those supernaturals were idiots that had to be stopped before they exposed us all. This guy, he was different.

“That’s what I keep saying.” My fingertips buzzed with the energy that coursed through me. The power I had was bigger than I was. Though that might sound like a good thing, I would like it better if I could control the power more than it controlled me.

He made as if to lunge at me, and I reacted without thinking. The power went out from me like a waterfall. I could feel it cascade out to become a wave that knocked his feet out from under him. “Now tell me what’s going on inside The Wicked Kiss. I know vampires are being spawned there.”

The Wicked Kiss was the deadliest establishment in the entire city, a vampire bar that was disturbingly high class and run by the only vampire in existence that chilled me to the bone. Harley Kayson was the very vampire that had sired my lover, Arys Knight. He wasn’t too secretive about his desire to have me as his own. Lately, there were more newborn vampires coming out of his creepy club than there ever should be, along with other suspicious activity that didn’t sit well with me. Just the excuse I needed to burn the place to the ground.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He laughed, long and loud, throwing his head back. “I don’t answer to you, honey. But, I’m not about to turn down a sure thing when it’s standing right in front of me.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I was wasting my time matching wits with this pathetic leech. His energy was eager, hungry. He really thought he was going to feast on my blood. Well, he wouldn’t be the first to try. Due to my experience with vampires, I naturally expected a metaphysical attack. It completely caught me off guard when he suddenly flew at me like a football player making a tackle.

Fangs bared, he came at me so fast that I had little time to react. I threw my arms up to protect my face and throat, simultaneously lashing out with power. It hit him before he hit me. My failure to direct the blow effectively caused it to do little more than slow him down, and he simply came at me again. The power that swirled around me was like a tornado of pure energy that had the strength to move mountains. Yet, because I did not have the ability to fully control something so wild and lively, it instead failed me.

The breath was crushed out of me when I hit the ground flat on my back. He was on top of me, fighting to gain a hold and bare my throat. Throwing him off was too easy. No sooner had I formed the thought than he was airborne. The unpredictability of my power was unnerving. I tried to gather it tightly to me so that I could better manipulate it.

The more my inner rage grew, the more I needed to tear him apart with my bare hands, to devour him. I couldn’t help the smile that curved my lips. I was always game for a fight to the death. I have yet to lose.

Advancing on him, the power crackled around me. It drove me as the desire to feed on his undead energy rose up to consume me. He watched me warily, taking an uncertain step back. That one small move told me everything about him. He had nothing. Like most vampires, he was a mediocre monster playing the role of super bad, a minor inconvenience at best. I guess he didn’t think I was just a werewolf after all.

I licked my lips as if anticipating a gourmet meal. His heady energy would be a most pleasurable power high if nothing else. He wasn’t going to talk about what was going on inside The Wicked Kiss, and I had better things to do than waste my time torturing potentially useless information out of a worm like him. I could live without answers. I knew enough to justify taking him out. Anyway, it was a bit of a personal “fuck you” to Harley by taking out one of his regulars.

The shift in the atmosphere seemed to affect the vampire right away. His stance changed from defensive to unguarded, as if he wasn’t sure what to do. The need to tear his throat out had shifted to a hunger for his supernatural essence. My own energy had reached out to seduce and draw him in. It hadn’t been an entirely conscious decision on my part. It came naturally.

I watched as he tried to fight it. I knew what it felt like to be sucked into someone else’s power, spiraling out of control into an abyss that was as enticing as it was deadly. The time I had experienced it, it had scared me into a panic. I never would have dreamed that same ability would so soon be mine. It felt much too natural and that scared the shit out of me, too. The blood bond that I’d formed with Arys had changed everything for me.

I went from being naturally gifted with basic abilities to having more power than anything living should have. Or, so I’ve been told. The fact that I’m a werewolf makes me somewhat of an enigma to vampires like Arys and Harley. The vamps with the serious power, they can’t get enough of me. It started with Arys. He was the only one who called to that part of me. After forming a power bond with him and joining our power, it all snowballed out of control.

With that increase in my abilities, I began to capture the attention of power hungry vampires like Harley and my own friend and colleague, Kale Sinclair. Forming the blood bond with Arys was the only way to guarantee that no other vampire would ever be able to force me into one. Considering Harley had tried it, I had little choice in the matter. It was either be bonded in every way to my vampire lover or take my chances.

What made the blood bond most scary was the fact that mortals bonded to a vampire by blood were fated to rise as an undead themselves after passing through their mortal death. They would remain bound to that vampire indefinitely. As supernatural as werewolves are, we are still unmistakably mortal.

Being a living creature with powers that belong to the dead has been a recipe for disaster. Whether that was because I still lived and breathed, I didn’t know, but I faced a constant battle for control of myself and my abilities. When it did all come together though, it was pure magic and it felt damn good.

I knew the moment that he was all mine. Gazing into his eyes, I lifted a hand and beckoned to him with one finger. The sensual quality to it felt foreign but comfortable. He didn’t want to respond--I could sense it--but, with one foot in front of the other, he came to me anyway. I stopped him with a gesture before he invaded my personal space.

Running my hand over his aura caused him to squirm as if I’d touched him. His energy felt warm and smooth. Taking a deep breath, I drew it in so that it rolled over me, tasting what this vampire was really made of. His sweetness pleasantly surprised me. His power wasn’t exceptional like Arys’s, but it was strong. It created a tingle in the pit of my stomach, one that quickly grew to encompass my entire body.

“You’ve been turning vampires at The Wicked Kiss.” It wasn’t a question. I stepped closer so that barely a foot of space remained between us. The slightest motion of my fingers, and I pulled hard on his power, tearing it from him painfully fast.

With a cry, he went down on his knees. Staring up at me, he nodded calmly. Taking his energy into me so fast resulted in a disorienting head rush that almost sat me on my ass. I fought to clear my head and focus on the vampire at my feet. The control I had over him just that quickly blew my mind. Now, if only I could maintain it.

“Two.” Fear shone in his eyes, but he remained relaxed under my hold. I’d already stripped away his defenses. He was too weak to do much now.

It pissed me off that the vampires frequenting The Wicked Kiss believed they could do as they liked. The human donors that walked into the place made their own decisions. They could die there for all I cared. However, when they started coming back out with their own thirst for blood, I couldn’t ignore that problem.

Taking his energy into me felt good, and I had to remind myself that I wasn’t here for a game of cat and mouse. I’d hunted him in order to kill him. I had a point to make, and he was my means of doing so. Dragging this out excruciatingly long was not only completely cold, it was unnecessary. Still, the side of me that was all about the power could have played off his fear and his easily manipulated sensuality all night. The wolf inside, on the other hand, had little interest in any of it.

The Wicked Kiss had been at the top of my hit list for months now. Since my abilities had increased with the blood bond to Arys, I had been able to feel the entire place inside my head like one giant writhing mass of horror. It sickened me to no end. It did not help that my friend Kale had been using the place to fill the void of a centuries-old ache.

Staring down into the face of the monster before me, he looked so much like a man that it was easy to forget how far from human he was. His pupils were huge, reflecting my own image back at me. With my blonde hair and deep brown eyes, I, too, wore the illusion of human. So deceitful.

The power that ruled me was way beyond my capacity. I reached out to the natural energy sources around me to ground and balance myself. It eased the growing ache inside my skull, but the power coursing through me continued to burn, constant and at an extremely high voltage.

My body reacted physically to the metaphysical sensations. I was almost as blindsided by my own power as the vampire at my feet was. Warmth flooded me with a sexual glow in response to the intimate nature of the moment. I wasn’t thinking anymore, I was just acting in accordance to the force guiding me.

Caught up in the irresistible lure, the need for more of the euphoric feelings that swept me, I slowly sank to my knees before him. Reaching out ever so slowly, I caressed his face with a tender touch. I knew that I was about to bring it all to an end for him, and though I wanted to feel remorse or shame for that, I felt only eager anticipation.

When my instinct turned to desire, I feared the craving to feel him inside me while I drained the life from him. A swarm of images swam together behind my eyes, one blur of blood, sex and death. I ached to feel his naked flesh, to taste his blood as it flowed. I leaned into him, alive with the vampire power that lived within me. The need to take all that he had to give was rooted in my core.

The balance of the wolf saved me, preventing me from taking it too far. With a snarl, my wolf rose to the surface. The true predator inside me broke the hold that the vampire’s hungers had over me. I sprang into action, swinging a clawed hand before he could free himself from my allure. I punched into his chest with a rib breaking motion that caused us both to cry out. My hand slid through things that were warm and wet until I reached his heart and tore it free.

It lay heavy in my hand, slick and dripping with blood. The vampire rocked unsteadily on his knees before hitting the ground, hard, face first. I winced and scrambled to my feet. His remains instantly began to fade to dust and ash. I dropped the heart and brought my fingers to my lips, tasting his blood. I watched until there was nothing left of him but pieces that I kicked into the snow.

There was no denying it anymore: I couldn’t go on like this. As the conductor of my power, I should not also be victim to it. This had to stop before I did something I truly regretted. Losing control wasn’t an option. It was losing control with Arys that got me into this in the first place.

Power like that which Arys and I possessed was rare. It affected me differently because my heart continued to beat. Only one person had the knowledge that I needed to master it completely, and Harley Kayson wasn’t someone that would dole out that kind of information without a price. Not to mention, Arys would die twice before he would let me anywhere near Harley again.

Staring into the mix of bloodied ash and snow, I couldn’t help but feel that something had to give. I couldn’t live this way, lacking the piece of the puzzle that put me in charge. It took so little to strip my control away.

A siren sounded off in the distance, startling me out of my thoughts. Making my way back down the deserted street, I tasted the blood that lingered in my mouth and grimaced. I was a risk to myself and everyone around me.

Chapter Two

Stars shine especially bright in the absence of city streetlights. Those who never experience the true beauty beyond the city limits don’t even know what they’re missing, but I do. Staring into the vast night sky with the wind ruffling my hair, I admired the beauty of the stars unobstructed by flashing lights and the roar of traffic.

I strolled through the parking lot to the front doors of Lucy’s Lounge. The shabby little nightclub was the hottest thing that Stony Plain had going for it, and I loved it to bits. Though my small hometown was just ten minutes down the highway from the big city, it felt like it was a world away. You’d never find a traffic circle or a one way street here.

Arys was here, and I wanted to talk to him. It couldn’t wait until whenever he decided to stroll over for some love. It was Tuesday, which meant he’d likely be playing poker and taking his opponents for everything they had. Typical vampire, he can never have too much of anything.

I was still buzzing from the power high of the kill. It was like an adrenaline rush that wouldn’t subside. I felt the connection between myself and the earth, the energy that flowed in everything. It was amazing. A slight giddiness caused me to grin to myself as if I had a dirty secret. It felt better than if I’d just slammed a few shots of good tequila. I had to pause before entering the building to take a deep breath and get a hold of myself. If I didn’t shield hard, I was going to be vibing off every person inside, which quickly becomes overwhelming.

A stop at home to scrub my nails and change into clean jeans and a long black dressy sweater had been done with haste. I wanted to track Arys down before he impulsively followed something warm blooded out for a bite. I could easily open the mental door between us and access his mind. He’d always wanted to toy with that ability, but it freaked me out. It felt invasive and unnatural from both sides. I loathed making use of it unless absolutely necessary. As of yet, it wasn’t.

Nodding to the bouncer at the door, I smiled tightly and brushed past. Though my fangs and claws had since receded, the power humming through me, like a medium-grade drug hit, caused my wolf to refuse to lie silent inside me, instead pressing the surface of my being. A complete shift to wolf was the most natural way to burn off the excess energy roiling about within me. The urge was there, but I did have control over that one thing.

I blinked furiously a few times as my sensitive eyes adjusted to the dim and oddly yellow lighting. The stage was empty tonight. Instead of a live band, the DJ had the sounds of classic rock booming through the speaker system. I didn’t waste time scoping the place out. I had a moment where I was torn between locating Arys and going to the bar where Shaz Richardson, the Alpha male werewolf and my mate, was busy serving up drinks to the awaiting line of patrons. The choice was stolen from me when the atmosphere shifted, and my dark vampire emerged from the crowd to capture me from behind in his arms.

Pulling me against his hard body, he brushed his lips against my ear and whispered, “You are on fire, my love. What have you been up to?”

I turned in his arms to face him, and my breath was stolen when he ever so softly traced my lower lip with his tongue. Sparking, our power reached for one another, meshing into a mix of the blue and gold that represented our individual energies. It was only visible to those with the psychic ability to see energy.

If I thought the power was hard to handle on my own, I always remembered how different it was when I was with him. It ran at a much higher intensity; the chemistry between us was dangerously explosive. Yet, it was also easier to manipulate and control.

With a content sigh, I sucked his tongue into my mouth, only now enjoying what we gained from each other. When I was in his arms, everything was different. He tasted like blood, human blood. It created a ravenous longing deep inside me, and along with it, a physical need to have him take me and possess my body.

When he pulled back to peer into me with his insanely blue eyes, my knees weakened, and my heart faltered. Lord help me, but the man was a god. I could stare at him endlessly and never tire of it. He inclined his head slightly, indicating that he awaited my reply. A chunk of jet-black hair fell over one eye, and he gave it a sexy toss.

I bit my lip in frustration. My lust for Arys may have been power driven right from the start, but it was all him. No amount of metaphysical energy could have made me want him as bad as I did. It was just the very sweet icing on the cake.

“Nothing but the usual. Chasing down nasties and making them wish they’d never called me your bitch.” I couldn’t resist the temptation to nibble gently at the silver ring in Arys’s lower lip. It matched the one in his nose as well as the larger one in his left nipple. I suddenly could not wait to get home. “You’re coming by my place tonight, right?”

“Someone called you my bitch?” A grin crossed his handsome face, revealing pearly white fangs. I figured he’d like that. “You must have kicked the shit out of him.” He paused to plant a series of small kisses on my lips while denying me the passionate kiss I longed for. “Oh yeah, I’m coming by tonight. I’m going to take advantage of that tightly wound energy when it snaps.”

“Good. That’s what I was counting on.” I went in for another kiss, and he teasingly dodged it. When he playfully bit at the sensitive spot below my ear, I had to remind myself that we were in public. The erotic thrill of arousal had my body responding to him as a throb began between my legs. “You are such a damn tease.”

Arys chuckled, sending a ticklish shiver down my spine. The man totally got off on making me as hot for him as he possibly could before giving in to my pleas and demands. He knew just how to play me to achieve the response he sought.

“What about your wolf? Will he be dropping by tonight?”

With a pointed look toward the bar, he drew my eye to Shaz, my platinum haired wolf. The intention behind Arys’s words wasn’t lost on me. It wasn’t often that my men shared their time with me, but it did occur on occasion. The thought brought a particular memory to mind, and I smiled to myself.

“Why? Do you want him to?” I asked teasingly, stroking Arys lightly beneath the chin as I watched Shaz mix a fancy cocktail and hand it to a perky brunette.

Wait a minute. I recognized that perky chick. My good mood soured, and the territorial venom filled me until I was clenching my teeth. Casey lived in the same apartment building as Shaz. Apparently, they’d dated casually before he and I managed to sort out our chaotic issues. According to Shaz, it had been innocent and not serious in any way. Yet here she was again, sipping the drink he made her and beaming up at him like a gum-chewing teenybopper.

I didn’t realize I’d taken a step in the direction of the bar until Arys’s hand closed on my wrist. He raised an eyebrow in question, and I shrugged.

“Let’s go over there. I have to confront this relentless piece of work. Or tear her head off and stuff it up her-,”

“Alexa!” Arys admonished, cutting my words off with a quick press of his lips to mine. “Such unlady-like behavior. At least get her outside before we make short work of her. Who is she anyway?”

I shot him a dirty look. “She’s nobody important. And, what do you mean by ‘we’?”

“Well, you can’t have all the fun without me.” He grabbed me playfully, right in the ticklish spot between my ribs. It earned him another glare. He knew how much I hated that.

I led the way to the bar, and Arys ambled along behind me, in no rush to watch me act like a jackass. The urge to defend what I felt was mine was like the need to breathe. There was no defeating it. I wasn’t the jealous type in any over the top, psychotic regard. However, I was wolf, and all I saw was a human female treading on my turf.

Bypassing the line at the bar completely, I sidled up beside Casey with a grin that couldn’t have been anything but predatory. She was giggling at Shaz and touching his arm but turned quickly when I filled the space at her side.

Her face went from bubbly and flirty to stone cold in an instant. She was taller than my five-foot-one, and she made a point of looking down at me. If her sneer was supposed to frighten me off, she would have to do better than that.

“Hey, babe.” Shaz attempted a lighthearted greeting, and I ignored the warning look he gave me. “Can I get you anything? It’s on the house.”

“No, thanks.” I never took my eyes from Casey to look at him, but I could feel his discomfort. “I just came to ask if you were coming by tonight after you’re done here.”

I gave Casey a pointed look, but she refused to take the hint. Instead, she made a show of looking me over before scoffing. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Her gaze was drawn behind me, and I knew she was looking at Arys. “Weren’t you just locking lips with him?”

She gestured to Arys, and I shrugged. “What business is that of yours?”

With a sweep of her hand, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and fixed me with an icy stare. “It isn’t really. But, forgive me if I thought that meant you were finished with Shaz.” She rolled her eyes as if I was out of my mind. Maybe I was, but she was still lucky I didn’t pluck those pretty, little orbs from her head and drop them into her drink.

“Casey,” Shaz interjected, clearly feeling trapped behind the bar. “This isn’t the best time. Really.”

Neither Casey nor I looked at him. We were intent on each other, and I wished so badly that I could bare my fangs at her and send her screaming into the night. Would it really be so bad if I just knocked her out? Surely, that couldn’t be as big a deal as leaving her in bloody pieces.

“Finished with Shaz?” I laughed at that. “Maybe I just have the best of both worlds.”

Her eyes darted from me to Shaz, and when he didn’t deny a thing, she slammed her drink down on the bar. “Well, isn’t that so sweet for you all? I’m sorry I bothered.” Before Shaz could feel guilty and play the nice guy, she spun on her heel and made for the exit.

I couldn’t help but feel a little bad, not about approaching Casey but about the dark look that my white wolf wore. He, too, had acted out when his territory was infringed upon, but this time, I felt like I wasn’t being fair. And, as much as I knew that and felt ashamed of it, that only went so deep and then I just didn’t care.

Was the vampire in me giving me an undeserved complex, a sense of entitlement, or was I just a super bitch? Either way, I wasn’t about to change, and the fact that I really didn’t want to scared me. Why was this always about struggling for and losing my remaining hold on my quickly fading humanity?

“Well, that was nice, Lex.” Shaz leaned on top of the bar, fixing me with a look I knew well. He wasn’t going to guilt me. It wasn’t in him to do so. “I do have to live in the same building as her, you know. If I go home and find a dead animal stuffed in my mailbox, I’m holding you responsible.”

“I’m sorry.” Shoving Casey’s abandoned drink aside, I reached for his hand, and he surrendered it willingly. “Ok, that’s a lie. I’m not sorry. But, that was one of those territorial things you’re always going on about. You know damn well she just wants to bang you. And, I don’t blame her for that. But, it’s my duty to squash those intentions.”

“Fair enough.” Shaz brought my hand to his lips, breathing in my scent before placing a soft kiss on my knuckles. He glanced at Arys who waited a few feet behind me. “What are you two up to? You feel pretty vampy…and your skin is so hot.”

“I’m headed home right away. I’m pretty wired. I feel like I’ve been hit by lightning.” It was so easy to get lost in Shaz’s enchanting green eyes. One thing I could not fault Casey for was her attraction to him. He was heartbreakingly beautiful in both human and wolf form.

He nodded and looked to the growing line of people waiting for drinks. The only other bartender that he worked with was hurriedly trying to pick up his slack. “I’ll stop by later, after closing.”

I was reluctant to leave him after the dumbass move I’d just pulled. However, we all have a duty to do, and right then, cashing in on the drunk and disorderly was his. My cheeks burned with embarrassment when I turned back to Arys.

“Am I a control freak or is that just me?” I asked.

“Seriously?” Arys took my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. “You are a little nuts. But, you’re no worse than either of us.”

I frowned, contemplating his response. I guess I could live with that, so long as I never became as dominant and possessive as either of my men were. I couldn’t help but look back at Shaz over my shoulder. He graced me with his heart-stopping smile, and I felt a little better about running Casey out. But really, who wouldn’t have?

Arys was right though. He and Shaz were worse. They had actually come to blows, and though they have somewhat of an understanding, it was tense and fragile at best. They were two very dominant and extremely different men. Of course, if Casey had wanted to fight it out, I would have been more than happy to sink my teeth into her. I guess I had an unfair advantage, though, as she was the prey and I, the predator.

We made our way outside, not so far behind Casey. I could see her punching numbers furiously into her cell phone as she looked up and down the street. I turned to go towards my car, and Arys nudged me lightly in the side.

“She’s all yours, if you want her.”

Six months ago, I would have been shocked to hear him say that. Now, it was almost expected. He should have known better, though, than to instill the thought in my head. I stared after her even as I forced myself to put one foot in front of the other. Even as we drew closer to my bright red Dodge Charger, Casey was looking more appealing than ever.

“You know Shaz would kill me,” I said, more to convince myself than him. “I don’t want her anyway. Not like that.” The thought of tasting Casey, biting into her, didn’t really appeal to me. It sounded great in theory, but that was where that fantastic idea ended.

Walking away and leaving her standing outside Lucy’s Lounge wasn’t all that easy. My insecurities demanded that I ensure she didn’t go back inside. However, I had to trust Shaz no matter how little I trusted her. I kept walking until I reached my car, never allowing myself another look back. It was agony.

Actually, a sadistic little part of me toyed with the idea of offering her a ride home. I could just imagine the snarky retort it would earn me. Instead, I tore out of the lot with a squeal of tires and the smell of burnt rubber.

The jaunt across town to my house took less than ten minutes. It still felt strange pulling into the rich golf course neighborhood. After several months, I still wasn’t used to living in this section of town. It had been hard to accept the large house as my own.

Raoul Roberts, my former Alpha and lover, had left it to me in his will. I had watched as his daughter killed him in the backyard. It was something that haunted me daily because I couldn’t let go of the pain and confusing regret. Not only had Raoul been the first man I’d given my heart and body to, he had also waited until his death to reveal to me through a letter that he was responsible for the attack that turned me. I still struggled to come to terms with it, but it was getting easier as time went on--except for the whole not being able to tear him apart myself aspect.

The house was dark when we pulled up, just as I’d left it. Most of the neighbors were older professionals that kept to themselves. It worked for me, but I did desperately miss the forest out my back door.

My old place, the one I’d shared with my best friend and fellow werewolf Kylarai, was the perfect spot for all wolves. The backyard led right into the rural forest area surrounding town. Even though it was only a few minutes away, I missed it as if it were hours instead. I visited frequently.

The emotional anxiety that stemmed from seeing Casey ate at me. I shoved the front door open with more force than necessary. She was nothing to me, and yet I was letting the entire scenario affect my mood.

Arys began flicking lights on, completely at home in my house, probably more so than I was. I watched as he walked through the house, admiring how perfect he was when he didn’t know I was looking. I leisurely removed my shoes and sweater before slowly following him into the kitchen.

The need to talk to him nagged me. I wasn’t sure how to broach the subject, but the last thing I wanted was for it all to take a bitter turn. My skin began to burn, and I took a shaky breath.

Strong arms went around me as Arys pulled me forcefully into a comforting embrace. He knew me well and was prepared for my resistance. When I made as if to pull away, he tightened his hold on me.

“What’s wrong with you, my wolf? Your anxiety is driving me mad.” His lips brushed my ear, and there was a twinge in my stomach in response. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”

I threw my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. Inhaling his mixed scent of cologne, hair products and Lucy’s Lounge, I sighed and let the resulting sensations wash over me. The power rose between us, as it always did, our two mingling to become one. Sometimes I thought I would never get used to this, no matter how much time passed. The strength of the pull between us seemed to grow with every touch.

“Is it really that obvious?”

“Your energy is toxic. It’s making me feeling jumpy. Start talking.” Despite his words, he continued to kiss his way from my ear down the side of my neck, hitting my ticklish spot along the way. I laughed softly and pressed against him, pleased when I felt his body respond to me.

“How can I talk when you’re doing that?” I asked. When his fangs scraped along my sensitive flesh, the resulting quiver of heat throughout my body swept the concerns from my mind. It wasn’t hard to forget my own name when Arys had his hands on me.

“Ok, let’s talk after.” Capturing my lips with his, he thrust his tongue into my mouth. The moist heat and the slightly bloody taste of him got my beast pacing impatiently inside me. I was on fire with the overwhelming power I’d called during my hunt earlier. The need to expend it was strong, unbearably so.

If I waited to bring up my worries, it would be even worse. This wasn’t going to be pretty, but it had to be done. I needed to be able to live with myself and the power at my disposal. It was nothing but agony, almost a physical pain, but I broke off the mind-blowing kiss and pulled back.

“Wait. Arys, I do need to talk to you. Something has been bothering me. I should just spit it out now.” I searched his ocean eyes, finding a flicker of awareness within their depths. He knew what was coming. I cringed inwardly.

He nodded, taking a step back but refusing to release me entirely. “This is more power talk, isn’t it? The never ending search for answers.”

“What search?” I asked, a frown creasing my brow. “I haven’t gotten any answers at all. I’d hardly call that a search.”

Arys gazed down at me, and my heart fluttered. He said nothing, waiting with a virtuous patience that I didn’t possess. My skin tingled as his hands slid down my arms until our fingers were entwined. I expected him to argue right away or tell me I was being ridiculous. It unnerved me when he continued to watch me silently.

“I feel like I am barely in control of myself anymore,” I went on, hoping to sound casual when, to me, I just sounded scared. “I try to pull off something small, and it booms bigger than intended. Or, I go for the big bang, and it falls flat when I’m relying on it to be my defense. It’s bullshit, Arys. Everything I hold inside me seeks to be the one in charge. If I don’t do something about that, it’s going to take over everything that I am.”

I realized how tightly I was squeezing his hands, but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes never left my face. “You know I don’t want this to be so painful for you.” He reached to brush my hair back before tracing the outline of my bottom lip. “I agree. There has to be a solution. Having this kind of power isn’t natural for a mortal. But, it has lived in you for some time now, and I believe that you are more than capable of handling it.”

“That’s just it, Arys. I don’t know how to handle it. Obviously, you can only show me so much. It isn’t the same for both of us.”

“Well,” he eyed me skeptically. “When you find that magical, all-knowing person you seem to think is out there, be sure to ask them if they know much about vampires that have a wolf trying to shred its way from their body every full moon.”

I pulled away from him completely, crossing my arms over my chest. Flashing him a look of irritation, I turned my back on him and paced the length of the room. “I know this goes both ways, but it’s funny how you always say shit like that, as if it’s something you can pin on me. Let’s not go back to the finger pointing. That could get ugly.”

I didn’t have to look at him to know his temper was starting to simmer. I was easily the far shorter tempered of the two of us, but his energy prickled with a heat that could only be anger.

“I’m not blaming you for anything, Alexa. I think you want me to, though, because it gives you an excuse to be pissy and defensive. I’m just reminding you that you’re not the only one that suffers.”

A frustrated growl rumbled low in my throat. Doubtless, he heard it from where he stood on the other side of the kitchen. “I know you suffer, too. Give me some credit for not being completely heartless. But, you have control over your power and abilities when faced with a dangerous situation. I don’t, and it scares the hell out of me. I am not ready to die.”

“Die?” His tone dropped. Low, smooth as silk on bare skin, his voice seemed to stroke me somewhere deep down. “If I didn’t know better, I would say that you are regretting your hasty decision to bind yourself to me. Forever isn’t looking so good now, is it?”

My temper flared, and I whirled to face him. “What’s with the cheap shot? That’s not fair.” It wasn’t. Did I second-guess the choice I had made to form a blood bond with Arys? Of course, it was only natural. But, did I regret it? Never.

I stared at him, fighting to keep the emotion from my face. Running a hand through his perfectly messy hair, he didn’t meet my eyes but instead glanced at the floor. “I’m an asshole. That never should have come out like that. I’m sorry.”

For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say, but as long as he was feeling apologetic, I might as well throw it all out there. “Harley said that I was more powerful than he is. Yet, when things got crazy, I had nothing. He was still able to manipulate me because he knew my power better than I did. And, we both know how close that came to ending very badly.”

I sucked in my breath with a small gasp when the energy surrounding us grew sharp, almost painful as it reacted to Arys’s emotions. His head snapped up, and the look he gave me was chilling. Aw, fuck.

“What are you saying, Alexa?” One foot in front of the other, he slowly advanced on me. I had the urge to take a step back. “Please, do not tell me you’re getting at what I think you’re getting at.”

My voice shook when I spoke. I was terrified of his reaction when I said, “He’s the only one who knows enough to help me.”

The air crackled, and I jumped when Arys slammed his fist down on the counter. A drinking glass next to the sink practically flew into the air before smashing all over the floor. The sound was worse than the actual mess.

The sound of shattering glass flashed me back in time – to the day Raoul died, and my eyes automatically went to the glass patio doors off the kitchen. Arys himself had thrown me through the sliding glass doors. It hadn’t been his intention. My injuries had been brutal, but I’d lived to tell the story. Lucky me.

“Fuck that!” He snapped. “There is no way that he’s the only one. Whatever you’re thinking, just stop. Don’t tell me that you believe anything he said to you. Do you?”

I had to concentrate on taking deep breaths as I tried to shut out the effect his negative energy was having on me. It hurt, but it also encouraged my wolf to break free of the metaphysical overload. As I fought back the instinct to shift forms, I watched Arys’s eerie vampire eyes change.

The color grew to encompass the whites until he looked at me with eyes that were all wolf. Our bond had done that to him, given him a connection with my wolf, one that he could never be free of but also could never fulfill. Arys couldn’t shift forms. I had never seen him like this. Shaz had, once. This wasn’t a good sign.

“Arys, you need to calm down.”

“And, you need to answer my question.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched, and I studied him, looking for any sign of the wolf overpowering him. He seemed to have himself under control other than that little outburst. His fists continuously clenched and unclenched at his sides. The storm of his emotions battered me, try as I might to shield myself from them.

“I believe what I saw. He was able to take the power from me and then laugh at my inexperience.” I closed my eyes in memory for just a moment, reliving the helpless feeling when Harley had me right where he wanted me, his fangs buried in my throat. “I thought I was dead that night. I almost was. Walking around like a loaded gun without a safety is going to get me killed.”

I may have been destined to rise as a vampire upon my death, but that didn’t mean I had to be in a hurry. Werewolves live two to three times as long as humans do. I wanted to enjoy every moment. I had so much vampire in me already, and I was not ready for any more just yet.

When Arys turned away from me, breaking eye contact, my heart dropped. I could feel his stubborn resolve almost as keenly as if it had been my own. He muttered a series of curse words, and the power began to buzz audibly. It was pushing me to the edge of my control. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take tonight.

The silence became a deafening roar of white noise. The lights dimmed and brightened in sequence, and I focused hard on staying calm. We’d destroyed enough things to know when the power was growing beyond a safe capacity. I didn’t want to deal with it, but unfortunately, our power was part of every moment that Arys and I shared.

“Stay away from him, Alexa.” His voice would have been soothing had it not been for the hint of menace underlying it. “I’m not asking.”

My heart jumped as fear coursed through me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Did he just threaten me?

“What if I’m not asking either?” The words boldly spilled from my lips, driven by the she-wolf inside me that refused to be controlled by a man who was not my wolf mate. “I don’t need your permission for anything.”

Now I’d really done it. I braced myself, expecting him to unleash his anger all over me. Instead, he faced me with a strange sadness in his gaze where there should have been fury. I was confused by the change in what he was giving off as it touched me, enveloping me in the sorrow of the undead.

Moving carefully through the shattered glass, Arys closed the space between us. I truly didn’t know what to expect. So, when he roughly pulled me into his arms and kissed me with a depth and passion that caused my breath to catch, I was speechless.

My heart froze when he pulled back long enough to whisper in my ear, “I promise that you will regret it if you make the mistake of testing me on this.”

I gaped at him, stunned silent. I knew Arys was touchy about the one who made him, but this was really freaking me out. He had never spoken to me like that. I would have been pissed right off if I hadn’t been so damn scared.

Before I could make sense of my flustered thoughts, he brought his lips back to mine in a bruising kiss that could only be defined as possessive. He smelled like wolf, pine and fur. I reveled in it despite the confusion swirling within me. My beast was strong in him, and as he sought to dominate me, I responded to him against my will.

His touch was like molten lava as he swept my legs out from under me and picked me up in his arms. His kiss was urgent as his tongue thoroughly explored my mouth. Even as I asked myself what the hell I was doing, I kissed him back with desire when I should have been nothing short of enraged.

I wanted to rant at him, to ask him who the hell he thought he was to dare threaten me like that, but the will to do so wasn’t there. As the power crashed through us, I was overcome by it, and I clung to him as he carried me.

He didn’t take me to the bedroom like I assumed he would. Instead, he went as far as the bare kitchen table where he sat me on top of it. I started to shake my head and tell him that he was out of his mind. I had good reason to be ticked at him right now. Besides, this was where I ate dinner.

As if he knew my protest was coming, he continued to kiss me hungrily, like he simply couldn’t get enough. The last of my pathetic attempt at resistance vanished when he wasted no time in ridding me of my clothing. Without a care, he tossed each item I wore as he removed it.

My mind kept trying to form words, to say something, anything, after the last thing he’d said to me. Nothing sensible would come when he cupped my breasts and nipped his way down my neck. Drawing one of my nipples into his mouth, he sucked hard on it until it stood firm. I couldn’t hold back the moan I’d been trying to deny. Like I knew it would, the sound fed his ego, and he moved to my other breast where he bit at it aggressively.

A low growl came from him when he stepped back and peeled his shirt off. His eyes never left me, and I felt the weight of them as he savored the sight of me sitting naked on the edge of the table.

Those crazy wolf eyes looked all wrong on Arys. They were my eyes. My eyes often turned his peculiar vampire blue when his power was riding me hard, but the reverse seemed much more unnatural. He wore this startling expression, one that made me feel hunted. I shifted nervously, my pulse racing when he shed his blue jeans.

Everything about this scenario was very controlled, yet I held none of the strings being pulled. This was about Arys enforcing his will on me through a physical act, yet knowing that, I still tensed with anticipation when he nudged my legs apart so he could stand between them.

His hand slid through my hair to stroke the back of my neck. Even though our groins matched up, he was taller than I was, and I had to tilt my head back to look up at him. I reached out to run my hands down his stomach, and he surprised me by jerking my head roughly to the side. Baring my neck, he was on me fast, sinking his fangs in one smooth and painful motion.

I yelped, absolutely shocked that he’d bit me. It didn’t usually happen like this. I hadn’t been ready or willing in any way. The defenses of the wolf inside me were instantaneous. Claws sprouted from my fingertips, and my fangs were suddenly there, long and razor sharp. A snarl erupted from me, and Arys chuckled low in his throat as my blood spilled.

This was what he wanted. To abandon any semblance of human play and go for the bloodshed and brutality. After the corner he’d backed me into during our conversation, I was more than ready to play a little rough. If I had more inner strength, I would have told him to please himself and leave me out of it. As it was, my body was reacting of its own accord.

The agonizing pain seemed to scorch a path from where his fangs were still embedded in my flesh all the way to the pit of my stomach. Arys slid a hand between my thighs and thrust two fingers inside me, forcing a small animal-like sound from me. I was relatively immobile, and he seemed to prefer it that way.

Gripping my hips, he pulled my ass closer to the edge of the table. The motion jerked me hard against him, and I reached out with a clawed hand to brace myself. Five bloody scratches marred his chest, but he paid them no attention.

I wasn’t surprised when he skipped the traditional foreplay. Finding me wet enough, he quickly replaced his fingers with his shaft. I resisted, but only to make it a challenge for him. He pushed against me, hard and ready. I squirmed, teasing him, and he released his hold on my wounded neck.

The blood spilled down my neck and chest, trailing several crimson lines down my breast to my stomach. He held tight to my hair, as if he planned to control my movements by keeping a tight grip on my head, as if I were an angry snake. My blood was smeared on his fangs and lower lip. I watched as he slowly licked at the remnants.

The look he fixed on me was deadly. He leaned in close, forcing me backwards until I lay flat upon the table. Only then did he release my hair. With a hand hooked under each of my hips, he fiercely plunged inside me so that I was suddenly filled with him. The sounds I made seemed to encourage him, and he withdrew slowly only to thrust deep into me again.

Every thrust was rougher than the last. No human woman would ever have been able to take this kind of aggressiveness, but for me, that pain was also pleasure. It spoke to the animal inside me, raw and hungry. Arys pounded into me faster until I was crying out his name.

I felt him twitch inside me, as if his climax was building steadily now. I hated that he had me pressed against the tabletop. I wanted to sit up and feel his body against mine. And, he damn well knew it.

He held me down so that I could only lay there while he had his way with me. I reached for him, my claws digging into his forearms. The scent of blood and sex filled the room. The climax that built up inside me hit hard and fast, crashing down over me like a tidal wave. The intensity of it turned my moans to small cries mingled with howls. I ached in so many places, but it was euphoric and left me feeling like I floated among the clouds.

Arys groaned and leaned down over me so that his face was pressed to my chest. He licked softly at the blood that stained my pale skin. My arms went around him, and I held him tight.

It seemed like an eternity passed as I listened to the hum of energy around us. Arys leisurely licked at the punctures he’d left in my neck. When he’d had enough, he attempted to kiss me, despite the four fangs in my mouth that made it difficult.

“I love you,” he murmured against my lips.

He hadn’t said that to me in over a month, as it just wasn’t part of our day to day as it was with Shaz and me. It got my attention as the sexual haze began to wear off.

“Arys…” My voice trailed off as I tried to form the words. “I love-,”

Another kiss prevented me from returning the words of endearment. In the past six or seven months that we’d been involved, he had never let me finish that sentence. It was nothing short of aggravating.

“But Alexa, about Harley,” he nibbled and sucked on my lips and tongue before pinning me with his deadly serious gaze. “I meant what I said.”

Chapter Three

The unmistakable sound of conflict floated through my office door. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, I paused in typing an email to listen. Lilah and Veryl were engaged in a heated discussion. This never happened.

Feeling like a kid spying on my parents, I quietly got up from my chair and crept to the open door. Murmurs carried down the hall from Veryl’s office. His voice was low, barely audible compared to Lilah’s angry hiss. Whatever was going on, she was pissed.

Despite my metaphysical shield, her angry energy was able to punch holes in it. I felt nothing from Veryl, but he was only a vampire. Lilah was a vampire, but she had been a demon first and still was. She scared the crap out of me when she was in a good mood. I didn’t like the vibes rolling off her.

Slipping out of my office, I made my way to the small kitchen. The sound of Lilah’s voice barely faded. Jez looked up at me from where she perused a copy of Cosmopolitan. The look she gave me was curious. Her cat eyes looked especially brilliant green today. I shrugged and she frowned.

“Hey, Lex?” She motioned me over with a finger topped with perfect red polish. “What do you think of these shoes?”

As I drew closer, I noticed that the shoes on the page looked like punishment devices straight out of hell. The sound of disgust I made earned me a dirty look from the fashion friendly leopard.

“I’m probably the wrong person to ask. I don’t know much about shoes other than price and comfort.” Bending down over her shoulder, I brought my lips close to her ear. Her scent was a mixture of wild animal and Chanel number something or other. Fearing sensitive ears down the hall would hear me, I barely breathed the words. “What the hell is going on down the hall?”

She giggled and squirmed, batting at her ear. “That tickles, cut it out. It’s also sending a fun tingle down my spine so you may want to back off. Or do you?” She smirked. I ignored her teasing come-on. She was full of them. When she gestured that she didn’t have a clue what was up with Lilah and Veryl, I chewed a nail as the curiosity ate me alive.

Jez slapped my hand away from my face and shook a finger at me. “No wonder your nails are always bitten to shit. You seriously need a manicure, lady.”

I tried to glare at her, but I was too preoccupied by trying to hear the details of the commotion in Veryl’s office. “A manicure would be wasted on me. I’d destroy it within hours.”

She huffed at me and turned back to her magazine. I perched on the edge of the table, straining to hear. Yeah, so it wasn’t the most polite thing to do, but it sounded big, and I wanted to know.

“So, what are you doing here?” Jez asked after flipping a few more fashion pages. “I thought you weren’t taking anymore private clients.”

“I’m not. My reputation has been drawing some pretty unsavory characters lately. Either they want to kill me or they want me to kill someone that doesn’t meet my criteria. I’m tired of playing games with vampires too pussy to do their own dirty work.” It also put me in a very vulnerable position. I’d taken many private hits in the past, rarely second guessing my decision. “Veryl asked me to come in.”

The work I did for Veryl was for one purpose only: take out the supernaturals that threatened the rest of us with exposure. I wish I could say it was because they were evil and had to be disposed of. Truthfully, most of them were just stupid, unable to keep a low profile like those of us who value our anonymity. The work I had done on the side was merely for the money. After streams of clients seeking an easy solution to their problems or those looking to get their hands on me, I was done with it. Ever since Harley had shown up at the office when I was alone, I hadn’t felt comfortable taking on a private kill.

Before either of us could speak again, a loud bang came from down the hall as Lilah flung Veryl’s office door open. The intensity of her anger preceded her.

“I am tired of being manipulated like everyone else around you. Do your own goddamn dirty work from now on. Trust me, I have far greater concerns than any threat you can throw at me.” Lilah’s voice echoed down the hall, and the black taint of her power reached out to stroke me like an uninvited hand. It hurt as it rolled over me.

I jumped when she suddenly appeared in the doorway. Her flame-colored eyes flashed with fury. Fixing them on me, she gave her copper locks a toss. “He’s ready to speak with you, and he’s in the mood to ask for favors. Consider yourself warned.”

Without waiting for me to reply, she spun on her heel and headed for the door. The sound of her combat boots on the hard tile floor seemed unnaturally loud. The woman was an enigma. Nobody fascinated me the way she did. I was dying to know more about her. I’d seen her destroy a demon with no more than a word, so I was, of course, intrigued by her.

Meeting Jez’s expectant gaze, I mustered the best poker face I could possibly manage. When she gave me the thumbs up, I headed for Veryl’s office. Neutral expressions were not my forte, especially with Veryl. He’d known all along that Raoul had attacked me and slaughtered my family, and ever since I’d found that out, I had developed a distrust and wariness of him.

I’m not a complete moron. I mean, Veryl is a vampire, an old ass one at that, but I’d invested a level of trust in him that I’d learned he didn’t deserve. I couldn’t help but feel like a naive fool. He’d taken advantage of my personal life, my entire existence. Veryl had arranged for Raoul to bring me into his pack, all the while planning to recruit me later and make use of the things that set me apart from other werewolves. Because I was metaphysically gifted before Raoul turned me, Veryl decided that he wanted to see for himself how it enhanced me as a Were. It scared me, especially now that I was bonded on so many levels to Arys. If Veryl thought he was ever going to have access to my power, he had another thing coming.

I’d done my best to see him as little as possible over the last six months, and surprisingly, he had seemed uncomfortable around me, too. I wasn’t sure how much he really knew about me lately. If Harley was aware of how much power I now had, how could Veryl not know?

As I drew closer to his office, my heart began to beat faster. Maybe I should have called in sick. I felt like I was on my way to stand in front of the firing squad.

Pushing the door open, I took a deep breath and stepped inside. Even after avoiding his office for months, it looked just the way it always had. Gorgeous furniture filled the space around his desk, which was covered in papers and computer accessories. Veryl seemed to blend in with the surroundings. His dark grey suit looked just as expensive as anything else in the room.

He looked up at my entry, gesturing to the soft leather chair across from his desk. I didn’t want to sit, but I did anyway, anything to play my part and get this little meeting over.

“How have you been, Alexa?” He beamed a friendly smile at me, but instead of feeling at ease, it put me on guard.

Fine lines around his eyes gave him a gentle, almost fatherly appearance. It was all an illusion. Even as he sat there smiling at me as if he really cared how I was, I could feel his evaluation of me. There was the slightest irritating tickle against my aura when his energy brushed mine. Did he think that I wasn’t able to feel his rude and invasive analysis?

He frowned, and I wondered what it was that he was sensing. Banishing it as fast as it had come, he turned his previous smile on full blast.

“Great,” I said, more chipper than was authentic. “How about yourself?”

“Delightful. I hope you didn’t pay any mind to Lilah. She hasn’t been herself lately.”

I shrugged in response to that, choosing to say nothing about her at all. His eyes never left me, and I got the feeling that he was trying to unnerve me. It took an astounding amount of effort to resist rolling my eyes. I just wanted him to cut to the chase already.

“Alright,” he clapped his hands together and dug through some folders on his desk. “I’ll tell you why I asked you to come in. It seems that there’s a new werewolf in town, a stranger. He’s asking around about Raoul.” He pressed his fingertips together and leaned forward.

“What? What’s he asking?” I sat up straighter in my seat, astonished.

Veryl’s eyes narrowed. “He’s looking for him. Not many people outside those closest to him know what happened. I assume it’s some old unsettled score or something of the such. That’s what I want you to find out.”

My jaw dropped. “Say what?”

He smiled briefly as if my surprise was both expected and amusing. “I want you and your mate to find him and deal with it, before anything public occurs. I assume it would only be a matter of time until he brings trouble to your neck of the woods.”

I couldn’t imagine who would be lurking around, trying to get dirt on Raoul. It could be anyone. I didn’t know everything that he’d been up to before his death. He shared very little with me. His tendency to hide the important things was a lingering pain in the ass.

“It’s Raoul’s problem, dead or not. I don’t want anything to do with it. If the guy is trouble, and you want him taken out, why not send Kale or Lilah?”

“You’re an Alpha wolf with a lot of power, Alexa. You were Raoul’s partner in leading those wolves of yours. Now, you and your mate are his successors as Alphas in your pack. Of course it has to be you.” Veryl spread his arms wide in a dramatic gesture. “Both of you. This has nothing to do with my hired kills. This is your own personal pack business.”

I didn’t like the sound of this at all. “I don’t want Shaz involved with this. It doesn’t apply to him.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course it does. But, that’s your argument with him, not with me.”

My mind was working overtime trying to think of someone, anyone who would have reason to be looking for Raoul right now. Whatever it was, it couldn’t possibly be good, and hearing it from Veryl first wasn’t so awesome for my ego. How could someone be hunting around for my former Alpha while I was totally unaware? That wasn’t acceptable.

Shaz would never think twice about investigating the situation. Since he kicked Julian’s ass in a fight for Alpha, he was fueled by the need to enforce his status and step up to the plate to fulfill his role.

Veryl tossed a cream-colored folder within my reach. “This is the address and the information I have for the werewolf that’s been asking for Raoul. It’s not much. Show it to your mate if you wish, but please, don’t ignore this, Alexa. It could be dangerous.”

“I don’t see why Kale can’t just kill him.”

“Not everything is kill first, ask questions later,” he scolded, receiving a dirty look from me. “Be careful, Alexa. That kind of mentality really doesn’t get you very far. Kill as needed, and always get all of the information first, no matter what you’re dealing with.”

I growled then in irritation. I hated being talked to like a student or a child.

I shoved my chair back and clutched the file folder in one hand. “Thank you, Veryl. I appreciate that you brought this to my attention.” With a nod and a few parting words, I made my way from his office, feeling as if I’d just been hauled down to see the principal for something I didn’t do. It wasn’t fair. Raoul’s sordid past was still coming back to torment me.

I stopped in my office to shut down the computer and gather my things. I wanted to get home and enjoy the rest of my night. I also wanted to talk to Shaz about Harley, and my feeling that Harley was my source for answers. I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell him about the pack related news. Something about it didn’t feel quite right.

Jez’s voice reached me from the kitchen. She was chattering on about the latest celebrity couple splashed on the cover of every tabloid and gossip magazine. I smirked to myself, glad that I wasn’t the poor sucker she was forcing the wasted details on. When I heard the voice that responded to her, my heart raced just a little. Preoccupied with Veryl, I hadn’t sensed Kale’s arrival.

Ever since Kale and I had kissed after hunting down a rogue werewolf together, things had been different between us. He’d confessed a developing hunger for me, thanks to the serious vampire power I was packing, and I had been going out of my way to keep us from being alone together.

I was drawn to him for the same reason he had become drawn to me. Power. With vampires, it was always about power. I had more than my share, and naturally, he was enticed by that. Because he was a willing source that invited me to feed on his energy, I had a hard time resisting the urge. Kale’s power may not be the strongest I’d ever encountered, but it had a way of coating me like honey. And, it was just as sweet.

Maybe if I bypassed the kitchen and went straight for the exit … not likely. With my purse slung on my shoulder and the folder from Veryl in hand, I headed back down the hall. Jez called my name before I’d even reached the doorway. I couldn’t have snuck out if I wanted to.

“Please, don’t torture me with words that are really just combinations of two celebrity names. I can’t bear any more of that insanity.” I came around the corner and grinned when she flipped me off.

I winked at Kale who smiled and nodded. “I’ve seen more in the last five minutes than I ever needed to. There are some things that men are never supposed to know about women.”

“I’m sure all men could benefit greatly from this magazine,” Jez quipped. “You might actually learn something new.”

“Hey now, you are in no position to talk about men. You’ve never even been with one.” Kale admonished, pointing at an ad for feminine products. It was one of the applicators versus fingers ads. “See now that right there is just another thing men don’t ever want or need to see.”

The look on Kale’s face was priceless as he stared in horror at the ad. I had to laugh, which felt nice since it put us both at ease. The expected tension wasn’t nearly as bad as I’d anticipated.

“Anyway,” Jez looked at me pointedly. “That’s not why I called you. I just wanted to know what’s up.” Her voice dropped low, and she raised an eyebrow. “Do tell.”

Handing her the folder, I said, “How fucked is that?”

Kale leaned over her shoulder to look as she thumbed through the brief notes Veryl had made for me. “Seems like it’s probably the last thing you want to deal with.”

I made a sound of disgust. “It’s a waste of my time and so typical of Raoul to leave behind more shit for me to shovel. Like I don’t have enough going on right now.”

“What do you mean?” Jez glanced up from the paper in her hand, concern in her eyes. “What else are you dealing with?”

I shook my head and pressed my lips together. I didn’t want to talk about it with Veryl in the building. “It’s no big deal. I just need to speak with a certain someone that Arys wants me to stay the hell away from.”

“Ah,” she nodded knowingly. “Got it. We’ll chat later. I’ve got to make a few phone calls.” Abandoning her magazine, she handed my folder back.

I turned toward the exit. “Yeah, I’m taking off now. I am more than done here.”

“I’ll walk you out.” Kale followed me to the door, and Jez went to her office. So much for not being alone with him.

I barely felt the chill of the night air due to the sudden nerves. My stomach twisted with worry. I was leery of his reasons for following me out, hoping it wasn’t personal. I’d reached my quota for the week as far as vampire dramatics went.

A light snow was falling. It had already covered our vehicles with a light frosting. Kale turned to me as soon as the door had closed behind us. I was slightly surprised by the deep concern in his mismatched eyes. Born with heterochromia iridium, Kale had one deep brown eye and one amazingly blue one. It was something that the change to vampire hadn’t altered, and it was an intriguing feature that captivated my attention.

“Alexa, you’re not planning to walk into The Wicked Kiss, are you? I assume it’s Harley Kayson that you referred to inside. Please, tell me you’re not that stupid.”

“Oh thanks for that, Kale.” I scoffed. I didn’t appreciate the stupid reference, but the honesty was credible. “What’s stupid is if I listen to Arys and don’t talk to Harley. He knows things. Things that I need to know. And, the more people tell me to stay away from him, the more certain I am that I need to see him.”

We walked toward my car, the softly falling flakes landing perfectly, so that I could see every elaborate detail. Despite the cold and the hellish road conditions, I loved this time of year as much as any other.

“Of course Arys would want you to stay away from his sire. Harley almost bound you. And now that he can’t, he may just come up with other plans for you.” Kale crossed his arms over his chest. The sound of his leather duster as it moved was pleasing to my senses in its familiarity.

“Like what? It’s not as if he can gain much by killing me. He knows I’d be back with a vengeance in a body lacking a heartbeat. That couldn’t possibly do him any good.” Pulling my keys from my pocket, I unlocked my car and wondered again why I didn’t get the remote start feature. “Anyway, Arys threatened me. So his opinion right now means fuck all to me.”

“He threatened you?” The shock adorned Kale’s face like a mask. It was almost funny.

I paused, replaying Arys’s careful words. His actions were worse, and the remembrance of his aggressive lovemaking caused me to flush, hot with anger. I was pissed with him, but I was angry with myself, too. His actions had been stake worthy, and I’d allowed it to happen. Love may be blind, but the stupidity really does me in.

“Well, yeah. He basically promised that I would regret it if I went to Harley. And, whatever that means, I know it won’t be pretty.” I cast my eyes down at the snow-covered ground. I didn’t want Kale to read the humiliation in my gaze.

I could feel the heavy weight of his appraisal before I had the strength to meet his eyes again. “Are you sure that’s something you’re willing to risk? I mean, do you love him?”

Now there was a heavy hitting question I would have expected from my best friend, Kylarai, but not from Kale. I had to swallow a few times before I could give voice to my response.

“I do. But, if it means being controlled by him, then we have a serious problem. I have to love myself more. I learned my lesson already. Loving men like Arys rarely works out the way you’d like it to.” Ok, so I wasn’t really talking about Arys there, but he was so much like Raoul with his extremely dominant tendencies.

“And besides,” I rushed on, hoping he wouldn’t ask any more questions. “This isn’t about love. It’s about me getting the information that I need. My power is useless if I don’t know how to command it entirely. Might as well run around with an Uzi after ditching target practice.”

Thankfully, Kale had been around enough years to know when to push and when to let something go. He chuckled in response to my comment. Inclining his head thoughtfully, he held a hand out to catch the snowflakes as they fell. His cold skin enabled them to linger before melting whereas they melted immediately upon touching mine.

“I can’t say I blame you for feeling the way you do, but don’t go rushing in there without careful consideration. Harley doesn’t have to kill you to hurt you.” Kale’s words brought frightful images to mind. I expected him to talk me out of it, so I was mildly surprised when he said, “If you want to go back to The Wicked Kiss, I’ll go with you. Just don’t go alone, Alexa. It’s bad news.”

“Really? You’d come with me?” I wanted him to confirm it so he couldn’t backtrack later. This might be just too perfect. “I don’t want you to have to tangle with him though.”

Kale made a noise of disgust. “Please. He barely notices my existence as it is. Any vampire that doesn’t live for the rush of the kill is no better than an insect to him. I think I’m safe.”

That was likely true. However, I’d seen Harley smack Kale around before, and I had no desire to put any of my friends in a situation like that again. However, I just wanted to talk to Harley. Maybe he would be receptive, yet I doubted that Harley’s help would come without a price.

“I can face him by myself,” I said, rubbing my arms as the cold slowly started to set in. “But, if you want to come run interference for me, just in case I need help getting out, that would be great.”

“Just say when.”

Kale’s tentative smile revealed fangs in the moonlight. Since he and Kylarai had stopped seeing one another, he hadn’t been involved romantically with anyone else. He always had been somewhat of a loner, and I knew it was because of his tortured past. Still, I would have liked to see him able to share himself with another. Nobody deserved anything less. This life was too hard to face alone.

“Thanks, Kale. I appreciate that. I’m thinking tomorrow night. I’ll meet you there. If I put it off any longer, I might just chicken out.”

“If keeping this from Arys is important to you then you don’t want to go through the front. It’ll get back to him in no time. I’ll take you in the back.”

We hadn’t talked about the vampire bar, The Wicked Kiss, in a while. Not since Kale had attacked me after I’d dragged him out of the place. Not long after that, he’d attempted to come to my rescue when Harley had me trapped there, risking his own safety in the process.

It wasn’t any of my business, but I had to ask. “Have you been spending a lot of time there lately?”

I started to regret my words when his expression grew dark. I really needed to start playing my words in my head before saying them out loud. Kale was a regular patron at The Wicked Kiss. His past was filled with torment at the hands of the vampiress who made him. She’d turned him into a rabid beast. The fact that he was able to regain his sanity at all was a miracle. So now, he fed from the willing at the local vampire hot spot rather than walk the streets looking for a kill like Arys.

If Kale were to start killing again, there’s no telling how bad it would be. I’d experienced just a taste of the true vampire inside Kale, and I did not want to see that ever again.

“No more than usual. It’s a means to an end.” His tone dropped, becoming smoother and seductive. “You know how it goes.”

I certainly did, though my blood hunger wasn’t rooted in death as his was. Not yet. I had more control. The change in his energy was as instant as that in his voice and demeanor. Get the vampire thinking about feeding and pay the price. That was my cue to leave.

Opening the door to my car, I stepped close to it, ready to get in. Kale took a step toward me. His instincts were already driving him. He’d admitted months ago that he wanted me, wanted to taste my blood and bathe in my power. If that ever happened, he’d likely kill me, too.

“I’m going to take off now. I have to meet Shaz at my place.” I watched him closely, warily. He didn’t move away, but he didn’t try to come any closer either. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow night. And, thanks again Kale. I owe you one.”

I dropped into the driver’s seat and started the engine. He laughed then and a lock of dark brown hair fell in his eyes.

“I’m pretty sure you owe me more than just one. But who’s counting?”

Chapter Four

The upstairs master bedroom barely resembled Raoul’s anymore. I turned in a slow circle, taking in the entirety of the room. It had taken me months to work up the nerve to come into his old room. Even after I’d washed away the visible signs of murder, the energy of terror and death lingered.

I’d had Lena come in to do a smudging, cleansing the negative energy. Lena was a witch and a close friend that occasionally offered her services to Veryl. Despite how effective it usually was and how great a witch Lena was, I could still feel Raoul’s lover Belle in the room, as if she were there with me screaming for her life. I couldn’t shake it so I blocked it out, shielding hard as I moved about the room.

With the bed and carpet both removed, the flooring was now just a nice cream-colored tile, matching the tile in the ensuite bathroom. A dresser remained in the corner near the window. It was still filled with Raoul’s clothing. I hadn’t had the heart to either go through them or toss them completely. Yeah, I’m real sentimental that way, if you can call avoidance sentimental.

I still didn’t know what to do with the room. Eventually, I would have to decide. I’d come in here to try and get an idea of what to do with it. Instead, I was standing in the middle of the room staring blankly.

Despite the horrific events that had taken place in this room, I found that I was drawn to it when I needed a moment alone with my thoughts. Though, every time I found my thoughts straying to Zoey Roberts. Raoul’s daughter had been the one to murder Belle in this room. She would have killed me as well if she’d been able to. Ever since I ran into her before Halloween, I’d found my thoughts going to her, wondering if maybe there was a way to get her back into a human body after all.

Zoey was a hybrid, born of a werewolf father and human mother. It had resulted in mixed blood that gave her many of the werewolf’s urges and instincts yet not the wolf body to go along with them. She’d managed to change forms the night of our confrontation, but as far as anyone knew of hybrids, it was impossible for them to change back. They were cursed to live in either one body or the other, until death.

With a sigh, I banished Zoey from my thoughts. I hadn’t cared then. Why start now? In fact, I’d spent weeks, months even, wanting nothing more than to kill her like I should have. I couldn’t. I had enough death weighing on my conscience as it was.

The sound of the front door opening downstairs indicated Shaz’s arrival. He often stopped by after a shift at Lucy’s Lounge. I hadn’t heard from Arys since he’d spoken his carefully worded threat. That was fine with me. I wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation.

“Up here,” I called down to him, but he was already taking the stairs two at a time. The man could scent me anywhere. “Hey, babe. How was your night?”

I turned toward the door in time to be swept into his embrace. My nostrils filled with his amazing smell, and I breathed it in hungrily. Wolf, human and all man, how I loved it. His warmth was heavenly, and I snuggled close against him. Our bodies fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle. It was one of my favorite feelings.

“It’s been a long night. But now, it is finally perfect.” He nuzzled my ear, stimulating the nerves, which sent a tickle down my spine. “How was yours?”

“Better than last night, that’s for sure. I’m glad you came by. I needed this.” Closing my eyes, I soaked up the moment.

Shaz was silent, his arms tightening around me. He rested his head on top of mine, and I pressed my face into his black cotton t-shirt. The only thing missing was my bedroom, which was downstairs.

“I’m guessing that Arys’s pissy mood tonight has something to do with that?”

“You saw him?” I leaned back so that I could look him in the eyes. “Did he say anything?”

His lips twisted into a grimace, and he gave his head a slight shake. “Other than telling me to mind my own business and keep my mouth shut, no. He didn’t have much to say to me.”

“Figures. He must be in a real mood.” With an exasperated sigh, I repeated the incident with Arys to him, editing out unnecessary details. If Shaz knew how he’d enforced his threat, he’d be tearing out of here to go and kill him.

When I finished, Shaz’s jaw was clenching, and his jade green eyes had darkened. Tension thrummed throughout his body, and I stroked the side of his face. If Shaz and Arys were to get physical with each other again, I knew it would end much worse than it had the first time, and this wasn’t worth that kind of trouble.

“I don’t know how that mother fucker thinks he can control you. Lex, you have every damn right to go to whoever you think you need to see. But … I do have to agree that Harley may not be the best first choice. Isn’t there anybody else?”

I shook my head, and chewed my lower lip until I tasted blood. It was a nervous habit. “Not that I know of. Besides, I don’t plan to go alone. Kale’s coming with me.”

Shaz knew about the kiss I’d shared with Kale, but only because I’d told him. Arys knew nothing and never would. Hiding things from Shaz wasn’t something I could do, nor did I want to. He was far more open-minded and understanding than the dominating vampire. He understood why it happened whereas Arys would merely finger point.

“The thought of you walking in there makes me sick to my stomach. Can you just take a few days to think about it?”

I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. I loved that he worried about me, though I didn’t want him to. Our lips met, and for a moment, my nagging problems ceased to hold any power or meaning. The taste of wolf stirred my own beast to life, and I wrapped my arms around his neck to hold him closer.

I dipped my tongue into his mouth for the briefest taste of him. The temptation to linger was strong. He caught my tongue as I tried to pull away, sucking it deep into his mouth. It sent an excited thrill through me, causing my heart to race.

“I have been thinking about speaking with Harley for weeks now. Several. I have to. And besides, he probably won’t even give me the time of day.”

Shaz didn’t look convinced. “Or he’ll be more than happy to see you and milk it for all it’s worth. Just what are you prepared to give him for his help, Alexa? He’s not going to give something for nothing.”

Worry shone in his eyes then, and I knew the types of things that he was imagining Harley would demand. I didn’t doubt most of them myself. I knew how vampires worked.

“Leave that to me, ok? I have boundaries, and I don’t intend to cross any of them.” My mind wandered to the file folder from Veryl sitting in the den. Dammit. “Why don’t you come and join me in a hot bath? And then, I have something from Veryl to show you.”

* * * *

The interior light of Kale’s car was relatively dim, but it was good enough for me to see my reflection in the rear view mirror. Kale had made a pained noise when I’d turned it so that I could look into it from the passenger seat, but for the most part, he waited patiently while I double-checked my appearance. Call me vain, but I didn’t want to approach Harley in PJs and a ponytail. I wanted to appeal to every one of his senses. I planned to get what I came here for.

I knew what would get Harley’s attention. The cleavage baring black halter top and red lips would certainly help. He was a man after all. But, my exposed throat would really make him listen. Wearing a scarf or choker necklace was an indication that one wasn’t interested in playing. In a place like The Wicked Kiss, a bare neck was like an open invitation.

I could feel Kale’s eyes on me, watchful and curious. I slid him a sidelong glance and raised a brow. “Yes? Go ahead and ask whatever it is that you’re thinking.”

“Alright.” He gave a brief nod of his dark head. “Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this? It could get nasty in there.”

“It could. But, it won’t. And, no matter what happens, don’t get confrontational with him. Nobody gets hurt, ok?” As tough as Kale was, he’d been no match for Harley. “We’re just here to talk. No power, no bloodshed.”

“No power? You think you can go in there and not tap the live wire running through you?” Kale threw his head back and laughed, earning a glare from me.

“That’s exactly why I’m here, Kale.” I wiped away a small eyeliner smudge and turned the mirror back towards him. My eyes were brown, not Arys’s vampire blue, and I felt cool and calm. Now as long as I could keep it that way, things would be just fine.

I wasn’t scared, but there was no squashing the apprehension that rode me. If this didn’t pan out, it would at least make it easier for me to find a way to bring down The Wicked Kiss. I knew that vampires were being created inside. I could feel the entire building blinking like a beacon in my mind when I concentrated. It felt ugly and wrong, and I wanted to see it burn.

However, that’s not what I was here to do. I shoved my cell phone into the pocket of my jeans and stuffed my purse beneath the seat. I would have given anything to bring my dagger in with me, or even a stake. I doubted that would be very well received, but it would make me feel a tad safer.

“Let’s go before I chicken out and change my mind.” I opened the door of the Camaro and got out, gazing at the large, dark nightclub across the street.

When would Harley sense me? Did he already know I was here? A flurry of questions seared my thoughts, antagonizing myself with doubt. Maybe this was just too stupid for words, and I should leave before something happened that I would regret.

We were halfway across the street when Kale asked, “Where is Arys tonight? He wouldn’t come here, would he?”

His question got my heart racing even though I knew the answer. “No. He’d never come here. At least, I hope to God he wouldn’t. And anyway, I would sense him instantly.”

“Then he would also sense you. No?”

Once we stood in front of the all-you-can-drink vampire club, I stopped and fixed Kale with the best evil eye I could muster. “Why the hell are you trying so hard to change my mind? You’re the one that offered to come. Do you know how damn hard it was to keep Shaz from coming? If he doesn’t hear from me within an hour, he’s on his way. We have to do this fast. So what’s your deal, Kale? You don’t have to do this. I can go alone.”

“Like hell you will.” He looked down at me from his much taller frame, his eyes penetrating deep. I began to feel uncomfortable when I caught the unmistakable gleam of something disturbing in his gaze. Emotion.

Turning away suddenly, he stalked ahead of me, leading the way to the back of the club. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Alexa, physically or otherwise. You mean a lot to me. Take that however you like. Let’s get this over with.”

I stared after him, completely dumbfounded. Um, what? I hurried after him, trying to make sense of what I’d just heard. So, maybe I’d like to play with Kale on a metaphysical level but that was strictly driven by urges I’d obtained through Arys. Yeah, that was my story, and I was clinging to it. So, what was Kale’s excuse?

I cared for Kale as I cared for any of my friends. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that, despite the talk we’d had a few months back, he was developing feelings for me, feelings that had nothing to do with vampire instincts and power cravings. Was I wrong on that? I hoped so.

Pausing at the back door, Kale waited for my nod before pulling it open. Despite shielding hard, the eerie energy inside was strong enough to send a shiver down my spine. My stomach dropped, and I swallowed back a wave of nausea. Damn, I was nervous.

We entered a long hallway that stretched out ahead. Either side was lined with numbered doors, much like the hallway of an apartment building. I’d only been there twice in the past, but I’d never forget the place.

The front of the building was a regular nightclub, or as regular as it could possibly be. It looked like a regular bar, but it was mainly a place for donors to get snapped up by hungry vampires. The back was where all of the action happened. I’d naïvely believed the place was running on a give and take procedure. I should have known better. Vampires are rarely satisfied with a taste. There was more going on here than most would have ever guessed.

“I wonder where he is,” I whispered as we made our way quietly down the hall.

One of these rooms was Kale’s. I’d had to drag him out of here once, after his break up with Kylarai. He’d taken it hard and had come here for days to drown his sorrows in a three-day blood and sex fest. I could have happily lived without seeing that side of him. The fact that he bit me that night didn’t help either.

“What if he’s not here? Then what?”

I looked at Kale with horror. I hadn’t considered that. “Well … then I’ll leave a message for him.”

We came to the halfway point in the hall where it opened into a small foyer. The door leading to the bar was on one side. The rest of the foyer was mainly a seating area with a few human objects like a water cooler and cigarette machine.

I stopped and dropped my shields. Others could sense me much easier, but I needed to find him. Closing my eyes, I thought of that butterscotch sweet energy, letting the memory enfold me. Then, I felt him. He was in the club alright. In fact, if I wasn’t mistaken, he was coming our way.

“He’s coming!” I took a few steps away from the door leading to the club. He had to have felt me by now.

“Your heart is pounding so hard, I can hear it.” Kale nudged me, moving to stand closer. “Relax.”

I took a deep breath as dizzying adrenaline flooded me. The door before us opened, and it took all of my strength not to instinctively throw up an energy barrier around Kale and me. I couldn’t tap any power unless Harley gave me a reason. Being the first to do so wouldn’t go over well, not if I wanted to walk out of there alive.

Harley Kayson strode through the door with a grin on his handsome face and a tall blonde at his side. Our eyes met, and my insides shriveled. He looked much too happy to see me. Here we go.

“Alexa O’Brien. I thought I sensed your delicious presence.” Stopping a few feet away, Harley made an obvious show of looking me up and down. “Most definitely surprising. Please tell me that it’s pleasure that brings you here rather than business.”

I couldn’t help the memory that surfaced at the sound of his voice. I could still feel the sensation of his fangs buried inside me. My cheeks grew hot. I had hated myself for responding to him without resistance. The last time I’d seen him, he was on his knees pleading with Arys, for me.

I met his coal black eyes evenly, refusing to fall into the seductive pull of his energy. Harley was an incubus vampire, as was Arys. It was in their nature to use the lure of desire to sway their victim.

“I need to speak with you.” I cut to the chase, unwilling to be intimidated. “If you refuse, then I’ll leave without any trouble. I’m just asking for a few minutes of your time.”

I knew that there was no way he would refuse me. If anything, he’d agree simply out of sheer curiosity. At least, that’s what I was counting on.

Harley cast the briefest of glances at Kale before returning his eyes to me. Regardless of the smile he wore, there was little humor in his gaze. It was dangerous and calculating but also intrigued. I had to take that as a good sign.

“I most certainly would love to know what brings you here. In fact, I’m dying to find out.” He said it with a smirk that had me second-guessing my actions yet again. Would I ever stop being amazed at my own foolishness?

“Just me and you.” I looked pointedly at the human woman at his side. “But, Kale stays close by.”

“Or, Kale could enjoy some time with my lady here.” Harley winked, and a tiny flutter began in my stomach.

“No.” I shook my head. I could feel Kale’s tension. No doubt, Harley could, too. I wasn’t allowing for distraction techniques. “I’m here to ask you for something, a proposition if you will. No games. No bloodshed.”

“Well, now you really have my attention. You took a real gamble walking in here. I can refrain from giving in to temptation for one night.” Harley licked his lips, drawing my eye. I knew what it felt like to have those lips pressed to mine. He’d tasted me, taken my energy into him. As much as I’d hated it, I’d been unable to fight the fact that it felt so good.

“Can you?” I didn’t mean to say it. It just slipped out.

I held my breath, fearing I’d gone too far on that one. Shit. His eyes never wavered as they bore into me. With just the slightest shock of silver in his dark hair and fine lines around his eyes, he was the epitome of the sexy older man. I couldn’t help but be painfully attracted to him, even though I knew that it was due to his power.

He took a step closer, as if he couldn’t help himself. His voice was low and smooth like silk when he said, “Maybe the real question, Alexa, is can you control yourself? Anything you throw out, I’m going to accept. Keep that in mind.”

“Fair enough.”

Kale shot me a look that clearly conveyed his take on the situation. I chose to ignore it. I was here now, and I was going to say what I came to say. To him I said, “Stay right here. Give me fifteen minutes. Then, come and get me if I’m not already back.”

He nodded tightly, but his eyes were on Harley’s midnight snack. I shouldn’t have brought him here. This place was his weakness. A vampire like Kale should be killing. That didn’t have to mean innocents. Killing would free him from the leash he’d put on himself, which was long overdue.

I gestured to Harley, indicating for him to lead the way. I assumed he would head for the same room that he’d attacked me in. I was right.

After a brief word to his “date,” he waited for me to step in line beside him. “Forgive me if I don’t quite trust you at my back. I’m sure the feeling is mutual.”

“Certainly.”

When we came to the room at the farthest end of the hall, I felt like the breath had been crushed from me. For the first time since I stepped foot into the building, I was scared. Fear was an aphrodisiac to the man at my side, and I struggled to gain control.

I waited for him to cross the threshold first, fearing imprisonment. It was hard to shake those suspicions after the last time I’d been in Harley’s company. Of course, he’d taken me by force and attempted to bond me to him by blood. Naturally, I was on guard.

“Have a seat.” With a sweeping gesture, Harley indicated the nearby table and the couch on the far side of the room.

I did not intend to stray far from the door. “I think I’ll stand. Thank you though.”

I drank in the sight of the room where I’d fought for my freedom. Being bound to Harley would have been my greatest nightmare come to life. It was because of him that I’d instead bound myself to Arys. It seemed like a necessary choice at the time as it guaranteed no other vampire could ever bind me.

With a shrug, he crossed the room and took a seat on the sofa. He sat back in a manner that was just too casual. The black leather pants that he wore paired with a black shirt, open partially to show the smooth expanse of his chest, drew my attention. It was the first time I’d seen him in person clad in something other than a fine suit. Was it wrong that I thought this was so much better?

“Anytime you’re ready, my darling.” He indicated that I should begin, and I took up pacing a line back and forth in front of the door.

The blood coursed through my veins as if I were running a race. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to spit the words out before I ran like a coward. Harley watched me with a mischievous smile playing about his lips. He was enjoying this.

“You know things … about the power that I have. You share much of what I can do. I need to know more.” I cringed inwardly, hating that I needed something from him. It could only empower him, even if only his ego.

I continued to slowly pace, finding some kind of comfort in the constant motion. His eyes followed my every move. I wanted him to say something before I went on, to give me an indication of whether or not he cared to hear anything further.

“Arys doesn’t have a clue that you’re here. Does he?”

I jumped at his words. Fighting back the panic that threatened to envelope me, I knew I had no choice but to answer honestly. I prayed that this wouldn’t blow up on me.

“No. He doesn’t. In fact, he was adamant that I stay the hell away from you. But, this isn’t about him. It’s about me.”

A low chuckle came from Harley. It stroked me in places that only a lover knows, and I shuddered in both pleasure and revulsion.

“You’re bound to him. Do you think that he won’t find out? Don’t be a fool. You can’t keep him out of your head forever,” he said, leaning forward in his seat. “And trust me, you don’t want to see Arys in a jealous rage.”

I knew that already, but hearing him say it reinforced my fears. “I can handle Arys. Just tell me if you’re willing to help me or not.”

Placing his chin in his hands, Harley studied me until I felt like I was on display. It didn’t take long for me to grow short tempered. I wanted to ask him what the hell he was looking at, but then I felt it, the slightest touch of his power. Similar to what Veryl had done in his office, Harley was metaphysically feeling me out. It was invasive, rude and strangely, I liked it. God! The man was so frustrating.

“You’ll have to be a little more specific, Alexa. From where I’m sitting, you have more than enough power to blow this city wide open. What exactly is it that you seek from me?”

Again with the talk about how much power I had. If only that was the problem. I ran a hand through my long hair, shoving it away from my face in frustration. “That’s just the thing. I’m so fucking sick of hearing everyone go on about how much power I’ve got when I have no idea what the hell to do with most of it. I feel like I’m running on all cylinders and going nowhere.”

I paused in my pacing, fearing that I had revealed too much but knowing it may be the only way. Harley knew things, and I needed to know them, too. I didn’t have the patience to figure it out over the course of my lifetime. I wanted to know now.

He seemed to consider this, or maybe he was just trying to unnerve me. “You know what your problem is? You still have that pesky heartbeat. It’s what holds you back. Much of your power comes from your link to a vampire. That kind of power comes from the dead, something that you are not. Yet.”

“Please don’t tell me that death is my only option.” I groaned, overcome with the urge to hit something. “That’s not what I came to hear.”

“Death is rarely the only option. However, if you think you’ve got power now, just wait until then.” He shifted, crossing one leg over the other. There was a spark of excitement in his ebony orbs. “I can help you. I can show you what you are capable of.”

“And control?” I asked, needing to pinpoint my main concern. “Can you show me how to control it?”

He smiled at me like I was a needy child. “Of course.”

I got the feeling that he was enjoying this far more than I’d hoped he would. “That’s not going to come without a price, is it?” If his terms were completely outrageous, I would have no choice but to walk away.

“You’re a clever lady, Alexa. I’m sure we can strike some kind of bargain.” Harley rose to his feet, crossing the space between us slowly, as if trying not to frighten a spooked animal.

I watched him come towards me, and the butterflies in my stomach set to flight. The power coiled inside my core reacted to my fear, growing to fill me with a warm glow that quickly grew hot. I struggled against the urge to tap it.

“Just tell me what you want, Harley. I don’t have a lot of room to negotiate. Make it reasonable.”

Just as I was about to take a step back, toward the door, he came to a stop. “Why are you so skittish? You’re a predator for crying out loud.”

I was surprised by his scolding tone. I’d have thought that Harley would prefer me to act like prey, unless it was testing his control. He was right though. I detested being treated like prey. I had no reason to be afraid of him. I think more than anything, I feared what he would want from me. There had been a time when he’d begged Arys for me, claiming that I was something that Arys owed him. My spine crawled with what felt like the slither of a snake. I could still hear his desperate plea ringing in my ears.

“Maybe I should just go.” Ignoring the ready energy inside me, I followed the instinct of my wolf and spun on my heel.

“Wait!” His hand shot out before I’d taken a full step, grasping my forearm. The urge to lash out at him with a fiery blast was almost too much. Whirling to face him, I was shocked to see the satisfied smirk that he wore. “Now that’s more like it. Never forget about the wolf, my dear. It is what gives you the edge no vampire will ever have.”

“What the hell do you want?” I jerked my arm from his grip, and he let go. I was seething, which was exactly what he wanted. “Tell me what you want, or just forget that I ever came.”

His smile vanished immediately. With a deadly serious expression, he said, “You know what I want. Let’s not play coy. I want you. In whatever way I can have you.” Harley’s eyes fell to my lips and curling his fingers ever so slightly, he pulled the angry energy I was giving off into him. “I knew you’d be back.”

The psychic touch felt physical, as if he was running his fingertips along my skin. We were nowhere near touching, yet I could feel him all over me when I focused, all around, inviting me to play. Everything but my common sense wanted to respond in full. Yeah, this was exactly why I needed control, but was it possible to find it with someone like him?

His cryptic words set me on edge. I didn’t like that he was so certain I would come back. What was he really expecting from me? When I didn’t respond or walk away, he boldly stepped closer. The power emanating from him felt divine.

Memories that belonged to Arys ran through my mind, a blurry jumble of images I’d obtained the first time our power joined. Because of them, I already knew what it would feel like to touch Harley the way I suddenly wanted to. I also knew that this was a test of my own strength, one I had to pass.

“Whatever way you can have me … what is that really supposed to mean?” I curled my hands into fists so that my lengthening claws dug into my flesh. The sheer force it took to hold back the power seeking to control my actions was tearing me apart. My four fangs filled my mouth, and I growled. This was too much.

Harley’s eyes widened, a gleam in their depths. “Don’t you just want to give in sometimes? To see what it’s like to stop fighting it?”

“No,” I snarled the one word, backing away until my back hit the doorframe.

“Alright.” He cocked his head to the side, watching me with hawk-like intensity. “Here’s the bottom line. Body, blood or power. That’s what I want from you. It’s your choice which you feel most comfortable bargaining with.” I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. He wasn’t finished though. “I want to explore you in every physical and metaphysical way possible. Anything you offer, I’m going to accept. So think about it. Carefully.”

I gaped at him, utterly tongue-tied. I most definitely was not sleeping with Harley so he could forget about that whole “body” thing. The unfortunate part was that the sharing of either blood or power had physical effects too, some that were almost impossible to deny. If the entire point of this was to gain control over such things… There wasn’t a single option available that wasn’t intense and deeply intimate.

“You know that all three of those elements pretty much go hand in hand on some level.” I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning against the doorframe.

“They don’t have to. Isn’t that what you want from me? The ability to be the one in charge of that.”

“You’re taking advantage of me.”

“Look who you’re talking to, honey. Of course I am.”

He had me there. We stared into one another as my mind reeled. What was it going to be? Let Harley get something he wanted from me or walk away and still be stuck right where I was now.

I growled at him, baring my fangs for good measure. He merely raised a brow and smiled with phony innocence.

“Fine. Blood then. But, you don’t get to sink fangs into me until I have learned something concrete from you.”

“By all means.” Harley nodded and despite the fact that he stood there casually, I could feel the hunger rolling off him.

I couldn’t help the strangely unwelcome anticipation that settled within me. Part of me was looking forward to working with Harley. I told myself it was because of what I would gain from it, but I knew that wasn’t the whole truth. Harley’s power felt good, dangerously good.

I felt Kale’s approach and relief swept through me. “I have to go. I’ll be back.”

Turning toward the exit, I was glad that he couldn’t see my face when he replied, “And I’ll be waiting.”

Chapter Five

Anxiety attacks really aren’t my thing. Since I’d left The Wicked Kiss the previous night, I had been a jittery ball of nerves. The deal I’d made with Harley haunted my every waking thought and my every dream. Arys’s memories had flashed bloody images behind my eyes until I couldn’t take anymore. I’d been drinking coffee since, waiting for Shaz.

He’d had two days to think about the information Veryl had given me. He’d agreed right from the start that we had to look into it. In fact, he’d been more willing than I’d liked. It was unsettling. Even though I truly believed Shaz to be more than capable of taking care of himself, being the one to lead him into potential danger didn’t appeal to me. Though I seriously doubted that I’d be able to talk him out of this, I had every intention of trying. I knew him well enough to know better. Yet, I was just as stubborn as he was.

He was taking the night off from work, and the two of us were going to follow up on the address that Veryl had given me. I was hoping it would be a total bust. I didn’t care what those wolves wanted. They weren’t welcome here. I just hoped we’d be back in time to catch Arys if he stopped by. It wasn’t like him to stay away for long.

Arys … I felt guilty at the thought of him after my visit to the Kiss. I also still felt pissed. The two should have canceled each other out but they didn’t. The thought of seeing Harley the following night had my stomach in a twist. I wasn’t backing out. Arys would just have to understand why I needed to do this. I knew he never would though.

I slipped into a pair of tight black leggings and a Mopar t-shirt. It was a little chilly considering the weather, but I needed to be able to move easily. I was prepared to fight but hoping it wouldn’t come to that. Maybe this was some kind of misunderstanding. No big deal. Yeah, right.

The sound of the front door was accompanied by the warm werewolf energy that I knew and loved. After running a brush through my hair, I tossed it over my shoulder and went to greet Shaz. I couldn’t help but cross my fingers in the hope that he would announce his decision to stay home after all. Who was I kidding?

“Ready?” He asked when I ascended the stairs from my basement bedroom to the main floor. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

Shaz’s jade colored eyes sparkled with an intensity that dashed my pitiful hope. He was revved up and ready to go alright. It should have made me proud, honored that he was both my mate and my Alpha. It just made me afraid.

“I am ready to go beat some werewolf ass,” I replied, gathering my things from the kitchen counter where I’d tossed them. “If it comes to that. Anyone asking around about Raoul can’t be up to any good.”

“You never know. It may not be a bad thing. There are a million reasons why someone may be looking for him.” Shaz slipped his arms around me from behind. “Don’t always jump to the worst conclusion.”

His action made me realize how tense I was. I tried to relax against him, but it was impossible. Even when he nipped lightly at the back of my neck, I was a twitching bundle of nerves.

“You don’t want me to come with you,” he said, his lips brushing my sensitive skin as he spoke. “You think I can’t tell? I know you, Lex. If anything, it should be me trying to keep you from harm not the other way around. Stop trying to control everything. You know that you can’t, so why let it plague you?”

He was right. For years now I had felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders when it fact, that wasn’t so. I was a natural-born control freak. That would likely never change.

“Of all of the possible reasons for someone to look for Raoul, someone who doesn’t know he’s dead, none of them can be good.” I closed my eyes and savored the sensations of his touch. “I can feel it, Shaz. This is bad news.”

“Well, he’s dead. How bad can it be?”

“Those are famous last words if I ever heard any,” I laughed. Gently disentangling myself from his embrace, I turned to face him. “Let’s get out of here before I change my mind. I’ve cleaned up enough of Raoul’s messes for one lifetime. I shouldn’t be surprised that he’s still causing trouble from beyond the grave.”

* * * *

Though it had been tempting to ask Kale or Jez to come along, I knew that could be dangerous. Whatever these wolves wanted with Raoul, keeping it in the pack was likely to make everything go much smoother. Maybe they just wanted to kill him. I could relate to that. Hell, maybe in another time and place I would have been on their side.

Once they found out he was long dead, they had no reason to stick around. Perhaps this wasn’t really all that big a deal after all, although any newcomers to town did pose considerable risks. In the world of the supernatural, everybody is up to something.

We pulled up to the address that Veryl had obtained for us. It was a small, rundown motel on the outskirts of the city. Whoever these werewolves were, they were obviously trying to keep a low profile.

“Do you think they’re here?” Shaz’s question broke the silence that had fallen as we drove. I glanced over at him in the passenger seat. He looked ready and eager.

“I don’t know. I can feel their energy but I’m not sure if it’s lingering or if it means they are here right now.” With my hand on the door handle, my heart began to pound. I had a sick feeling that I didn’t want to know what these wolves wanted with Raoul. “Only one way to find out.”

I met Shaz in front of the car, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure if I should hang back and let him take the lead or not. My instinct was to charge ahead and kick the door down. Yet, I didn’t want to steal his thunder or make him feel inferior. He decided for me by motioning for me to go first. He hung back behind me, scouring the night all around us.

Picking my way along the icy sidewalk, I was struck with the energy of an Alpha wolf. It hit me hard, like a punch in the gut. Alpha Weres rarely went uninvited into the territory of another. Though the big city wasn’t our domain the way Stony Plain was, there was no other Alpha pair anywhere near here that could match us. Clearly, this guy didn’t care who he offended.

“There is an Alpha wolf here,” I whispered. “Be ready for anything.”

Shaz nodded and sniffed the air. “I can smell him.”

Before I’d raised my hand to knock, the motel room door swung open. A tall, burly man with a few days worth of stubble glared out at us. Oh, joy. From the looks of his jacket, we’d caught him on his way out.

His energy was drawn to me like a magnet. It was strong and dark. He was our Alpha alright. I stopped suddenly, Shaz at my back.

“Coming to check out the new guy in town?” He sneered at us. “Well don’t worry. I’m not here to disrupt your pack or challenge for your territory. I’m just looking for a man.”

“Raoul Roberts,” I said, making careful eye contact. I didn’t want to give him the impression that I was trying to instigate anything.

His eyes widened ever so slightly, almost imperceptible. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and two others in the motel room came to flank him. A scar beneath his right eye caught my attention. Werewolves rarely scarred.

“What’s it to you?” His growl was almost wordless, and I tensed. The other two seemed to be awaiting his command.

“He’s dead.” I spoke with forced casualness. He’d know I wasn’t lying. Due to the chemical changes in the brain during a lie, werewolves could smell it. “He’s been dead for almost seven months already.”

The lead wolf stared at me until I thought my knees would buckle under the weight of his gaze. His eyes moved to Shaz for a split second, then back to me. “You didn’t kill him, did you little wolf?”

Ok, I may be short, but that kind of talk was going to put him at the top of my shit list. I couldn’t help the vampire energy that rose up inside me. Blame my short temper.

“I only wish,” I replied with a smile.

He clearly felt the shift in my energy though. From the confusion that passed through his eyes, he was having a hard time deciphering why it was so different. He recovered quickly, grinning in a way that turned his face into an ugly mask. I did not like anything about this guy.

“Now that’s just too bad. And here I’d been hoping that I could kill him myself, right alongside that good for nothing daughter of his.”

I hoped that Shaz’s poker face was better than mine was. The strange wolf’s words sent a shock through my system. “Daughter?” I was a terrible actress but I was praying that I sounded surprised.

He inclined his head and stared straight into my eyes, as if he were trying to break me. I stared right back, daring him to try. The two wolves behind him stared out at us eagerly, like they were spoiling for a fight.

“She’s the reason I’m here. Once I kill the bitch, then we’ll be on our way. Until then, we’ll try not to be a bother.” He actually started to close the door in my face but stopped suddenly. “Unless of course, you know where we can find her.”

“What do you want with her?” Shaz spoke up, his tone hard and direct. I flinched uncontrollably in response to the menace I detected beneath it.

The unwelcome Alpha looked back and forth between us. “So you do know where I can find her. Start talking.”

“She’s dead, too.” I spoke too quickly, regretting the words the moment they left my lips. “I killed her.”

“You lie.” The wolf sniffed at me, making a face as if he’d smelled something sour. “And you feel … wrong somehow. What is that?”

I felt wrong? That was more insulting than a direct insult would have been. Maybe losing control wouldn’t be so bad, this time. “I guess that’s what happens when you have the power of a vampire. Now, why are you looking for Zoey Roberts?” I saw no point in lying. It was doubtful that they would believe me anyway.

A frown creased the brow of the large front man. The two waiting behind him appeared to be a little frightened. Good for them. They weren’t as stupid as they looked.

“Vampire … right.” He laughed in disbelief, and I smiled. “Zoey Roberts is a murderer that has earned herself a death sentence. If you’re protecting her, it would be wise of you to rethink that.”

“I don’t even know where she is.” There, that was the cold hard truth. “And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you without a little more information.”

The guy took an angry step towards me, glaring down into my face. Shaz tensed at my back, ready to take action at a moment’s notice. I smiled up into the grizzly face of the trespassing Alpha, entirely unafraid. The vampire power growing within me wouldn’t allow fear of any kind.

“The Roberts bitch is going to die, whether you help me or not. She’s an unpredictable half-breed that Raoul should have killed at birth. Three of my pack members are dead because of her, including my mate. And, all signs point to her heading this way.” He took yet another step into my personal space. His words became more of a snarl as he continued. “I’m here for justice. And, I will have it. Stand in my way, and I won’t hesitate to take you out, too.”

My heart sunk. I was bombarded with the meaning of everything he’d just said. Of course, she had to go and kill someone that meant something to the guy. It certainly put me in an awkward position. I had no reason to protect her, but I couldn’t just hand her over to him, either. Fuck!

“You wanna back off a little, buddy? Nobody is here to cause trouble.” Shaz pulled me back a step, creating space between the glowering wolf and me. I was annoyed because I’d been enjoying the close proximity, hoping it would push me over the edge.

“It looks to me like you two want to cause trouble by harboring a murderer. In my pack, wolves are held accountable for their actions, regardless of who they are. She’s going to pay the price. Unless, you want to tell me that I’m wrong about that.” The wolf’s eyes flashed angrily, but they were on Shaz now, not me.

I jumped in before Shaz could respond. I’d seen him fight for Alpha of our pack, and I wasn’t ready to watch him take this guy on. “Here’s the thing. She’s not in your pack anymore. And, something tells me that she wasn’t allowed to leave freely, either. Why else would she resort to murder? There was only one person she wanted dead, and now he is.” My fingertips tingled as the power sought to break free of my restraint. “So, why don’t you just call it a loss and go home?”

Yeah, it wasn’t the brightest idea, but what else could I say? I wanted to avoid a physical confrontation for several reasons.

If I’d been a regular werewolf, I would have been dead. I could see it in his eyes as he stared hatefully into me. He knew there was something more to me than wolf alone. It was the only thing holding him back.

I raised my hand, palm up, a psi ball burning in the center. Only those with a sixth sense could visibly see it, but any supernatural could feel it. I blew on it ever so slightly, and the psi ball burst into flame. I smiled wickedly when I sensed the fear that rolled off the two wolves backing their Alpha. Success.

The Alpha glaring daggers at me took a cautious step back. His brown eyes bled to wolf, obliterating the whites completely. He bared fangs at me but wasn’t stupid enough to do much else. He didn’t have a clue who he was dealing with.

“You think I’m a complete idiot, don’t you? I know who you are … Alexa O’Brien. I don’t think there’s a creature in this city that doesn’t. Stay the hell out of my way, or I won’t hesitate to take you out. Even if that means starting with the rest of your pack.”

The door slammed in my face before I could process what I’d just heard. My instinctive reaction was to blow the door off its hinges, to slaughter all of them. Ok, so they did know who they were dealing with. Now, I just had to prove that I was a threat.

It was Shaz’s hand on my arm that stayed me. “Come on, Lex. Acting out right now won’t do us any good. It’s a public place. It’s not safe.”

He led me to the car, and I went along willingly, keeping an eye on the motel room door. Nobody reappeared. They were counting on us having to leave in order to keep the peace. We had little choice. The last thing I wanted to do was draw public attention but leaving didn’t sit well with me.

“So who the hell is that guy?” Shaz asked once we were headed for home. “I got the impression that he was pretty familiar with both Zoey and Raoul.”

I sighed impatiently, waiting for a traffic light to change. Now that I was in the safe confines of the car, I was vibrating with rage, wishing I’d snapped the fucker’s neck. “He’s from the pack that raised Zoey, from what I can tell. Raoul entrusted her to the women of the pack. He didn’t think he could raise her alone. Apparently, they couldn’t handle her either.”

“Your energy is crazy hot. But, it’s better that you didn’t slaughter him. I know you wanted to.” He reached to brush my hair back, stroking the side of my face. His hands felt cool against my warm skin. Even though we’d been standing in the cold, I was on fire.

“Hell yeah I wanted to. It’s not worth it. Not yet.” I leaned into his touch, finding comfort in the raw essence of his wolf. I wanted nothing more than to get home and wrap myself around him. The night had been painfully surprising.

Shaz’s light stroking of my cheek and jaw line was reassuring. “I know this is serious because it’s personal. We’re going to deal with it though. Don’t let it get to you.”

This man was beyond amazing. To think that I’d been worried about having him by my side as Alpha. If anything, he was far more controlled than I was and would likely do much better under pressure. The entire scenario continued to replay in my head as I drove. Talking to Shaz made me realize that I didn’t have to do this alone. After the past several months, that felt really good.

I definitely needed some time to think this over. I had to decide if I was going to try to find Zoey before our visitors did, or if I was going to sit back and let nature take its course. I was emotionally involved as far as Zoey Roberts was concerned. I’d watched her kill the man that I’d loved as much as I’d hated. Did that blur my judgment? I was betting everyone close to me would say yes.

When we pulled onto my street, a cold wave swept over me. The icy chill of the grave struck me with the intensity of an aching hunger. The bloodlust quickly grew until my fangs filled my mouth as every part of me responded to my dark vampire. I felt him as if he were inside of me. I wasn’t at all surprised to find Arys leaning casually against the front door of the house, an expectant expression on his beautiful face.

Chapter Six

“Kill him.”

Arys’s opinion on the new werewolf in town was fully expected. Still, I shook my head in mild amusement. He appeared to be authentically surprised that Shaz and I hadn’t wiped the guy out.

I ran my pinky finger along the top of my wine glass until it began to hum. When Arys’s midnight blue eyes narrowed in annoyance, I stopped and smiled at him before taking a large swallow of the deep red wine. It was my third glass already, but I felt that I had an excuse.

“I wish it was that simple.” I sat in the easy chair near the living room fireplace, facing Arys and Shaz who each sat on opposite ends of the couch across from me. “I have to think about this. I don’t know if I should try to find Zoey or not.”

Arys scowled. “That one should have been dead long ago. She should have been mine.” His jaw clenched as he gazed off, out the window into the night.

I didn’t have to get inside his mind to know what he was thinking. I’d told him to kill Zoey, and he’d tried. If she hadn’t shifted to wolf form, he would have succeeded. She was the one that got away, and he hated that.

“Not every problem can be solved by killing someone, Arys, though I can’t say that it’s a bad outlook for the most part.” Another swig of wine. I was tempted to start drinking straight out of the bottle.

“You know what your problem is? Both of you?” Arys looked pointedly at Shaz and then me. “This little thing called humanity. Too much talk and fuss, not enough getting the job done and moving on.”

Shaz nodded thoughtfully, drawing my eyes to him. He’d been quiet since we sat down and told Arys about our little outing. I didn’t really have a clue how he felt. He slouched in the corner of the couch, sipping a cold drink. His energy was calm, and he watched us attentively.

“You may be right about this guy,” he said to Arys. “There is nothing good about him being here.” To me he added, “We’re going to have to sit down with Kylarai and Julian to discuss this, as much as I hate to even entertain that thought.”

I sat up straighter in my chair, my eyes wide. “Really? Maybe just Ky. I can’t watch you and Julian kill each other.”

He rolled his eyes at me and raised his glass to his lips. “Oh come on, Lex. I think you’re more likely to snap and kill him than I am. Besides, they need to know what’s up. Especially Kylarai.”

“What about everyone else?” I frowned, worried about the half dozen or so other wolves in town. Was it worth mentioning at this point?

“Don’t worry about them. If they need to know, we’ll tell them. For now, I doubt they’re in any kind of danger.” Shaz spoke casually but with authority. The Alpha wolf was strong in him, natural, and my wolf reacted strongly to his, pressing the surface of my being as if attempting to escape the confines of my human body.

My head was starting to pound. My mind had been reeling since our encounter. “I don’t want to think about it anymore. I’m starting to get a tension headache.” I drained my glass of wine and decided that maybe I’d grab the bottle after all.

Just as I pushed myself up out of the chair to head to the kitchen, Arys reached out a hand to me. Crooking his finger, he beckoned me over, patting the empty cushion between him and Shaz. That one gesture spoke louder than any words he could have said.

Abandoning my empty wine glass on the coffee table, I crossed the room and sat between them. It felt so naturally perfect, like I was whole with them on either side of me. When Arys took my hand in his, I surrendered it to him.

His skin felt cool on mine. When the telltale tingle started in the palm of my hand, I knew he was purposely calling the power. I started to pull away, but his grip tightened. Bringing my hand to his lips, he placed small kisses on my fingertips. Then, I felt it, the surge of healing energy that he pushed into me.

It felt warm and exotic, sweeping through me like a euphoric wave. Just like that, the oncoming headache was gone.

“How do you do that?” My words came out on a lazy whisper. I was suddenly too calm to force them out any louder.

Arys smiled, a gentle tug of his lips that tickled me in private places. Our eyes met, and it was like falling under a spell. The power that he’d tapped continued to grow, and this time, I didn’t fight it. It felt so much better to give in to the massive pull.

“It’s just a matter of directing the energy, controlling the flow and giving it a purpose,” Arys replied. “It comes easier with time.”

His lips on my wrist created a spark that quickly began to burn. The tip of his tongue traced a moist path over my veins, and the blood rushed faster through them. With my free hand, I reached for Shaz. I turned to him, encouraged by the fire smoldering in his gaze. I ran a hand along his strong jaw, tracing his lower lip lightly with my thumb. Shaz bit it, and I smiled.

Arys’s tongue delved into the soft hollow of my inner elbow, and I gasped. The heat of the sensual energy surrounding us enhanced the thrill. Touching both of them as I was, I felt like I was the link in the chain that held us all together in the heady glow of power. Shaz kissed me hungrily, and my body temperature went through the roof.

This wasn’t brand new for the three of us though it wasn’t a regular occurrence either. There have been times when I shared my attention with both men, though it has always had boundaries and limitations. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love being nestled between the two men that I adore more than anything in the world. If anything, it was the only time we all got along.

“I don’t know about the two of you,” Arys murmured softly, his lips moving against my skin, “but I’m feeling especially drawn to the hot Were energy you’re both giving off. I need to feel it, to taste it.”

Shaz nibbled my lower lip, pulling back just a little. “You didn’t feed tonight. I can feel it when either of you are all vamped out. Just remember, only Lex is on the menu.”

“Hey!” I protested. The taste of him on my lips was musky and sweet. I needed more. After the evening I’d just had, washing it all away in a sea of pleasurable sensations sounded good to me.

“No worries, my friend.” Arys continued to kiss his way up my arm. “I can get my fill of your spicy energy just from your reactions to her.”

If Shaz was bothered by Arys’s admittance, he didn’t show it. By now, he was probably used to it. He watched Arys sweep my hair away from the back of my neck and press his mouth to my sensitive flesh. I made a small sound when he grazed me with his sharp fangs, scratching the surface of my skin. If Arys hadn’t fed, he’d either felt no need to or he’d purposely abstained. The latter would definitely enhance his needs on every level. His bloodlust no longer directly drove mine, but it definitely influenced mine.

A shiver ran down my spine when Arys ran his hands slowly up my back. I reached back to touch him, and he pushed my hand away, towards Shaz instead. With Arys behind me, I couldn’t help but be overly aware of what he was doing. I followed his direction and turned my attention to my platinum blond wolf.

Facing Shaz, I reached to run a hand through his short, messy locks. Silky soft, they slid through my fingers with ease. He brought his face close to mine so that we stared into one another. It was intense, and I fell into him with total abandon.

His lips were soft on mine. I opened my mouth invitingly, satisfied when his tongue slipped inside. I was struck with the urge to shift forms and run. Instead, I kissed him with a feverish desire that knew no bounds.

The passion raging through Shaz as he explored my mouth thoroughly was hot and intoxicating. It hadn’t taken much to get him going. His energy was strong and commanding, the dominance of his wolf coming to the forefront. It always turned me on when his dominant side came out. Shaz could go from laid back to taking full control instantly if his instinct demanded it. Rather than me giving him control, he simply took it. The urgency and command with which each of them touched me had me wondering if I was ready for whatever lay ahead. I was willing to find out.

When Arys slid his hands up beneath my shirt, I jumped slightly. It tickled a little. As he continued his caress up my sides and over my stomach, heat pooled between my legs. His cool hands grew warmer as he fed off the growing sexual energy surrounding us. Breaking off our kiss, Shaz ran his hands down my shoulders to my wrists, gently raising my arms. Following his movements, Arys slipped my t-shirt up my body and over my head in one fluid motion.

For two men who could barely stand one another most of the time, they seemed to be able to read one another shockingly well. It both impressed and unnerved me how natural their reactions to each other were.

There was no pause or hesitation. Arys tossed my shirt aside and brought his hands back to the curve of my waist. I felt his lips on the back of my shoulder and a soft moan escaped me. Shaz’s lips curled in a satisfied smile, and his eyes were all wolf. I threw my arms around his neck and nuzzled him like I would in wolf form. He lifted a strap of my white lace trim bra with a finger. Pulling it aside, he kissed his way down the side of my neck.

The touch of his predatory fangs on my skin was exhilarating. His clawed nails pressing into my arms had me ready for one or both of them to spill my blood. The need was as great as the ache to have one of them inside me.

The atmosphere was thick with power fueled by personal hungers and sensuality. It was stripping away the last of my resistance. I desperately wanted to feel them all over me, close and sweaty, a tangle of naked limbs. I craved it.

I reached for Shaz’s shirt, tugging at it. He pushed my hands away so that I couldn’t, and I growled. It earned me a grin and a fast but bruising kiss.

“Don’t be so impatient, my love.” Arys released the clasp on my bra so that my breasts spilled free. “We have all night.”

I moaned when Shaz bent to draw one of my nipples into his mouth. The sensation of his massive fangs against my skin was heavenly.

I was just beginning to wonder about the couch being sturdy enough when Shaz stood up. Grasping my hands, he pulled me up with him. Arys reached for my leggings, gently pushing them down over my hips. My panties were next. When I stood naked before them, I began to feel vulnerable.

Before I could tell them to hurry up and get those clothes off, Shaz picked me up in his strong arms.

“Bedroom,” he said, as if that one word explained everything. Perhaps it did.

Arys followed us, ambling slowly down the stairs to my room. I looked back at him over Shaz’s shoulder.

“Get those clothes off, mister. I won’t be denied.”

He raised a dark eyebrow and smirked. “You’re hardly in any position to be giving orders. In fact, I think you will be in whatever position we choose for you.”

“Do you promise?” I asked playfully.

We entered the bedroom, and Shaz set me in the middle of the bed. “I can guarantee it,” he replied. He stepped back out of reach and slowly began to peel his shirt off. I watched as he revealed smooth, hard abs and a chest that beckoned for my touch.

Arys came to stand at the end of the bed. He stared down at me for a long moment, flames of desire burning in his blue eyes. My breath caught when he crawled onto the bed. Nudging my legs apart, he ran his tongue around my navel in a way that was absolutely delightful. I had to concentrate on breathing to avoid holding my breath in anticipation.

My eyes were on Shaz as Arys licked a warm, moist path down my abdomen. Shaz was gloriously nude when he approached the bed. I reached for him, and he stretched out alongside me.

I ran my hands over his hard chest, reveling in the feel of him pressed close. He nuzzled me, pressing his face to my neck. I flinched when Arys bit my thigh. His tongue soothed the sting of pain. Shaz’s hands were all over me as he nipped my neck. I got the feeling that he wanted to taste my blood, which wasn’t the usual for him. Likely, Arys’s bloodlust was swaying his desires.

I trailed a hand down Shaz’s body until I felt his hard shaft. I began to stroke him in a slow, steady rhythm. He sucked in his breath and threw his head back. I loved the effect that I had on him.

The power that Arys and I commanded built into a raging storm. Adding Shaz’s raw wolf energy was like throwing fresh meat to a starving lion. The power drew it in so that we all fed on one another, taking as much as we were giving.

The metaphysical pleasure was as intense as any joy, transcending the physical until it was nothing less than a spiritual experience. Their supernatural power rolled over and around me, each so very different. The high was like no other, and when Arys’s magnificent tongue pushed me over the edge, it was mind shattering.

For a long moment after, I could barely remember my own name. The glow enveloped me like a fuzzy blanket, and I blissfully sank into it. I barely noticed when Arys disappeared from his place between my legs until he filled the space beside me, opposite Shaz. He’d abandoned his clothing.

His bloodlust was explosive. I could feel it, ready to consume. Arys swept my hair back to bare my neck. His lips fastened to my vein, and I knew what he wanted. It made me weak with need.

All I could feel on either side of my naked body was their perfect flesh. Quivering and ready, I was overcome by the sensation of being between them.

A small growl in my ear from Arys was the only warning I received. His fangs sank into my neck without haste. Rather than the quick plunge of fangs I was accustomed to with him, he eased them into my pumping vein. It was deliciously painful. I whimpered as my blood spilled into his mouth. His tongue swept the punctures, encouraging the crimson flow. My two lovers feasted upon me, and I was in heaven.

I felt completely exposed and uninhibited. It was a sense of freedom that was strangely new to me. I’d never dared to dream that it could be like this.

The sound of my own heart beating seemed to reverberate inside my head. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought the sound was external. Catching my breath was near impossible.

I smiled to myself, soaring on the joyous high. Intoxication this good would never be legal. Their scents were all I could smell, and the touch of them on either side of me was surreal and welcome. I could get used to this.

* * * *

A few hours later the rush had faded. I was adorned with bruises and a satisfying ache that had been so worth it. I stretched languorously and yawned.

Arys lay sprawled beside me. He was propped up with his head on one hand, watching me closely. Too closely. It made me wary.

The sound of Shaz moving and banging around in the kitchen reached us from the main floor. He’d gone up to take a shower and make some coffee. I kept waiting for the rich aroma to reach me.

The silence started to grow awkward when Arys continued to stare at me, a look of quiet contemplation on his face. I couldn’t help but tense up. I was actually tempted to reach out to him mentally, to touch his mind. I hated opening the mental door between us but I wanted to know why he was looking at me like that. I changed my mind. I didn’t even try it.

“You’re giving me that look, like you can’t figure me out,” Arys said with a knowing grin. “Don’t you know me better than that?”

This was the first moment we’d had alone since the night we’d argued about Harley. I was nervous. “I do know you, Arys. So I know that when you look at me like that, it’s because there’s something you want to say. The question is, do I want to hear it?”

He was suddenly so serious it almost frightened me. I clutched the blanket tightly, holding it against my chest.

“Alexa … about the other day. I want to apologize. As soon as you mentioned him, I couldn’t think straight. I don’t think I handled it all that well.” Arys picked anxiously at a fluff on the blanket. I noted his careful avoidance of Harley’s name. “I don’t want things to be strained between us in any way. I can’t live with that.”

“No, if anyone should apologize it should probably be me. I know better than to even mention something like that.” I forced myself to make eye contact when the rising guilt made it difficult. It was a good thing I hadn’t tried to get inside his mind. I’d never be able to hide thoughts of Harley from him then. I hated hiding anything from Arys, but this was something he just couldn’t know about right now.

“Look,” Arys fumbled for words. “You are free to do whatever you wish, but you have my heart now. That’s new for me. You’ve seen my past yourself. Love was not a big part of it. So, I worry about you. And, I don’t trust him.”

“Then trust me.” The words came out more pleading than I’d intended. I blinked, praying he wouldn’t see the truth in my eyes. “I’m not going to do anything stupid. I just want answers.”

“I can’t control you, but it’s in my nature to try just as it is in yours to resist.” His tone held much anguish, and I reached for him. He put his hand in mine, squeezing it reassuringly. “I can’t make your choices for you or stop you from doing anything that you feel you need to. We don’t need to rehash this again. I just want you to know that the thought of you anywhere near him hurts me. It’s ridiculous, and I feel like a jackass, but it’s true.”

There was shame in his eyes, and my heart broke for him. Why did he have to wait until after I’d arranged a deal with Harley to tell me this? What was I supposed to do? Tell him, or just forget everything?

Sure, Arys could do some great things. The little healing trick was a beneficial one for sure. His problem was that he wouldn’t admit that he needed answers too. We’d both gained new abilities after bonding our power and our blood as well as some serious side effects. I wasn’t sure why it was more important to me. Maybe because I had already had my ass kicked and controlled by the power I held. That had to stop.

I couldn’t let him feel like that. Arys deserved to be free in love, not trapped in chains by his own fears. “Arys, don’t ever think how you feel is wrong. If something affects you, spit it out. Holding it in will blow up in your face.” I looked down at our joined hands. I felt like such an asshole for rushing to see Harley because Arys had upset me. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you in any way. I know you have an unpleasant past with Harley. My personal need for information has nothing to do with that though. But, I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. Let’s just forget it. It’s over.” He kissed me briefly before dropping the subject entirely.

He sat up, leaning down over me so that I looked up at him. When he kissed me, the emotion behind it said more than his words. He trusted me with all that he was. I couldn’t let him down. I had to do something about Harley, come clean or forget it entirely.

“I have to get going. Sunrise isn’t far off. Get some rest, beautiful.” He started to pull back, stopped and just held me instead. My guilt skyrocketed.

When at last Arys dressed and made his way from my room, I buried my face in the pillows on my bed and gave a frustrated sigh. The Harley situation had been so much simpler when Arys was threatening me. He’d really thrown me for a loop this time. I’d have assumed that he would be pissed about me spending any time with Harley, livid, even jealous. I never would have guessed that he would be hurt.

Chapter Seven

If I’d come to Kylarai seeking reassurance, I wasn’t going to receive it from her. She listened quietly while I filled her in on the recent events of the past few days and then she promptly told me what a dumbass I was for going to Harley so soon after the confrontation with Arys. Thank God for best friends.

I hadn’t brought Shaz along, wishing to speak with Ky one on one. I also wanted to take a little tour out back, in the forest that started a mile from her backyard. We ran there often on our own and as a pack during the full moon. I was aware that Zoey had been roaming the woods, and I wanted to see if I could pick up her scent.

The two of us alone wouldn’t be as intimidating to Zoey as a small pack if we did come across her. I didn’t feel it was necessary for Shaz and Julian or anyone else to accompany us at this point. Thus, Kylarai and I now trotted through the trees side by side.

I didn’t have much of a plan. If we did find her, I doubted she would stick around long enough for me to attempt to communicate. This was going to be harder than it sounded. It was the thought of a strange werewolf roaming around my forest looking for her that really made my fur stand on end. The wolf inside me was defensive and territorial at the thought. I wouldn’t allow it.

I watched as Kylarai loped on ahead, pausing here and there to sniff something out. Her sleek brown fur shone beneath the starlight. My fur, the same color as my ash blonde hair, didn’t reflect the fiery orbs quite the same. She made a striking wolf.

Half of the moon was lit up brilliantly, and I raised my voice to the wind in an inquisitive howl. I knew that Zoey would hear it if she was within a few miles, perhaps farther. It was deathly quiet when I fell silent. The nocturnal creatures had most likely taken cover at our approach.

I followed Kylarai, my sensitive nose working overtime. I could smell the rabbit that had run through recently and the family of deer from a day or so previous but there was no trace of Zoey Roberts.

Anxiety nagged me. I had far less control over my psychic abilities when in wolf form. I couldn’t access the majority of them, and I couldn’t keep Arys locked out of my mind. If he touched my mind, he thankfully couldn’t access any thought other than the one I was currently having. As long as I didn’t think about Harley, he wouldn’t know anything. That was easier said than done, especially since it was something I feared.

The very thought of Arys opened the link between us, and I was suddenly thrust inside his mind. I skidded to a halt, my paws skittering. Arys was feeding. That’s why I’d been so easily sucked into him. He had abandoned all control of himself, dropping his guard.

I could see through his eyes as he roughed up a young man before dragging him close. I hated being in Arys’s mind when he killed. It was hard enough being inside my own. I didn’t know why Arys chose the victims he did. He had his reasons, or at least, that’s what he would tell me. I didn’t question him further. Whatever his reasons were, Arys was a madman when he killed. It scared me to see what went on inside him. It was pure, blinding bloodlust and something more, not only the need to feed but also the desire for the rush of the kill. It was never about blood alone.

Arys spilled the man’s blood with a brutal slash of fangs. It jarred me how it was nothing like the careful bite he gave me. This was savage. As a passenger in his mind, I was able to feel the way his body responded to the kill. He grew hard, and his erection throbbed against the confines of his tight jeans. The man’s feeble cries fed the predatory nature burning inside Arys until he was spilling blood as if it were the last he would ever taste.

His mind was a blank slate, thinking of nothing. Solely running on instinct, Arys ripped into the guy with such viciousness that I felt it in the pit of my stomach. It was all werewolf. His own personal bloodlust appeased, he was embracing the part of me that he’d gained through our bond. From what I could see and feel, he loved it.

The realization was shocking. I knew he’d felt the wolf strong in him before. One horrible time, he’d slaughtered a neighborhood pet. What I didn’t know was how much he enjoyed it. My stomach turned, and I felt nauseous. It shouldn’t have been surprising, but this ruthless killer thing was still new to me.

I never wanted to be able to kill in cold blood, lacking regret and conscience. I had murdered a human man once, one that I’d had no business laying a hand on. Did I regret it? No. He’d been abusing his girlfriend. Arys had picked someone that very well may have been minding his own business, wronging nobody, and it turned him on in every way. Would that happen to me after I died, when I became a vampire in every sense of the word? Lord, I hoped not.

It chilled me to the bone. Arys feasted on the dying man in his arms, and I whimpered when I felt myself responding to his intense satisfaction. I couldn’t be part of this. I had to get out before Arys felt my presence. I fought to pull back, to slam that door shut between us. I felt trapped. Unease quickly turned to panic, and I struggled to escape being part of a murder I wasn’t committing. The bloodlust was awakening within me, and I did not intend to give in tonight.

When I slammed back into myself, I was flabbergasted to discover that I was on my knees in human form, shivering and gasping. The backdrop of the quiet forest night was all around me again.

Kylarai was a few feet away, staring at me with concern heavy in her grey eyes. I had to swallow a few times before I could speak. I didn’t recall shifting back to human form. My power was stronger in that form. It must have happened instinctively.

“I’m ok,” I forced the words out breathlessly. “That was fucked.”

She snorted and sat back on her haunches to fix me with a parental frown. Part of me expected the bloodlust to rage through me and set its sights on her. It didn’t happen. I was able to force it deep down inside me before it burst forth to shatter my command. For now. Relief.

“Let’s just head back,” I said. Gathering myself, I embraced the change.

It rolled over me with ease as my body reformed with fluid grace. In seconds, I was wolf again. Raising my nose to the sky, I took a last sniff of the wilderness around me before turning and heading for home. It was nothing short of a miracle that I hadn’t come away from Arys’s mind with an uncontrollable need to kill. It had happened before. Still, my heart continued to pound so that it echoed in my ears.

Maybe Arys was more than happy to abandon all semblance of sanity, diving headlong into a vicious kill. The thought scared the shit out of me. That kind of total abandonment was terrifying. Arys clearly had little desire for control. He happily turned his back on it. If anything, that only encouraged my belief in the need for knowledge and self-control. If I didn’t do something now, Arys’s love of the kill may destroy us both.

* * * *

“Maybe paying a visit to Harley wouldn’t be such a bad thing after all,” Kylarai suggested, watching me chew my lower lip anxiously.

Since we’d returned to her house, I’d been fighting off an anxiety attack. My eyes kept going to the clock on the wall. I was supposed to meet Harley at The Wicked Kiss in an hour. I still hadn’t decided if I should just forget the whole thing. I gnawed at my lip until I tasted blood. The tangy metallic taste was somehow comforting.

“When I got here you told me how stupid I was for even considering it. Which is it?”

Try as I might, I just couldn’t sit still. I pulled a chair out from the table, sat for a few seconds and got to my feet again. I could feel it building inside me, the deadly combination of nerves, fear and bloodlust.

“Oh, don’t get me wrong. It was beyond stupid of you to go back to that club after what happened the last time you were in there. Against your will, I might add. But, you’re clearly overdue for some assistance, and if Harley can provide it, you might just be stupid not to.” Ky’s voice softened, and she rested her chin in her hands. “And of course the fact that your eyes are insanely blue right now tells me that you’re not getting any better at combating Arys’s influence. It’s high time you deal with that before you go on a rampage.”

“Rampage?” I frowned. “Look, Ky. I know you’re not comfortable with me all the time anymore, but I am still me. Please, don’t forget that. You’re my best friend. I need you to trust me. Have I ever given you a reason not to? Really?”

She looked at me for so long before answering that I thought I would burst from the apprehension. Finally, she let her breath out in one long whoosh. “No. You’ve never done anything to hurt me or anyone else, but you almost hurt Shaz. And, I know you’ve come close to losing it on Julian. Is it really necessary to walk such a fine line? Arys has changed you in so many ways.”

“And, you hate that, don’t you?” I didn’t mean to be confrontational, just honest. “You don’t have to like any of it, Ky, but don’t judge me by him. I am my own person, dammit.”

“I know that, Alexa. Don’t get pissed at me because I’m agreeing with you now.” She rolled her eyes at me, and I felt like a moron. “Just … think things through before you act on emotion. That’s all. I worry about you.”

I sighed, my eyes again drawn to the clock. “I know. And, I appreciate that. I’m not thinking straight. Ignore me.”

“Done.” Kylarai smiled and winked a long-lashed eye. “Whatever you do, don’t be too trusting. And, I mean with any vampire, Arys or Harley. They are cut from the same cloth in many ways. Keep that in mind.”

“Trust me, I do. It’s never so simple.” In an attempt to change the subject, I added, “Don’t say anything to anyone about Zoey and the guy that’s looking for her. Please.”

“Not even Julian?” She pursed her lips, unhappy with my request.

“No, not even him. I can only deal with one thing at a time. Let me get through tonight and then we will deal with it. Together. I promise.”

She didn’t look happy about it, but she grudgingly agreed. Following me to the front door, she crossed her arms and watched me slip on my boots. I knew it was coming. I knew Kylarai very well. She was our little pack mother, always concerned, always the problem solver.

“Are you sure I can’t tell Julian? I don’t like to keep things like this hidden. It could be important.”

I laughed and reached to give her a loose hug. “Fine. Tell him if it will make you feel better. You can also tell him that nobody makes choices in this situation except for Shaz or me. He stays away from Zoey and keeps his nose out of it unless otherwise asked.” I felt bad for being such a bitch about it, but Julian couldn’t be trusted and the only one that didn’t believe that was Ky. “I’m sorry, Kylarai. You know I consider you my second in command, always. Not him. He’s nothing to us.”

Kylarai was a pro at shrugging off the loathing that Julian, Shaz and I shared for one another. He’d dared to challenge Shaz for Alpha, and he’d lost. It didn’t make me like him or trust him, and I never would. As far as I was concerned, it was just a matter of time until he blew it with Ky. Then, he would finally be out of our lives. She was the only reason Shaz hadn’t run him out of town altogether.

Julian didn’t deserve her, and everyone knew it, even him. She was in a place where she wanted to be happy, with someone she could identify with as a werewolf. Things hadn’t worked out between her and Kale so she’d settled for Julian. Yet, I knew that couldn’t last forever because Kylarai was a gem. She deserved better.

“Be careful, ok?” She called to me as I headed down the walk to my car. “Don’t go in there without backup.”

“Of course not,” I replied casually. “I have Kale on standby.”

She nodded vigorously, raising a hand to wave. “Good. Call me when you get home so I don’t have to worry about you.”

Backing out of her driveway still felt weird. It wasn’t that long ago that this house had been my home. I missed having the forest just beyond my backyard. It resulted in frequent trips to Kylarai’s throughout the week. I couldn’t hold off on shifting as long as some Weres could because Arys relied on it to ease the need he constantly carried. After what I’d witnessed inside him tonight, I doubted it was making a difference.

The drive to The Wicked Kiss seemed to take no time at all. I found myself wishing it were further away. The twenty minutes in the car was just enough to stir the butterflies in my stomach. I was glad that I’d worn blue jeans and a sporty tank top, nothing overtly sexual or skin baring. I was nervous as hell. No way was I going to draw any more of Harley’s attention than I could possibly help.

I paused to send a text message to both Shaz and Kale, telling them I’d arrived. Shaz was working but he’d wanted to know. Kale was supposed to check in on me if he hadn’t heard from me within two hours. Those were my terms. Kale had wanted to come with me right from the start.

Walking into The Wicked Kiss had never been easy. This time, it was downright painful. Approaching the building alone, knowing who waited for me inside made me feel like someone should have been yelling, “Dead woman walking!” as I made my way to the doors. Of all of the stupid things I’d done, this had to be among the worst.

My heart was racing before I reached the back door of the building. It was my last chance to change my mind and leave. Once I crossed the threshold, I’d made my choice. My conscience continually brought Arys to mind. I didn’t want to do anything to hurt him, but I had to focus on my needs, too. This wasn’t all about me, but I wasn’t on a leash, and God forbid that I should ever act like I was.

The back door to the club opened before I’d laid a hand on it. The dim lighting inside illuminated Harley, and I sucked in my breath. I deserved everything I got once I walked inside. I knew it undoubtedly. Yet, when he stepped back to allow me entry, I went for it.

“Look, I appreciate that you’re willing to speak with me, but this is all business. I just want to make sure that’s clear.” My tone was sharp, leaving no room for confusion.

Harley looked at me as if I were a child playing grownup. He actually laughed as he ushered me along down the long hall. “Always a pleasure to see you, Alexa. Obviously you’re having second thoughts about being here.”

The music booming in the front of the club could be heard through the walls. I imagined the many willing and not so willing victims out there, mingling with vampires as if it were the norm. My skin crawled at the thought. It was something I wanted to put a stop to. That clearly wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

“Don’t worry about my thoughts, Harley. They are hardly any concern of yours. I’m not alone, so don’t get any ideas either.”

“You still don’t get it,” he said, and I looked at him in surprise. “You don’t need backup. If anything, your backup needs you.”

Unwilling to be seen in the hall with him by anyone that would talk to Arys, I quickened my pace. “Let’s just get on with it. I have places to be.”

I pretended not to hear his low chuckle. I prayed that he had no idea how it made my insides quiver. The scent of fresh blood wafted from his luxury suite, and I came to an abrupt halt outside the door. He swept passed me, entered the room and turned back to me with a question in his eyes.

From the doorway, I could see the wet crimson drops on the cream-colored duvet adorning the large bed. I half expected to find a body but if there’d been one, it was gone.

“What’s with the fresh kill smell?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I eyed Harley suspiciously. “I’m not up for tag teaming.”

His jovial laugh had me glaring hard. It was useless. Rather than address my question, he studied me until I grew uncomfortable. “Your first mistake is neglecting your needs. Whether it be food, sex, blood or the rush of the kill, your needs define you. If you’d fed your own bloodlust, you wouldn’t be reacting so strongly to the scent of blood in this room. Now, come in here.”

I didn’t budge. I suddenly felt uncertain. The aroma of human blood on the air turned my stomach even as it encouraged my hunger. I ignored Harley’s impatient gesture and took a hesitant step inside. I purposely did not close the door, and I did not intend to allow him to shut it either.

“Did I come during meal time, Harley? I’d hate to interrupt.” I surveyed the room, but other than the spilled blood, nothing seemed amiss.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Just a little fun and games while I awaited your arrival.”

“Look,” I said, direct and more than a little forceful. “I don’t trust you, and I don’t have any reason to. Let’s just get down to business. I’m limited on time.”

“Are you ever going to tell Arys that you’ve been coming here?” He smirked and took a seat at the small table. Crossing his legs casually, he simply watched me.

I scowled, refusing the chair he offered. “That’s none of your business. I am not here to talk about him. Got it?”

“As you like.” Harley seemed far too amused by my irritation. That only enhanced it. “So, should we start with your short temper? It seems to me that will be the first place you go wrong.”

Something occurred to me then, something about the way he said that. I raised an eyebrow, staring right back at him. “Why are you really willing to help me? Is it because you’re trying to screw me over or is it something else? Because I’m sure it can’t just be the promise of my blood.”

He gave me a sadistic smile that instilled a sinking sensation within me. I so did not want to hear his response. I was rife with discomfort, and he loved it.

“Well,” he clapped his hands together and shifted in his seat. “Since you mentioned it, there is something else. I’d like to alter the terms of our little arrangement, if I may.”

I sighed dramatically and huffed. “Go on.”

“I want an exchange of service. Mine for yours. I help you and you in turn, help me.”

“I’m not killing for you.”

“Why is that the first thing that you assume?”

“What else would you want from me? I’m not really in the service industry, you know.”

The smirk he wore never wavered. I was dying to slap it off his face.

“Aren’t you? As far as I know, you get paid to kill your own kind.” His tone was flippant, and I knew an insult when I heard one.

“And yours,” I spat back at him.

“Which is exactly why I know you could do it, if it was ever needed.” Harley was beating around the bush, and we both knew it. I had half a mind to spin on my heel and head for the exit. “I want you to provide me with your lovely abilities, should I ever need them.”

“Care to elaborate on that?” My stomach twisted with unease. I had a feeling I knew what he wanted. I wanted to hear him say it.

“A man like me has his share of enemies, Alexa. Should I ever require some powerful backup, I want to be able to call on you. If I teach you about your power, I want access to it.”

He watched for my reaction, and I knew he expected me to lose it. That was exactly what I wanted to do. It took all of my self-restraint to bite back the “fuck you” that threatened to spill through my lips.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke through my teeth. “I don’t think so. You don’t have that kind of say as far as me or my abilities go. I’ll find someone else to help me. Somehow.”

“It’ll be your choice,” his words came out in a rush. “But don’t forget … any danger that comes my way makes Arys a target, too. He is mine after all. And, as much as you might hate to hear it, I don’t plan on leaving this city any time soon.”

“Why not?” Damn. I sounded far too disappointed. “Please don’t tell me you are staying on our account. Arys and I were doing just fine before you got here. Better, in fact.”

Harley shoved his chair back and stood up. “Now, now. No need to be petty. My reasons for staying are none of your concern.”

“It is if you’re knowingly attracting trouble.”

He chuckled then, slowly crossing the space between us. My nerves were already frazzled. Each step he took stirred my wolf, and I grew defensive.

“Any trouble that finds me will in turn find you and Arys. Don’t tell me that you’re so ignorant to that fact that you would endanger yourself and your loved ones. Honestly, I fear no one. Yet, if trouble comes knocking, don’t for a moment think it won’t end up on your doorstep, too. As much as it may kill you to believe it, you are linked to me by blood and power through Arys. Think carefully about what I’m asking you.”

Another step brought him within touching distance. I sucked my breath in and held it, afraid to say or do something I’d regret. I hated that he was likely right. I was tied to him through Arys. As much as it ate me up inside, it was something I had to think about on a deeper level.

Slowly exhaling, I struggled to remain calm. He was just a step away from invading my personal space. Being in the same room with him was enough to ignite a response within me. When he was two feet away and exuding that heavy, inviting energy, it was damn near impossible to resist him. It fed my hunger and stoked the flames of power waiting inside me for the right touch. I swore softly. Between the bloodlust and the power hunger, my resolve was fading fast.

“If you bring trouble to my town, I will drive you out of here. Even if it means ripping your heart from your chest with my bare hands.” The words were a struggle, but I meant every one.

Ignoring me, Harley held a hand close to me, touching my aura but not my body. Lucky. I glared at his hand, ready to bite his fingers off.

“You are your own weakness,” he said thoughtfully. “If you weren’t so stubborn, you would have a substantial amount of control over your power … and your hungers. You need to leave.”

That was surprising. “What?” I asked, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. I shivered as I felt the growing energy between us ripple. He was vibing off me as strongly as I was reacting to him.

“You shouldn’t have come here with the bloodlust plaguing you. It causes your entire metaphysical being to be compromised. That in turn speaks to me, calls to me. You have no idea how powerful your allure is.” As he stroked a hand along my aura, it created a fluttery sensation in the pit of my stomach.

“I don’t need blood to live. I’m not like you.” My mouth was dry, and the words came out breathy and soft. It sounded like I was trying to convince myself rather than him.

“A useless argument.” Harley moved in a slow circle around me. The feeling of his energy touching mine grew, and I had to focus hard on staying calm. “Can’t you feel it? How easy I could have you.”

Adrenaline flooded me, and my heart increased its pace. Again, I was reminded of how stupid I was for coming here, trusting him on any level. He stopped directly behind me, blocking the doorway. I tried to respond, but the words wouldn’t come out. I gasped for breath, feeling like the air had been sucked from my lungs.

“Please, don’t.” It was all I could manage. His power was magnetic, drawing me to him in unnatural ways. I was caught in the middle of the turmoil, fighting to deny the many urges that taunted me. Why did giving in have to be so wrong?

I gasped when he touched me. His hands were warm from his recent feed. It was like being zapped with electricity. The crackle of our power meeting was startling. Like the last time Harley had physically touched me, I ached for more of him. I knew it was the illusion of his power. His touch was meant to stir the wanton desire coiled deep inside me. Yet, I wasn’t supposed to react like every other victim he claimed.

Harley ever so slowly slid his hands down my upper arms to my elbows and then to my wrists. His fingers wrapped around each of my wrists in a grip that was sensual and commanding but not controlling or binding. My resistance continued to fade. This was all kinds of awful. He was taking me down faster than he had the time I’d been here against my will. If I’d learned anything from Harley, it was that I was a weak fool with a lot more to learn than I’d thought.

“Consider this your first lesson, lovely lady,” he murmured low, his lips close to my ear. “Your power is your weapon, no different than fangs or claws. Weakness is your first enemy. Don’t ever walk into battle unprepared unless you’re ready to die your mortal death.”

I shuddered, and though I longed for it to be disgust, it was pleasure. I found some solace in the fact that I was bonded to Arys. Harley couldn’t bind me or kill me. However, that only ruled out two of the things he longed to do to me. There were many others.

His grip tightened around my wrists until my heart pounded. I knew I had to pull away. I could throw him off me with no more than a thought. I didn’t do it simply because I didn’t want to. He held me under his thrall, and I didn’t want to fight it. Fuck that. I had to.

“Tell me, Alexa, do you want me to stop?” He released my wrists suddenly. With one hand he entwined his fingers through mine, sending a shock of power through me. I was ready to melt into a puddle at his feet, just that fast.

With his other hand, he swept my hair to the side so that it no longer hid my neck. Alarm bells went off inside my brain. My voice was steady, but my knees were weak. “Yes. I want you to stop.”

It was partly true. I really did want him to stop. He’d once told me that I was more powerful than he was. The difference was that he knew how to use his and very well at that. His abilities were rooted in desire and pleasure in its many forms. It came second nature to him. I longed to control myself with such ease.

“Then stop me.” He nuzzled my hair, deeply inhaling my scent. He groaned, and I knew that it wasn’t only my control being tested now. This could get messy.

I concentrated hard on pushing him away. I felt his resistance like a brick wall behind me. He chuckled at my failed attempt. The touch of his fangs against my bared neck was as heavenly as it was horrifying. I was definitely afraid, and still, a part of me wanted him to bite me. Harley’s bite was powerful, almost as intoxicating as Arys’s. This man knew the taste of my blood, my essence. It couldn’t come to that again. I was stronger than that.

Our joined hands provided the link I needed. I’d hurt Harley before. I could have killed him if Arys hadn’t stopped me. He trusted me, too. The knowledge was sobering. Focusing on our physical connection, I pushed power into him with the intent to hurt, just enough juice to warn him that I wasn’t a willing victim. I wasn’t there to play.

He reacted by jerking me hard against him so that I stumbled. My legs were like jelly. I was surprised that they held me at all. The sharp points of his teeth pressed into my flesh, and I waited for that second when they would plunge through the surface. With a groan, Harley gave me a push, releasing me entirely.

“Go on, Alexa. Get out of here now before I do something you’ll regret later.” His eyes were wild and solid black. “Next time you come, don’t make the same mistake. You weaken yourself and affect the will of every metaphysical being around you by doing so. And God, how I ache to hurt you right now.”

Harley was as unpredictable as a rabid dog. I knew that, so I ignored the wicked voice in my head that wanted to dare him to try to hurt me. His power was so much like Arys’s and my own, yet it wasn’t. His wasn’t a part of me. We weren’t bound. It was like the slightest taste of forbidden candy. How could I not want more?

Taunting him into losing control was the last thing my rational mind wanted. The rest of me could just shut up and suffer. I had learned something in my brief visit. My own physical state was directly tied to the metaphysical. And, it could affect others. That could be useful if I could manipulate it at will. It was something I certainly planned to keep in mind.

Harley stepped away from the door, crossing to the farthest side of the room. I hadn’t been aware of the extent of the effect I was having on him. I should have though. Kale’s hungry, needy power called the same way to me. It was dreadfully hard to resist.

I refused to think of anything else but putting one foot in front of the other. The sound of the blood pulsing through me was loud in my ears. I threw my energy into blocking out the tantalizing energy coming from each closed door that I passed. Maybe doing this in a vampire bar was a bad idea. Then again, maybe The Kiss was the perfect place to gain the stronghold I needed.

No sooner had I stepped outside into the crisp night air than I felt the cool presence I’d know anywhere. I fought the urge to glance around. I kept moving, each step bringing me closer to my car.

There he was, leaning against my Charger, arms crossed and absolute fury all over his perfect face. Arys looked up expectantly at my approach. His eyes brimmed with rage and something else … pain. I was speechless when he said, “I hope it was worth it.”

Chapter Eight

“Arys, I-,”

“Don’t try to explain this away! You knew how I felt about you coming here, and you didn’t give a damn.” He shoved away from the car so that he stood close enough to touch. I had to crane my neck to look up at him. “I never thought that you were this selfish.”

My mouth dropped open, and my temper began to simmer. I was many things, and selfish may be one of them at times. But, who the hell was he to talk?

“That’s not fair,” I replied, struggling to keep my voice calm. If we both got yelling, it would get out of control fast. “I came to you, Arys! I told you what I needed. I’m trying to find a way to live with myself, with your power running around inside me, trying to control everything I feel and do. Why can’t you understand that?”

“And why can’t you understand why just the thought of you being here with him terrifies me so much?” He shouted the words at me, and I took a step back. He didn’t like that, and he closed the space I’d made by grabbing my upper arms.

Arys’s energy was pushed to the breaking point along with his temper. It scalded me both inside and out at his touch. My wolf went on full alert, and suddenly I was growling up at him with eyes blazing and fangs bared. Clawed fingers prevented me from forming fists to clock him one.

“Maybe we don’t quite understand one another here, but losing it isn’t going to help.” I tried again for some kind of rationale despite my wolf’s territorial desire to claw his eyes out. “Can you just back off and calm down?”

“No.” He shook his head vehemently. “Not until you abandon this dumb ass idea of consorting with Harley.”

I was positively infuriated. Nobody had ever gotten away with speaking to me like this, except for Raoul. The thought made me livid. I tried to shake him off, but Arys held tight. It almost hurt.

“I am not consorting with him! How the hell can you say that to me?”

“I know him, Alexa! He doesn’t do anything without getting something in return. What did you promise him?” Arys’s voice dropped low with menace, instilling fear deep in me. “Sharing you with the wolf pup is one thing. I know he’s your other half. But, Harley is my past and my business. You don’t want to do this.”

My body vibrated with the overwhelming power as our two individual energies combined the way it only could with Arys. That was not something I was prepared to deal with.

“I’m not stupid enough to make promises to a fiend like him. Give me a little credit. All he wants is extra firepower if he gets himself in any trouble. I told him that I’m not doing anything I don’t agree with. Now could you calm the fuck down?”

With my words came a flash of power that knocked Arys back a step, breaking his hold on me. I wasn’t so caught up in my defensive anger to miss the fact that I was immensely stronger with him than when we were apart.

“It’s you,” I said, the words tumbling out as I sought to make sense of it. “I have more power and control when I’m with you. The power of the dead. Don’t you see? We have to deal with this together. We are part of each other now. There’s no changing that.”

Arys made no move to touch me again. He stood there, staring at me with eyes that bore into my soul. “You’d like to though, wouldn’t you? Change that?”

I didn’t understand his recent insecurity. I’d never seen that part of Arys. Human emotion wasn’t his forte. Weak ones were unheard of.

“No, Arys.” I shook my head and took a step toward him. He took one back. That stung. “As hard as it is for you to hear, I’m in love with you. That’s something you can’t keep avoiding. Believe it already so we can deal with this shit and move on. I wouldn’t change anything between us.”

His hard gaze didn’t waver. He wouldn’t budge. “I had no link to the human world before you. You touched a side of me that I didn’t know still existed. That is why you have to stay away from Harley. The thought of him even laying eyes on you is enough to make me want to tear his limbs off. The idea that you’re even willing to be in the same room with him, much less negotiate with him, kills me. He’s going to warp your mind. And, then you won’t be mine anymore.”

Arys’s pain was sharp with negativity. It crawled around inside me until I was consumed with the pain he felt. I hadn’t known it was so strong. His fear of losing me was heavy within him. How could I not have known? This was more than territorial Arys being his vampire self. This was the man inside him struggling to come to terms with his feelings. Clearly, he hated it.

I boldly took another step toward him, and this time he didn’t move away. “I will always be yours. Do not ever think otherwise. I am a part of you. Literally. You can’t just undo that. And even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

I wanted to kiss him, but I was afraid he would push me away. My ego couldn’t take a blow like that. I stared into his amazing midnight eyes and searched for a sign, something that indicated that we were going to be ok. The sick sensation engulfing me felt like a warning, an assurance that this chaos wasn’t over.

Arys was silent, and I waited, allowing him a moment to process his thoughts. Now more than ever, I was tempted to touch his mind, to get inside him. I didn’t.

The silence was killing me. It was tough not to break it, to say anything just to be saying something. The sound of vehicles passing by on the street nearby and the occasional loud voice from a neighborhood bar filled the quiet. Clenching his fists, Arys paced around the parking lot. At last, he stopped in front of me and spoke.

“I just don’t understand how someone so strong and unrelenting can do an about face like this. You persecuted Raoul, your own pack Alpha, when you didn’t know for certain if he was a murderer or not. Now, just like that, you can walk back into The Wicked Kiss and expect to learn something from Harley. That is beyond fucked up.”

I hated that he was right. Still, I didn’t entirely see it the same way that he did. “It’s not fair to bring up Raoul. That was completely different.”

“Oh, because he’s your past?” Arys sneered. “Fancy that. It’s ok for you and not ok for me. Don’t be a hypocrite, Lex. It’s not like you. Don’t tell me that Harley’s getting to you already.”

I let out a frustrated little shriek. It was getting more difficult to resist pulling my own hair out. “Ok, you win! Is that what you want to hear? I am wrong and you, all knowing vampire extraordinaire, are right.”

“Goddamn it woman, why can’t you see the reality here? You heard Harley. He wants you for himself. Where do you think I fit into that?”

I didn’t want to do this anymore. It was breaking me down. I didn’t do well with this kind of conflict. Give me something that I could kill, no problem. Put a man I loved raging in front of me, and I was all kinds of broken.

“He’s nothing to me. You know that, Arys. Why are you so unwilling to give me the same understanding that you’re asking for?” I pleaded, feeling like I was split in two. I wanted to stop the argument by letting it go and leaving it alone, but the stubborn side of me couldn’t let him think he was one hundred percent right. I had valid feelings, too.

“I forget that you’re so young. Naïve.” He emphasized the last word, and I knew it was just to enrage me. “You forget what we really are, Harley and I. You shouldn’t.”

“Bullshit,” I spat the word at him. “Whatever you are, I am, too. Only I’m the one stuck in a living body, unable to grasp how it all works. Forget it.”

I stalked away, headed for my car. He grabbed my arm and whirled me around before I could reach for the door handle. Every time his hands were on me, I was enveloped in the swirl of our combined power. I hungered for him, his blood and his pain, along with his pleasure. I couldn’t keep feeding the fire between us without leaping into the flames.

Arys pulled me close, pressing his forehead to mine. “Do you forget that you almost killed him? Is that passion for his death dead inside you?”

I shook my head from side to side, unable to speak for a moment as I choked on a sob. “You stopped me. You still love him, and you stopped me. So, don’t you dare do this to me.”

I reached for him, my hands caressing his face. Tears pricked the back of my eyes, hot and potent. I blinked them back, unwilling to let them fall. When he kissed me, it was bruising and rough, leaving my lips swollen. I still hungered for more of him. Just having his hands on me was enough to undo my solid resolve.

“So I did.” His words came out on a whisper. “If only I could turn back time.”

“You wouldn’t have done it any other way, Arys, and you know it. You love us both, and it kills you because you can’t have us both.”

“That’s not what this is about.” He pulled back before I could lose myself in him. Why was he doing this to me? It was beyond torturous. “I don’t want him. Those days are long over.”

“I just need to know how to live with this, with what you do to me.” I reached for him, and he stepped away. Panic gripped me, and I felt like I’d be ill. “Arys?”

Turning his back on me, he started to walk away. Then, I spotted his car across the parking lot, the Pontiac that he almost never drove. Was he just going to walk away from me after going to the trouble of confronting me here?

He paused long enough to toss a parting comment over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Alexa. If I don’t leave now, I fear I’ll kill us both. You need to decide what is more important to you: your search for answers or my sanity.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I yelled the words with a new fury building. “You can’t twist this around so that it suits you. My opinion is valid, too, damn you!”

He was halfway across the parking lot when he paused. A moment later a twenty-something male emerged from the shadows, chatting away on his cell phone. I could see what was coming before it happened, but I could do nothing to stop it.

Arys sprang on the man like a wild cat on prey. I bit back a scream, watching in horror as he bit deeply. From where I stood, I saw the blood spray. I began to gasp for air, leaning against my car in an attempt to stay on my feet. The bloodlust had no problem overtaking me as I watched Arys kill an innocent man. As horrified as I was by it, the vision before me was stirring my dark side into a frenzy. I loved watching Arys in his element, regardless of the circumstances.

Slowly, I sunk to the ground beside my car. My entire body shook with the need to taste the hot human blood that Arys had spilled. Yet, my heart was breaking because I knew I was witnessing an act that spoke louder than words. Arys was exhibiting his true feelings in the only way that he knew how, by showing them. And, it was entirely my fault.

When the bloodless corpse lay forgotten in the middle of the parking lot, Arys didn’t so much as glance back at me. He got into the black Firebird and left as if it was just so easy. I didn’t cry, not then anyway. Numb and detached, I got into my car and drove robotically. Only when I sat alone in the parking lot of a small, seedy bar did I let the blood tears fall.

* * * *

The shot of straight whiskey burned its way down my throat. I slammed the shooter glass on the bar and motioned to the bartender for another. He didn’t say a word as he poured the honey brown liquid, but I could see the question in his eyes. I was wondering the same thing. What was a girl like me doing in a place like this?

It was a small bar, not a nightclub in any way. The majority of the patrons were doing much the same as I was, drinking alone. I was the only woman in the place that didn’t work there, no big deal. As long as nobody bothered me, I couldn’t care less.

I’d lost count after my fourth or fifth shot of whiskey. It wasn’t that I was drunk but that I just didn’t give a shit. Werewolves can hold more liquor than humans so drowning my sorrows could take a while. Last call was still a couple hours away, more than enough time.

Alcohol is famous for numbing out, if only it would work. Rather than ease the ache of the blood hunger and the need to find Arys and slap him around, it only encouraged it. I knew he was out there killing and God only knew what else. I had only to focus on opening the mental door between us to know what he was really doing. Yeah, maybe after a few more rounds.

Swallowing another satisfyingly strong whiskey shot, I jumped when my cell phone vibrated in the pocket of my jeans. Talk about heart attack inducing. It was Kale. Shit! I had totally forgotten that I was supposed to call him to let him know I’d made it out of The Wicked Kiss in one piece.

“Hello?” I answered, making my way to the ladies room to escape the loud country music.

“So am I riding in to rescue you or have you decided to stay all night?” Kale didn’t bother with small talk, cutting right to the chase.

“I left a while ago.” I debated on how much to tell him. Before I could censor myself, the truth poured out. “Arys was waiting for me outside. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

There was a slight pause before Kale replied, “Are you alright? Have you been drinking?”

“How can you tell?”

“Because it sounds like you need to be cut off. Where are you?”

I scowled, but since he couldn’t see it, it was a total waste. “I’m fine, Kale. Just having a few drinks to calm down. It was a nasty little argument. I’m trying to forget about it.”

“Tell me,” he insisted. With a sigh, I gave him the address. “Stay put. I’m on my way.”

After hanging up with Kale, I sent Shaz a quick message to let him know I was fine and no longer with Harley. I’d tell him about Arys later.

Returning to my stool at the bar, I ordered a few more shots and settled in to wait for Kale. I was dying to know what Arys was doing. Would he even allow me to access his thoughts? He could always shut me out. The real question was, did I want to access them? Yes. The curiosity was killing me.

I downed the first of the three shots the bartender placed in front of me. I let my thoughts wander to Arys, focusing hard on him. I slipped into his mind with ease. It was momentarily disorienting. I blinked a few times and suddenly I was seeing through his eyes.

I could taste the blood in his mouth as if it were my own. He’d definitely been killing. From what I could feel, he did not intend to stop yet. He was creeping along through the darkened side streets, stalking a prostitute. She was suspicious when he approached her but open to any opportunity to score some cash. He didn’t bother with the human banter. Ignoring her quoted hourly price, he reached for her.

She gasped when he kissed her. I was stunned. It felt like icy cold hands grabbed a hold of my heart, seeking to wrench it from my chest. I was able to feel her lips, to taste a cigarette on her breath. Arys’s thoughts were on his actions and his intent, yet he was aware of my presence. I knew it.

He made a show of kissing his way down her neck to the pulse that beat strong and steady. A rage like no other flooded me at the desire that thrummed through Arys. He was getting off on this. His victim didn’t fight. She was enraptured, totally mesmerized by him. I held my breath, waiting for him to bite her. I was mildly surprised to discover how badly I wanted him to.

I was hungry for the kill, lured by the ease in which he went about it. Like it was all so simple. I lifted another shot glass to my lips, barely feeling the sting of the liquor. My emotions swirled around me like a tornado, growing and pulsing. When Arys bit hard into his victim, I felt it like it was my own fangs buried in her flesh.

A wave of pure pleasure washed over me, completely sexual in nature. My body began to respond, a hot tingle starting between my legs. The blood flowed over Arys’s tongue, and I almost moaned aloud. The bloodlust within me shot to the boiling point, and I shoved my stool back. I had to get outside. I downed my last shot, slammed the glass on the bar and bolted for the door.

Arys’s thoughts turned sinister, and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing inside him. He was going to do so much more than simply kill her. Our shared power was riding each of us hard. The difference was that he was openly embracing it.

My wolf roared through Arys with a lust for death that felt so natural, so right. He never resisted the way I always did. He let it take him and guide his actions.

I’d just made it out of the bar and onto the sidewalk when Arys tore into the woman with a frenzied snap of teeth. His fangs went beyond the punctured vein to tearing flesh away. His slaughter continued while I struggled to stay on my feet, walking steadily. Every person that passed me risked life and limb unawares. I couldn’t hang on much longer. The need to give in to my instincts and join Arys in his tortured killing spree was too much.

I knew I had to cut the link and vacate Arys’s mind. I needed to hear my own thoughts. All I could see through his eyes was blood and flesh strewn about. His hands were wet with it. I couldn’t be part of this anymore.

What it was that really pushed me over the edge, past the point of all control, was a thought. A very clear and coherent thought that Arys had as he reveled in the bloody glory of his kill. He thought of me, and with that thought came a longing to kill me. Because he knew deep down, that the act of killing me would be the only way to truly make me his and his alone.

I cut the tie between us so fast and hard that it physically hurt. I reeled from the pain of Arys’s revelation combined with the ache to tear things to pieces. He’d warned me, and I hadn’t listened.

Months ago, after we’d first bonded our power, I had told Arys that he was so typically the vampire because even when he did something that appeared selfless, he always had something to gain from it. His response had been a warning that I should never forget it because once I did, I would be his forever, but I’d laughed it off like the naïve little idiot that he thought I was.

The wolf that was my true nature along with my acquired vampire tendencies melded together, sharing the pain and the need for vengeance. After what I’d just discovered, I didn’t care enough to fight it. All I wanted was to cause the same pain and terror that I was feeling. The guy walking towards me down the street would do just fine. I didn’t give a damn who he was or where he was going. He was mine.

A snarl began low in my throat. I waited for him to get closer. Perhaps if I could drag him in between the buildings … my mind wasn’t thinking beyond that. This time I was saying “fuck it” to sanity and going with what felt good. The initial abandon felt euphoric.

I timed my attack so that I came at him from one side, knocking him into the darkened space between the buildings. He let out a sound of surprised fright, but it was easily drowned out by the traffic on the street. I straddled him before he could move, wrapping my fingers tightly around his throat. Baring my fangs, I moved in to spill his blood with an unnatural eagerness.

Strong arms grabbed me from behind, dragging me to my feet. The scent of leather and the sensation of Kale’s intriguing power drew my attention instantly. My intended victim was practically forgotten. He scrambled to his feet and ran swearing and yelling down the street. My clawed nails were coated with blood from where I’d pierced his flesh. I couldn’t resist bringing a finger to my lips, licking it clean while Kale watched with wide eyes.

“Alexa? What in the hell are you doing? You know what, never mind. You can tell me in the car. Let’s go.” He grabbed my wrist and pulled me along beside him. I was still trying to process the sudden turn in events.

“Kale,” I growled. “What the fuck? Can’t a girl have a little fun?”

He swore softly, a string of curse words strung together into one. “I hate it when you’re all vamped up like this. And, you are totally drunk. You reek like booze.”

“I am not drunk.” I was vehement despite the fact that I tripped over my own feet trying to keep up with him. Maybe I’d had more than I thought.

I let him guide me, leaning on him for support as I licked the bloody smears from my fingertips. It was such a tease. Kale looked down at me from his tall frame, a pained look crossing his face. His car was parked at the end of the street, and I protested when he opened the door and gently shoved me inside.

“I can’t leave my car, Kale. And, where the hell are you taking me anyway? Please say it’s to kill something.”

When we were both seated in the dark confines of his classic car, he faced me. “You should have called me before coming here. You could have killed that guy. Don’t you think at some point someone would have noticed you tearing him to shreds?”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I slowly licked the last of the blood from my fingers. Kale watched me pensively, and I knew that he was enticed. I was so wicked in this frame of mind and knowing that didn’t change a damn thing. Overcome with bloodlust, pain and the way Kale’s eternally hungry power called to me, I was merely reacting. Thinking had gone out the window.

“Oh so what?” I replied flippantly. “After the night I’ve had, a little fun is in order.”

“Good Lord, you’re out of your mind.” Kale started the car and pulled into traffic. “You need to sober up, in more ways than one from the looks of it.”

“And, I’ll bet you’re just the guy to help me out with that, aren’t you?”

“You are so lucky that I fed tonight. I took care of that long before you arrived at the Kiss. It’s going to take a lot more than batting your pretty eyes to get to me.”

I grinned, loving the challenge I heard in his voice. “Oh yeah? How much more?”

“Not funny, Alexa. This madness, this whole strange thing between us, it’s got to stop.” He eased the car to a stop at a red light and fixed me with a serious gaze. “I’m here because I care about you, and you’re going to get yourself into a lot of trouble out here alone. But, we have our own unspoken issues, and sooner or later, they’re going to spiral out of control.”

I pondered this, but in my drunken, Arys-influenced state, I just found it funny. The seriousness all over Kale’s face got me giggling like a first time drunk. I sucked the tip of a clawed nail, delighting in the trace of blood caught beneath it.

“I need to kill something, Kale. You know exactly what that feels like. This night has been a bust, and I don’t really fucking care anymore.”

“That’s the bloodlust talking, not you.” The traffic light changed, and we started moving again. There was no sign of the man I’d attacked anywhere.

“So, where are we going? You won’t let me kill anything so this had better be good.” I savored the taste of human blood on my tongue, aching for more. My actions tonight had proved Harley right already. I needed to accept the bloodlust as a part of me that wasn’t going away.

“We’re going for a drive. Maybe a walk down by the river. And, if I have to, I’ll give you my own blood to bring you back down to earth.”

That got my attention and brought an evil grin to my lips. “Um, what? Have you lost your mind? You know that’s a sure fire way to cross the line of our issues. Don’t you think?” The thought of Kale’s blood dripping onto my tongue was powerful enough to flood me with an erotic heat. I actually had to crack the window open to let the winter air cool me.

Ignoring my words, he changed the subject entirely. “Tell me about Arys. What happened with him tonight?”

I groaned and ran a hand through my hair. I didn’t want to think about it but talking about it was the safest bet for me right then. The memory of tasting Kale’s blood during an intense and unexpected kiss was still as vibrant and fresh as if it had been yesterday rather than months ago. No, that had to be avoided at all costs.

After stopping by an all night drive-thru to get me a coffee, Kale parked at a nice spot overlooking the river. From our location, we could see the lights from the vehicles on the bridges that spanned the rushing water, joining one side of the city to the other. I missed the stars. I knew they’d be visible in Stony. There were many reasons why I didn’t live in a major city, but nature had to be the main one.

Kale listened attentively as I recounted my whole night, including my visit with Harley. Not only did I tell him about the argument with Arys, I even confided the things I’d seen in Arys’s thoughts and actions.

It was easy to talk to Kale. He was neither my lover nor one of my girlfriends and that put him in a totally different category. I never worried about his reaction or opinions the way I did with the others that were close to me. Strangely, by the time I’d finished, I felt at ease with the many things roiling about inside me.

“You are not a naïve idiot, and you know it,” he admonished once I’d finished speaking. “You are young and mortal. That’s different. This is just the beginning for you.”

“Not if Arys kills me like he apparently wants to.” The bitterness was heavy in my tone. “Talk about sleeping with the enemy.”

Kale shook his head. “No, you don’t understand. How can I explain this? I’m not at all surprised to hear that. For a vampire, the only way we can fully feel everything that a person has to offer is to consume them. Arys feels that way because you are so strong and independent. He longs to have all of you and tasting your death, absorbing all that you are, is the only way to do that on the deepest level possible. It doesn’t mean that he actively wants to kill you. In fact, I’m sure it’s the exact opposite. He’s afraid of losing you.”

Whether it was the coffee, the fresh air through the open window or the calming talk with Kale, I was starting to feel stronger, more in control of myself. His dark power still taunted me, but it was a tease, not a need.

“It sounds like I should be coming to you for the answers I need rather than Harley. Your insight never fails.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think I’m the last person you need to be placing your faith in. I can barely control myself half the time.” He chuckled, but it lacked humor.

“You see everything for what it is, so clearly. I wish I could see past the fog and tangled webs. It feels like I’m walking in circles, always coming back to the same point as if I never made any progress at all.” I sipped at the hot coffee, focusing on the taste as it warmed my insides, such a simple pleasure that had nothing to do with bloodlust or vampire power.

Kale nodded in agreement, and a comfortable silence fell. There was barely an hour until sunrise. He’d have to head for home soon, and so would I. As much as I would love to bury my head in the sand and feel sorry for myself, I had other things to deal with, like unwelcome wolves hunting down my dead lover’s daughter.

The sound of his leather jacket moving was familiar and comforting when he reached for my hand. I tensed, ready to pull away, but nothing happened. The slightest sensation of heat could be felt through my palm, but the energy lay quiet and still. He squeezed my hand gently, reassuringly, before letting go.

“See,” he said. “Not every action has to be about the power inside. With the right frame of mind, it just is what it is.”

Why did I get the feeling that meant more than he was letting on? My woman’s intuition warned me to tread carefully. Kale’s touch had been warm and soothing. I found myself wondering if I’d be thinking along the same lines if Jez or Ky had squeezed my hand. I doubted it.

“Thank you, Kale. For dragging my ass off that guy and for listening. You’re easy to talk to, and it always really helps.” I smiled at him in the dimly lit interior.

His heavy gaze was shadowed, but he returned my smile with a grin that revealed fangs. “Hey, no worries. That’s what friends are for.”

I knew right then that there was something more, something he wasn’t saying. It didn’t matter. Nothing was going to ruin this relaxed moment. In the past half hour or so I’d spent with Kale, I had gone from raging animal to unsettled but collected.

“We can head back to my car now,” I offered before draining the last drop of coffee from my disposable cup. “You don’t want to cut it too close getting home before dawn.”

“You’re sure?”

“Of course. I can’t rely on you to listen to my woes if you’re a pile of ash and dust. Oh God, the thought is horrid. Let’s go.”

Our conversation was light and casual as we drove, but I knew the calm illusion would shatter when I was alone with my thoughts again. Shaz would no doubt be curled up in my bed when I got home. Though I wasn’t looking forward to repeating my tale of woe, I couldn’t wait to wrap myself around him.

As much as I adored Kale, I was glad when I was finally back inside the safe, secure confines of my own vehicle. I had spent the entire night with one vampire after another, and it had been damn exhausting in every possible way. I ached for Shaz’s heavenly scent of pine and wolf, needing to reacquaint myself with the power of the earth.

The power of the undead may live within me, but I was alive. Perhaps it was time that I stop letting the current of life sweep me along and really start living.

Chapter Nine

“There is no way that I’m not smashing that guy right in the face when I see him.” There was a spark of fury in Shaz’s jade green eyes. He’d been ranting and raving about Arys since I filled him in on the details of the night before.

He’d been sound asleep in my bed when I got home at the crack of dawn that morning. All I wanted to do was slip in between the sheets with him and slumber. We’d woken some time after noon, and over coffee, I told him everything about my visit to Harley and the resulting run in with Arys.

I sighed and gave my head a shake. I smiled though. I loved that he wanted to protect me. However, I did not want to see Shaz and Arys come to blows again. There’s no way it would end as well as it had the first time.

“I love hearing you say that,” I laughed softly. “But, I also know that Arys is really hurting. He’s so confused. And, I can’t help but feel like a super bitch. If I were him, I wouldn’t want me anywhere near Harley, either.”

“You deserve answers, Lex. I don’t love the idea of you walking right into a potential trap either, but I trust your judgment. And, I love you. I want you to be able to master the things inside you before they take over who you are.” He tossed a sincere look my way as he moved about my bedroom, getting ready for work.

My heart dropped, and I was reminded that the bond between Arys and I had a direct impact on Shaz, too. He was the calm, cool and collected type. He preferred to approach things with an open mind and realistic attitude. Because he didn’t give in to emotional outbursts the way Arys and I were both prone to doing, it was easy to miss how deeply it all affected him. He just didn’t show it the same way.

I stretched out in my bed, watching appreciatively as he strode around the room in all of his fine, naked glory. Shaz was my stronghold in life. I heavily relied on him to keep me grounded, to touch the wolf inside me and draw me away from the darkness. Did he know that it was only because of him that I was still sane?

“You’re the only thing that keeps me here, you know? I would have been lost long ago without you.” I gazed up at him from where I lay, wanting him to see the truth in my eyes. “I’d actually probably be dead without you.” I chuckled at that. It was sadly true.

Shaz raised an eyebrow. He held a pair of jeans forgotten in one hand. “Where did that come from?”

“Nowhere,” I shrugged and hugged my pillow. “I just wanted you to know. You’re always so steady and strong. I know that I wouldn’t be the same person that I am now without you.”

“You don’t give yourself enough credit.” He slid his muscular legs into his jeans and came to sit next to me on the bed. “You’re stronger than you think you are. I just help you to remember that, but it’s all you.”

“No way,” I said, sitting up straighter in the bed. “Don’t sell yourself short, babe. My strength has many sources, and you are one of them.”

He leaned in to nuzzle me gently before capturing my lips for a breath-taking kiss. Why did he have to work a night job? I just wanted to drag him back into bed with me.

“Likewise,” he whispered against my lips. “Being with you has made me realize many things about myself. Like how strong I can be when the woman I love needs me. I’d do anything for you, Lex.”

“Like skip work?” I teased.

“Except that.” He kissed the tip of my nose, an affectionate gesture that made me giggle. “I do have news for you though. I told them I won’t be working full time at Lucy’s Lounge anymore. I’m going part time.”

“Really? What brought that on?”

“Well…you mostly. I’m sick of spending all of my nights trapped behind the bar while you’re out there dealing with what’s actually important. We need more time together, as humans and as wolves.” He got up to fetch a Lucy’s Lounge staff t-shirt from the bottom drawer of my dresser as the wheels in my brain began to turn.

He was right. I knew that without a doubt. I craved more wolf time and likely needed it if I wanted to keep the vampire-locked-within controllable. Shaz was here often. He was keeping clothes and personal supplies here already. Would it be a mistake to suggest that he just move in?

The house had belonged to Raoul. He’d welcomed both Shaz and I into his little town pack. Shaz had every right to move back in here, too. He’d once called it home. Why not?

While it seemed like the perfect plan, I feared rushing it. Those types of life changes should be considered carefully, and right before he had to walk out the door to work was clearly a shitty time to bring it up. I would though, when we had the right moment. It was a big house with more than enough room for both of us.

“I totally agree with you. I feel like I don’t get enough of you. Having you by my side at that motel the other night felt so right. Natural.” It thrilled me to hear Shaz say he needed more of me. It was much needed reassurance to my battered ego.

The conflict with Arys had left me raw in places. Focusing my attention on what I was first and foremost, a werewolf, was important right now. Sure, I’d been born gifted as a human but nothing compared to the things I could do now. Turning my attention to the original predator in me felt good, just thinking about it. I was suddenly dying to go for a run.

“You and me both, baby.” Shaz slid the black t-shirt over his body, hiding his firm abs from view. His platinum hair was amazingly white in contrast. “I’ll always have your back. And, with those jackasses at the motel sniffing around, more than ever I feel like it’s time to make a change.”

“I adore you,” I said softly. Watching his eyes light up in response filled me with a warm glow.

Rising from the bed, I went to him wearing nothing but the silk sheet wrapped around me. He groaned, but it was accompanied by his sexy grin that I loved so much.

“You’re making it really hard for me to care about getting to work on time. I’m supposed to open tonight.” He accepted me into his warm embrace, and I snuggled in close. Every time he held me like this, I wanted time to stop.

Before Shaz made it out the door to his car, he had a series of battles between his desire and the ticking clock. Promising that, on his first night away from Lucy’s, we would shut the world out and just be, he kissed me with longing. When I shoved him out the door to work, he was already running five minutes late.

It was still early, barely suppertime. The sun had almost finished its descent in the western sky. A pale orange glow was all that remained along the horizon.

I couldn’t shake the need to see Arys, to make him listen to me. After the way he’d spent his night, I was hoping he’d gotten it out of his system. Maybe he’d be more open to discussion. I had this nauseous twinge in the pit of my stomach that wouldn’t go away until we dealt with this. The thought of ongoing conflict with him held a heaviness that weighed on my mind and my soul.

After hitting up a shower, I rushed around to get ready in the hopes that I would catch Arys before he left his house for the night. I didn’t bother with any makeup other than some lip-gloss and a stroke of blush. Since forming the blood bond with Arys, I’d grown considerably pale. It made me a little self-conscious.

My hair was damp, and I left it loose. Slipping into a pair of black pants and a halter-top, I felt both comfortable and practical. The slightest bit of snow fell outside the window so I brought a jacket that was a combination of faux leather and fur. The moment my butt hit the seat of my car, I was wracked with nerves.

Doubt plagued me as I drove, and more than once I was tempted to change my course. No. We had to get to the bottom of this. In the privacy of Arys’s house was better than a parking lot outside The Wicked Kiss.

The radio captured my attention when the DJ gave a news update about bodies that had been found near downtown in the city. The details were minimal but the word “massacred” was enough for me. I’d bet money that Arys had something to do with it. It wasn’t like him to leave a body where it could be so easily found. This was all kinds of bad.

Arys lived in a quiet neighborhood that was primarily populated by older citizens. He felt that it allowed him to stay low key and be left alone. His neighbors didn’t pay him much attention other than Mrs. Olson, whom he was strangely protective over. I attributed that to the fact that he’d slaughtered her dog in a fit of werewolf rage he’d acquired from me. He still felt guilty about the whole thing.

The moment I drove up in front of his house, I knew that he wasn’t inside. It made no sense. The sun had just disappeared from the sky. He couldn’t have left already, not without being fried to ashes, and I would have felt that. No. He hadn’t even come home.

That realization was startling. If Arys hadn’t come home in time for sunrise, then where the hell was he?

I went up to the door and rang the bell anyway. I could feel the emptiness of the house. It created a hollow ache inside me. Where was my dark vampire?

Returning to the car, I tried to talk myself out of what I was about to do. Something warned me away, but I refused to listen. I was going to tap Arys’s mind. It couldn’t show me anything worse than it had last night, could it?

I turned the car on so that the heater blasted warm air all around me. Then I turned my focus inward and projected it to Arys. I fully expected that disorienting sensation I always got when I fell into his mind. It never came.

Instead, it was as if a brick wall barred my entrance. I felt the slightest resistance at the edges, as if I could shove my way through with enough force. It would take more than I had in me. The bastard had blocked me out. That hurt. He was hiding something, obviously.

The fury that filled me was scorching. It seared a path throughout my entire body until I was resonating with red-hot energy that ached to maim and destroy.

I put the car in gear and hit the gas. The Charger slid on the ice and snow but quickly regained traction. I took deep breaths, trying to calm down before I did something really stupid. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, like I might start hyperventilating. Panic accompanied the rush of power that crashed through me like a lightning storm. I had to get some air.

Thinking it might be a good idea to park near one of the walking paths and take a stroll to calm down, I turned down Brown Street. There was parking space right beside the path that ran beneath the train tracks. I could be alone there to get control of myself. The emotions and thoughts attacking me was more than I could take. The sting of Arys’s rejection hurt on every level. How could he do this?

As I made a right onto Oatway Drive and then another onto Brown Street, I noticed the car behind me did the same. Could it be that I was being tailed? Putting it to the test, I took a few other turns, some without signaling and the car behind followed suit. Great, just what I needed.

I couldn’t make out the driver with the glare of his headlights in my rear view mirror, but I didn’t have to. With the angry energy soaring high in me, I could feel his werewolf aura, just one, and it wasn’t the Alpha, either. So, he’d sent one of his lackeys to tail me. How pathetic was that?

That was fine with me. I was ready to unleash the pain and rage I was feeling all over someone deserving. He would do just fine. It hadn’t taken them long to make their way from the city to my small town. They were going to find out that I was more than a little wolf with big words. I was happy to start with this guy.

I drove along at the speed limit, watching him attempt to follow me without getting too close. I was purposely leading him to the outskirts of town. Since he wasn’t from Stony, I doubted he realized that I was taking him straight to the old graveyard that very rarely had visitors these days. One of the town walking paths led to the edge of town and cut off. It was just beyond that point that I pulled over at random.

He continued past me, but I knew he was looking for a spot to ditch his car. Getting out of the Charger, I locked the doors and crossed to the walking path. I could see the end of it and the cemetery ahead, nestled in amongst an old abandoned house and a patch of trees. I couldn’t see his car, but I knew he wasn’t far. He had to be watching me.

I walked casually, as if I had a purpose. Alive with power that fed off my emotional upheaval, my fingernails lengthened into savage claws. My fangs appeared next, and I knew that my eyes were all wolf. I didn’t think they’d be Arys’s vampire blue, but I wasn’t entirely sure. All I cared about was luring my prey into that graveyard and adding him to the bodies there.

I reached the end of the walking path before I felt him. He was coming. I didn’t dare turn to look for him, knowing it would alert him to the fact that I knew he was following me. Instead, I sauntered along as if I didn’t have a care in the world, if only that were true.

A secondary road separated the walking path from the cemetery. There wasn’t a car in sight. I crossed into the graveyard, reaching out with my mind to feel for his heady werewolf energy. He wasn’t far behind. I wasn’t sure why he was following me, and it almost bothered me that I wouldn’t get to find out. This was going to be a fast kill. I needed it. I ached for the moment that his blood would flow.

As soon as I stepped into the cemetery, I was hit with a swarm of different sensations. Apparently, not everyone buried within it was at rest. That wasn’t my area of expertise though.

I walked slowly through the headstones, reading the names and dates while waiting for the fool wolf to draw closer. It was taking all of my self-control not to spin around and rush him.

Pausing at an elaborate grave with an angel atop the headstone, I closed my eyes and let the power take over. I was confused and more than a little pissed off. This was all just too easy. The idiot didn’t have a clue I’d just lured him into a trap. He’d never make it back to his Alpha alive.

Yes, that’s right. Just a little bit closer. He moved with stealth, almost silent. His scent was lost on the chilly night air. I felt him as if he were inside me. Every move he made I was able to anticipate before he made it. Closer, just a little bit closer.

When he approached from behind me, I was ready. Catching his hand before it could land on my shoulder, I snapped his wrist before I’d even turned around to face him. Lashing out with a kick in his gut, he bounced off the headstone opposite us. Part of me expected the cold chill of the undead power to rise inside me, and I was more than pleasantly surprised when I burned only with pure, hot werewolf.

The temptation to reach for my metaphysical side was numb, almost non-existent. I just wanted to feel him struggle and listen to him scream while I tore him to pieces. I leaped on him with claws extended. He went down easy beneath me, letting out a yelp when he hit the hard packed earth and grass.

He felt good trapped under me. I had far more strength than he did, and I knew how to use it. I straddled him, pinning him with an arm against his windpipe. My other hand was poised ready to slice his throat open.

I had the sudden temptation to play with him a little, to draw it out excruciatingly slow. I knew the urge came from the vampire in me, but that made no difference. I was riding a high that was dark and erotic. Once his blood spilled, it would bring about a whole new world of pleasure. I licked my lips in eager anticipation.

“Why are you following me?” I growled down into his face. His eyes were wide with terror. Had he really underestimated me that much? I was insulted.

He made a garbled sound, and I let off just enough so that he could take a breath. “Dylan thinks you’re hiding the hybrid,” he gasped out. I choked off his words before he could continue.

Now I had a name for the unwelcome Alpha. Not that it mattered.

“And, he was stupid enough to send you here alone to check?” I laughed, thoroughly amused. “I love seeing that look in your eyes, that horrifying realization that you guys were all wrong about me.”

He tried to shake his head, but I held his neck pinned too tightly. I wasn’t in the mood to chat. Dragging a claw along the side of his neck, I opened up a thick gash that instantly dripped fat crimson drops. Something tightened inside my stomach, almost painfully, as the bloodlust came on strong.

Dipping my fingers in the strong Were blood, I brought my hand to my lips. As soon as I tasted the raw wolf blood, I lost the remainder of my control. On some level, I willingly gave in, following the promise of euphoria and satisfaction.

I tore into him like I was a starving woman presented with a gourmet meal. Blood spattered my face as he thrashed around. It didn’t take long for the life to drain out of him. My hands were stained red. There was no conscious thought in my head when I bent to taste his blood again.

There was no high better than this. His strong, living energy wrapped around me as I drew it in. More than that, I just wanted to devour him.

When I’d finished with him, there wasn’t much left. His throat was splayed open in a way that would have once made me sick to my stomach. Now I felt little more than the urge to grimace. I fished around in his pocket for a cell phone. It didn’t take me long to go through the recently called numbers and find the number for Dylan, the so-called Alpha male.

It barely rang once before it was answered by a low, hurried voice. “Tell me this is good news, Jake. Did you find the O’Brien bitch?”

I waited a few seconds before responding, hoping to instill some worry in him. “Oh yes, he found me. Sadly, he didn’t live long enough to report back to you, Dylan. I’m afraid that you have fucked up by mistaking me for someone that isn’t capable of protecting my town and my wolves.”

“Zoey Roberts is your wolf?” He growled in my ear. “She’s a goddamn murderous half-breed that isn’t either wolf or human. What in God’s name is wrong with you?”

“Me? Hey, I’m not the one trespassing on your turf. So save the bullshit. Get out of my town or you’re next.” Flipping the cell phone closed with my bloody hands, I almost tossed it down on the body but decided against it.

After stuffing it in my pocket, I dragged the cooling corpse into the trees lining the cemetery. I figured that some of the local coyotes would take care of it. They were always scrounging for something to eat.

I was soaring on a major high. The fact that I’d just killed and then made the threat to do so again had me giddy and resisting the urge to giggle aloud. Jake’s car was a rental, and he’d used it to follow me to do Lord knows what. So, it was unlikely that it had even been rented with an authentic legal name. That worked for me. Not my problem.

Deciding that the falling snow would take care of the bloodstains near the angel statue, I crept away through the dark. I crossed the empty road to the walking path and made my way to my car. I didn’t see another person or vehicle the entire time.

I imagined that Dylan would be having kittens right about now. Good. I fully realized that my actions had clearly stated that I was claiming Zoey Roberts as one of my own. I wouldn’t let them have her. I couldn’t. All it took was a mental image of Raoul’s challenging eyes as he lay dying at her hand, and I knew I had to protect her for the man that I’d never stopped loving, even when I hated him. God Raoul, I thought. How I wish I could slap you.

When I got into the car, I purposely avoided looking in the visor mirror at my reflection. I knew I looked like something out of a horror movie. Driving with claws was difficult but doable. I headed for home and a hot shower. The taste of blood was strong in my mouth. I was virtually vibrating with the newly acquired energy I’d drawn in. If this was what it felt like to feed as a vampire, maybe the future wasn’t so bleak after all.

Chapter Ten

Hours later, I stood outside Kylarai’s house, listening to the sound of her footfalls as she hurried to answer the door. It was shortly past midnight. I knew she would still be up. When she swung the door open, the scent of Julian hit me. Oh great, that was just what I needed on top of everything else tonight.

“Alexa, hey.” She stepped back and waved me inside. “What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Come in.”

“No ghosts, but I did just kill a werewolf. We have some trouble in town.”

I was surprised how different the atmosphere in the house was since I’d moved out. It had once felt like home when I walked in. Now it felt like Kylarai’s house. Unfortunately, Julian’s scent was overwhelming. Since I hadn’t seen his SUV outside, I assumed it was in the garage. If I’d know he was there I still would have come by, but I would have been better prepared for it. At that point, I was thankful my bloodlust was sated.

“You mean the wolves looking for Zoey? You killed one? Is that a good thing?” Ky’s voice held a note of panic, as if she was waiting for me to give her a reason for it.

“I hope so. Where’s Julian? He may as well get the low down on this, too.”

I followed her into the living room where Julian was lounging in front of the TV with a beer in hand. He looked up when we entered the room. His eyes were guarded, but his expression was neutral. We tried to avoid one another as much as possible. It didn’t always work out so well. This was different. This was about pack business, not personal issues.

“Alright Alexa,” Ky said, perching on the arm of a nearby easy chair. “Tell us what’s up.”

I recounted the events of the evening for them, assuming Ky had already told Julian about the visit Shaz and I had paid to the wolves at the motel. Neither of them moved nor spoke until I’d finished. It didn’t take long to give them the basics.

Julian broke the silence first. “So why don’t we just hand the Roberts bitch over to them? They’ll be gone and problem solved.”

The casual way he spoke of Raoul’s daughter as if she wasn’t a living being that had suffered much in her life picked at me in the wrong places. I shouldn’t have expected different from him, but I did.

“And that,” I replied bitterly. “Is exactly why you were never fit to be Alpha. So, if you have nothing helpful to contribute, just be quiet and let the grownups talk.”

Kylarai winced, and her eyes moved uncertainly between Julian and me. He stared daggers into me, but shockingly, never said any of the awful things that I knew were on the tip of his tongue.

“Julian, Zoey meant a lot to Raoul. He was our Alpha. We need to show a shred of respect.” Ky moved to his side as if to be affectionate, but I knew it was to place herself between us.

“Yeah, yeah. Alright. Forget I said anything.”

Hmm, that was interesting. Julian backed down awfully fast. I guess getting his ass beat by Shaz had been enough to make him think twice before messing with me. Or, maybe he had more respect for Kylarai than I realized. I’d believe that when I saw it.

“Look, I just want to know that I can count on you guys to keep an eye out for anyone new in town. And, keep a look out for Zoey, too, when you run in the forest. We haven’t seen her lately, but I know she’s still around. I’m sure of it.” I turned an idea over in my head. There had to be some way to communicate with Zoey. “Ky, do you think it would be completely ridiculous to leave a note out there for her somewhere? Just in case?”

She considered it, her brow furrowed in thought. “There’s a huge chance she’ll never see it, but I don’t see any other way to let her know we’re looking for her. Can’t hurt to try.”

“Do you want me to run it out there?” Julian offered. He had a carefully constructed poker face, as if he were resisting the sneer that came naturally to him.

I shook my head. “No. But, thank you. I appreciate the offer. I’ll do it. Maybe if she catches my scent she’ll know it’s legit. A strange male scent could scare her off.”

“Alright,” Julian nodded and shifted in his seat. “So what if we do come across this Dylan guy? What then? Beat his ass?”

“That would be ideal, but it could also be a bad move. I don’t know much about this guy. I do know that he’s an Alpha, and he’s likely super pissed after finding out I took out one of his wolves.” I fell silent, my mind turning over several possible scenarios. None of them was appealing.

Ky disappeared into the kitchen. I could hear her rummaging around in a drawer. She returned with a pen and paper. “Hopefully it doesn’t snow too hard or anything before she comes across it. If she even does. Sorry, I don’t have anything waterproof on hand.”

I scrawled a fast note with nothing more than Zoey’s name, a brief note stating I needed to speak with her immediately and then my own name. It was a total shot in the dark.

“If either of you see Dylan or his buddy, don’t take them on,” I said. “I don’t trust them. They’ll be ruthless and hell bent on getting what they came here for. Call Shaz or me immediately, and get out of the situation if possible. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“Except me, right?” It was Julian’s attempt at a joke.

Forced to think about it, the idea really didn’t sit well with me. “Actually, as appealing as it may sound to hurt you myself, I really don’t like the idea of anyone else getting their hands on any of my wolves. Even you.”

I stared at the note in my hand. The thought of trotting along through the forest beyond Ky’s backyard with the paper clutched in my muzzle like Lassie didn’t impress me. Ten minutes later, I was disrobing on her patio to do just that.

Kylarai slid the glass patio door shut to give us some privacy. Julian remained right where we’d left him, in front of the television. She tucked a lock of brown hair behind one ear and fixed me with a look I knew well.

“Are you going to tell me what’s up, Lex? You have this strange tension that I don’t think has anything to do with these wolves. Am I wrong?”

Our little pack mother always seemed to know when we needed that parental push. It was sweet. It was also impossible to lie or withhold the truth when she was looking at me like that.

“No, you’re not wrong.” I sighed and handed her the note to hold until I was in wolf form. “It’s Arys. I went to see Harley last night, and he was waiting for me when I came out. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. We went our separate ways, and he hasn’t been home since.”

Kylarai looked confused as she processed my words. “But what about sunrise? He just never came back in time?”

“I’m not sure where he ended up. I do know that he never came home, and that he’s blocked me from reaching him telepathically. So, I guess that’s that.”

“What do you mean? You’re just going to let him shut you out without an explanation?”

“No. I don’t know what to do. If I can’t speak with him, my hands are kind of tied.”

I glanced back into the house to make sure Julian was still in the living room before slipping out of the last of my clothes. I handed those to Ky, who never stopped frowning.

“You’re bound to him, of course you can find him. Either way, he should know that shutting you out for now has no effect on your link to one another in the long run. He can’t avoid you forever.”

I nodded, forcing back the wave of emotion that threatened me. I didn’t want to feel or think about anything right now other than reaching out to Zoey.

“I know, Ky. We’ll sort it out. Eventually.”

The snow and ice was cold against the bottom of my bare feet as I descended the patio steps to the snow covered lawn below. Ky followed, pausing on the bottom step. Embracing the change, it washed over me, a warm wave of pure, wolf energy. By the time my hands touched the ground, they were paws. The change happened fast, smoother every time. It had once been painful, but it no longer burned as my body re-knit itself. It felt like a blissful release.

Kylarai held the note so that I could take it in my mouth and off I went through the open back gate. I felt beyond silly trotting along across the farmer’s field to the forest beyond. At least nobody could see me but Ky.

It didn’t take long to reach the edge of the forest. I wound my way in amongst the trees, scenting the air for any sign of Zoey. Nothing. Most of the forest’s inhabitants were hidden in their burrows or tree top homes, secure and slumbering for the night. My nocturnal counterparts consisted mainly of rodents and owls. The scurry of tiny feet could be heard as the field mice detected my approach.

I continued until I reached the place where I had run into Zoey myself a few months back. Dropping the note lightly on top of the snow, I shifted back into human form. Making the change so soon after becoming wolf was incredibly difficult for brand new Weres. For me, it consisted of little more than some muscle cramps and bone aches that would soon diminish.

Picking up the note, I glanced around for a good spot to secure it. I chose a tree with some limbs low to the ground. With a twig, I poked a small hole in the note in order to slide it fully onto the lowest skinny branch I could find. It was easier said than done. I needed it to be at eye height for a wolf. Of course, that was if she even found it. Even if she did, I had no way of knowing what kind of state she was in mentally. Hopefully, she would still understand it.

When I was sure that it was as safe and secure as I could possibly make it, I shifted back into wolf and made my way back to Ky’s house. I instantly wished Shaz were with me. Being out beneath the stars with my white wolf at my side was something I really needed right then. As it was, being out there all alone made me feel very small and insignificant.

I felt a strong sense of relief upon re-entering Kylarai’s backyard. It had been quite some time since I’d truly felt lonely, but in that moment, I felt it stronger than ever.

It ate at me that I had no idea what Arys was up to or where he was. The side of me that was hurt and saddened wanted nothing more than to seek him out. The night was fading away, and I knew it wouldn’t be worth it to start searching for him now. Where would I even begin?

It bothered me much more than I cared to admit. I felt like nothing was in my control. It never had been.

As far as I knew, Shaz was heading to his own place after work unless I asked him to come over. It was tempting, but I felt like some time alone may be best. I needed to organize my thoughts and decide what to do about everything I was facing.

All I really wanted to do was go home and crawl into bed though I wasn’t sure that sleep would ever come. I hadn’t had the slightest hint of regret regarding my decision to blood bond myself to Arys. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

Chapter Eleven

It was noon when I first ventured up the stairs from my basement bedroom. After returning home from Kylarai’s, I’d tossed and turned fitfully until I finally gave up on sleep and read a book all night. It did little to quiet the insanity running laps inside my mind.

The first blast of sunshine through the living room window burned my eyes. They instantly began to water, and I blinked furiously. It stung like a bitch. The touch of the sun caused my skin to tingle almost painfully.

I stumbled into the bathroom, nearly blind from the tears running from my eyes. I closed the door and turned on the light. It was like instant relief from the agony of the sun. I wasn’t a vampire, not yet anyway. This was totally unfair.

I wiped my eyes with my hands, not at all surprised to see that my tears were tinged red. They’d been bloodier than this though. Washing my face with cool water, I waited until the pain in my head subsided. The burning of my eyes had caused an instant headache.

My hands shook as I splashed the cold water on my face, and I felt faint. I focused on taking deep breaths. It had been a while since I’d felt this bad. In fact, even when Arys and I had first bonded our power, the results didn’t make me feel this bad. My stomach cramped and rolled. For a moment, I thought I was going to be sick. It had to have something to do with him shutting me out. I was sure it was his absence causing the strong vampire reaction in me. I hated it.

Leaving the bathroom was just as painful. Squeezing my eyes shut against the bright light, I rushed back down the stairs into the sanctity of my bedroom. I didn’t come up again until the sun had descended in the sky.

After a brief phone call with Shaz, I got ready to leave the house. I had one destination in mind. Good or bad, I didn’t care. I was going to The Wicked Kiss. I wanted to see if Harley knew of Arys’s whereabouts. If not, maybe he could help me pinpoint it. This disappearing act of his was getting old fast. I was more than over it.

Dressed in a long black skirt that flowed softly around my legs and a deep red corset of the softest velvet, I looked much better than I felt. I wore smoky grey eyeliner and blush to mask the paleness of my skin. It didn’t work, but it was an attempt. Using bobby pins, I secured my hair up with several loose tendrils falling down my back. I figured if I didn’t find Arys tonight, then at least I knew he was missing out.

I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, not even Shaz. I didn’t want him to worry. Instead, I left him a note in case he stopped by after work and found that I wasn’t home. Even though I didn’t want to, I stopped by Arys’s house again, hoping against hope that maybe he would be there. I shouldn’t have been surprised to find that he still hadn’t made his way home, but I was. The disappointment was heavy and painful.

Why was he doing this? Was it just to punish me or was this something bigger than that? I was starting to get the feeling that Arys had issues that I had never been aware of. Whatever they were, I’d pushed him over the edge.

I didn’t go through the back door when I got to The Wicked Kiss. It didn’t feel right. It was creepy and unwelcoming. It wasn’t as if I were a VIP member or anything. So I strode through the front door of the club with only one thing on my mind: to get to the bottom of this mess with Arys. By avoiding me, he was only making matters worse for both of us.

There was no hesitation when I pulled the doors open. The bouncer at the door didn’t stop me, as he once had, to ensure that I wasn’t carrying any kind of weaponry. I breezed by him, ignoring the girl next to him at the cash register, who stared after me with shock when I didn’t pay the cover.

The lobby was in a quiet little hall, separated from the main club area by a set of double doors. Once I yanked those doors open, the loud music and myriad of scents hit me. I paused, momentarily hesitant. I drew a substantial amount of attention right away, most of it from the vampires that mingled amongst the human patrons, seeking their next willing victim.

Lucky me, most of them knew who I was and didn’t bother to approach or harass me. The one vampire that did have the balls to wave hello from his place buttering up a blonde across the room was Shawn. He’d helped me out once when I was here looking for Kale, and because of that, he was on a safe list that many others would never be on. He was under my protection, and therefore Arys’s. I knew I could count on him to come through for me in the future if it was needed, which could be soon at the rate I was going.

My instinct was to charge straight for the heavy black curtain near the bar that led to the back rooms. I moved slowly though, not wanting to rush through like a total maniac. I surveyed the room as I went, my gaze landing on Kale at a nearby table.

I shouldn’t have found it surprising to find him there, yet it caught me off guard. He sat next to a young brunette, holding her hand as he pressed his lips to her wrist. His head snapped up suddenly, and his mismatched eyes fixed on me.

Something like alarm flashed across his face. With a brief word to the woman with him, he was on his feet and headed my way. I raised an eyebrow in question when he crossed the distance much faster than I felt was necessary. My suspicions were immediately raised.

“Alexa? What the hell are you doing here?” Kale came to a stop directly in front of me, blocking my view of most of the club along with the back room entrance.

“I’m not allowed in here? It’s a public place.” I had to look up to meet his eyes because of his close proximity. “What’s going on anyway? Why are you so jumpy? I didn’t come to drag you out this time. Feel free to continue whatever it is you’re doing.” I waved a hand dismissively, indicating the table where he’d been sitting.

He shook his head, and a sudden sense of dread hit me. Kale knew something.

“Please, trust me when I tell you that you need to leave. You just … really shouldn’t be here right now.”

“What the fuck is going on? You know something. I know you do.” I started to shove past him, and his firm grip on my shoulders stopped me. That confirmed it. “Get out of my way, Kale. I want to see Harley.”

“I can’t let you do that.” His tone held a deadly calm that almost frightened me. His hold on me tightened ever so slightly.

My wolf wasn’t happy with his dominating action. However, a part of me found it to be delightfully intriguing. Kale was hungry for more than one thing. I could taste it in his energy. Though my instinct was to react aggressively, I held my temper in check.

“Why not? I don’t give a damn if he’s busy. Get out of my way before I move you out of my way.”

“Do it then,” he challenged. “I’m trying to stop you from making a big mistake here. You don’t want to do this.”

I shook my head and stared deep into him until he began to look uneasy. “What I don’t want to do, Kale, is this.”

The power went out from me, straight into him. The fact that he was physically touching me made it that much stronger. I didn’t want to hurt him, but to some degree, I had to. He was starting to become a real pain in the ass.

When Kale stumbled back a few feet, I completely expected it. What I didn’t expect was the grin that spread across his features and the arousal that his energy oozed. Damn vampires. They were always so unpredictable.

Rather than give him a chance to come at me, I shoved by him and almost ran to the black curtain. I could feel him hot on my heels, and I poured on the speed. The bartender looked up in surprise when I flew by him, through the curtain. When he saw Kale in pursuit of me, he shrugged and turned back to the line of customers.

“Alexa, stop!” Kale’s voice rang out behind me. I sprinted down the red-carpeted hall. The door to Harley’s room was far but in my sights.

I ran straight into a wall of energy, thick and pulsating. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Arys. He was here. My gut had already known it, but my head didn’t want to see. I couldn’t deny it now. I could feel his power running high and hot like it was crawling all over me, through me.

If it had belonged to anyone else, it would have crippled me. As it was, this power was a part of me. It sought to draw me in, and that’s when I felt Harley’s energy running at a high frequency, mingled in with Arys’s. It was weaker than the power Arys commanded. Our union had given him strength greater than that his own sire possessed. Harley had been right when he said I held more power than he did. I hadn’t been able to feel it then.

Kale came to a halt beside me but kept his distance. “Don’t go in there, Alexa. Trust me on this. You don’t want to be here right now.”

“Why not?” I whispered, my voice low and near inaudible.

He said nothing, merely shaking his head solemnly. Kale’s pity was not something I wanted. The closed door before me was nothing but a minor barrier. It would be so easy to see what was on the other side. I knew already in my very soul that it was bad. Really bad. Yet, I couldn’t walk away blind.

I could have stormed into the room like a raging bull. I could have even tossed a blast of power at it and blown it right off the hinges. What I did was take slow, steady steps until my hand wrapped around the doorknob. I didn’t think. I just shoved the door open, revealing a scene that I’d only seen inside my mind when afflicted with memories belonging to Arys.

For a moment, my brain didn’t fully process what I was seeing. I could feel Kale at my back, bracing for my reaction. I struggled to make sense of what played out before my eyes.

All of the action in the room was happening on the king size bed. The scent of blood was heavy and the power ran so high that it was almost suffocating. It had to be why they hadn’t sensed my approach.

Arys and Harley each hovered over the relaxed form of a dark haired woman. Her wrists were bound, but she didn’t struggle, not anymore anyway. She was completely nude, and they were both clad in little more than silk lounge pants. Arys’s fangs were buried deep in her throat, his hands, lost in her thick tresses. Harley crouched between her legs, delving into her pink folds with both fingers and mouth. My stomach turned, and the bile rose in my throat.

I stood frozen as my heart dropped, unable to look away. I barely felt Kale’s cool hand on my arm. This is what Arys had been doing? He blocked me out so that he could revisit his past with Harley, and from what I could see, he was enjoying it.

The shock hit me, and it felt like time had stopped. When Harley lifted his head and looked at me, reality really hit home. His smile was pure evil. He didn’t appear to be all that affected by my presence in his suite.

“I knew you’d come,” he purred in a low, seductive lilt.

I hated him. I hated every single fiber of his being. He loved this moment. A part of me wanted to crawl onto that bed with them, to taste that rich human blood they were spilling. Knowing that side of me was linked to Harley through Arys made my blood boil.

Arys lifted his head suddenly, as if just noticing my presence. Blood stained his fangs and lower lip. His eyes were wild, glowing with a feral light. There was no semblance of my Arys in those eyes. All I saw was a vampire lost in the throes of passion and death. The man who had confessed his love to me was absent.

“Alexa.”

My name was a growl on his lips. I’d seen enough. I couldn’t stand to look at him another moment. I took a step back, stumbling into Kale who steadied me. Turning, I ran from the room, intent only on the rear exit door at the far end of the hall. Kale called my name, but he didn’t pursue me. I ran, and I never stopped running until I reached my car. The honking of horns and shouts from angry drivers when I darted across the busy street never phased me. I was in another world.

Driving was a horrible idea. I was a menace on the road. I knew I had to stop somewhere, but I had to get away from The Wicked Kiss. The very building seemed to laugh and mock me as I sped away. I went to the only nearby place where I knew I could be safe and alone with my thoughts. When I pulled up to the building where my office was, I was grateful to find it dark and empty. If anyone had been there, I wouldn’t have gone in.

I let myself in, leaving the lights off. Though I was tempted to hit up Jez’s office for the bottle of vodka I knew she had stashed in there, I went straight to my own office. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The need for air was almost panic inducing. I was an idiot, a blind fool who had made the mistake of falling for someone who wasn’t able to handle it.

What I’d seen had hurt me more than I wanted to acknowledge. Arys was a vampire. What had I expected from him? More than that, a voice inside my head whispered. He said he loved me.

I shivered despite the warmth inside the building. The pain seared me, filling every part of my being. It flashed me back to the only other time I had ever hurt like this. The first time Raoul had slept with another woman after I’d been with him. Yet even my starry-eyed youthful heartbreak paled in comparison to what I felt when I laid eyes on Arys and Harley.

The image of that woman and their hands and mouths all over her made me want to scream. So, I did. Childishly, I threw random objects and punched several gaping holes in the wall before falling to my knees. I wept with full, gut wrenching sobs that sapped my strength.

I hated Harley with a passion that I hadn’t felt for a foe in a very long time. The worst part was that I loved Arys, but I desired the ability to hate him as well. This was all my fault. I had let my power hungry nature and lust draw me into bed with Arys without a second thought. This was the price I had to pay for that. Now I was bound to him until one or both of us ceased to exist. The consequences were overwhelming.

I’m not sure how much time passed before I heard a key turn in the front door. I’d locked it behind me so the only person that could come in would have to have a key. Shit. I wasn’t ready to face any of my friends or colleagues. Not like this.

Pulling myself to my feet, I gripped the edge of my desk so tight that the wood cut into my hands. I dug my sharp claws into it, feeling the wood chip away in flakes. Kale’s cold vampire energy reached me before he appeared in the open doorway.

My back was to the door, but I knew when he stood there. I didn’t turn to face him. I could only imagine what a mess I was.

“Alexa? Can I come in?” Kale asked softly. When I didn’t respond, he entered the room and came to a stop a few feet from me. I knew he was surveying the mess I’d made.

“You knew he was there,” I murmured, my voice thick with tears. “You didn’t tell me.”

He was quiet for a moment before replying. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t.”

He didn’t explain further, and I didn’t prompt. It wasn’t his fault. My tears fell silently, but they didn’t stop. I was overcome by the despair that settled deep within me. Kale’s undead energy was comforting in ways that I didn’t understand. When he moved to wrap his arms around me from behind, I didn’t stop him.

Kale pulled me against him, my back pressed to his chest. I stiffened, uncertain whether I should allow such a bold move or resist. The truth was, I didn’t want to resist.

Being in Kale’s arms felt like that forbidden fruit. The one you’re not supposed to eat but can’t help but do so because it tastes so damn good. Wrong … it was so wrong. And, I didn’t care, not after seeing Arys tonight.

“God, you feel so good.” His whispered words in my ear sent a warm shiver down my spine. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

I wiped my tears, grimacing at the thought of how blood smeared my face must be. This strange moment with Kale had been coming for some time now. Go figure that Arys had led us to it.

“Kale,” I murmured. “This isn’t right.” Despite what I’d said, I made no attempt to pull away. His power reached to touch me on every level, and mine was quick to respond.

“It feels right.”

I swallowed hard, trying not to notice how our power mingled and grew hot. “Which is exactly why it’s so wrong. It shouldn’t feel like this. If you give in to this temptation, you’ll regret it. We both will.”

A wave of heat swept through me, and I trembled. My power wanted him so bad. I could have him, in every way, take all he was giving and use it as my own. Kale slid a hand up my arm to my neck, playing in the loose tendrils of my hair. This wasn’t the best day to have worn it up.

When I didn’t shove away from him, he grew bold. His lips brushed against my ear as he deeply inhaled my scent. I felt him shift into predator mode, matching the bestial pull within my core. He was feeling it, too. Of the two of us, I was willing to bet his control would slip first. Of course, that was assuming I had any left after the emotional turmoil of the evening.

Kale’s warm lips brushed the sensitive skin beneath my ear. A soft gasp came from me as a tingle shot straight to my groin. No, no, no. I could not react to him like this. The desire that filled me was accompanied by guilt.

Push him away! Now, before it’s too late. The voice inside my head screamed with a panicked edge. When had I become so weak willed? If I was as strong as Harley insisted, this kind of thing should not be able to overwhelm me.

I was in serious denial. Harley had imparted much wisdom to me, though whether that had been purposeful or not, I wasn’t sure. Through Arys’s incubus blood, I was a succubus. My power preyed on people like Kale and even Harley. The promise of blood and power through sex was the driving force. Fighting it was only hurting me, denying the true nature of my power. I didn’t want it to be true. It was so shameful.

The moist touch of his tongue on my skin made my knees weak. Kissing and licking my neck, Kale made an animal-like sound low in his throat. Would it be so wrong to take what he was giving? He seemed to need it as badly as I did.

Only when his hands found their way beneath the hem of my corset did I forced my brain to work and my lips to move. With Kale’s hands on my bare stomach and his lips on my throat, I was beyond blown away. Why did the things that were so wrong always feel so damn good?

“Kale,” I squeaked. “Please.”

His chuckle was unexpected and downright sexy. I quivered in his embrace.

“Please, what? Anything you want, name it. Let me give you what Arys never could.”

“And what’s that?” I feared his response, but I wanted to hear it anyway.

“Solace.”

I had nothing to say to that. In many ways, he was right. I wanted solace. I found it in Shaz for my human and wolf sides, but the blood hungry side of me had no peace, no quiet moments of serenity. Yet, who was I to feel entitled to solace when I had willingly brought all of this chaos upon myself?

Kale was moving awfully fast, giving in to whatever he’d been holding back over the past few months. That could be potentially dangerous. I didn’t trust him to leash his savage side and keep from killing me. Yet, his touch was soft and sensual, loving almost. On some level, that was more frightening than if it had lacked emotion.

He sucked at the throbbing vein in my neck. Oh, I knew what he wanted, and I wanted him to take it. The protesting voice in my head grew quieter, ceasing to hold much sway over me. I could see that image of Arys with his fangs deep in the pale flesh of the victim he shared with Harley, and I let go.

“If you really want me to stop, Alexa, I will. It will be hard, but I’ll walk away.” He delicately stroked me as he spoke, daring to caress lower until the top of my skirt stopped him. He paused, waiting for my command. “Tell me to stop.”

It was a clear order. He was waiting for me to say it. I shook my head, the words caught. I didn’t want to.

“I can’t,” I admitted. My words carried the tone of defeat, but I felt empowered.

It wasn’t what Kale had expected to hear. He bit lightly at my neck, causing me to suck in my breath. His hold on me tightened, and I leaned back into him, angling my head to better bare my neck.

“Alexa? Tell me to stop.”

Ever so gently, his fangs grazed the surface of my skin. The promise in that action spoke volumes. I was struck with eager anticipation, wanting him to cross the line and set us both free.

I reached up behind me to wrap an arm around his neck, holding him close. My fingers sank into his silken hair, and I whispered the word, “No.”

If anything, Kale wanted me to stop him because he knew he could never do it on his own. He hungered for my blood and judging by the way he touched me, he wanted more than that. Once that last word was uttered, he quit holding back. The power rushed forth to capture us in its inescapable thrall.

Kale slid his hands over the smooth velvet of my corset and around to the back. With deft fingers, he pulled at the strings that held me tightly bound. The corset loosened just enough to allow him to work it down, beneath my breasts.

It happened so fast. The next thing I knew, Kale’s hands were on me, squeezing my breasts with wanton need. He rubbed my nipples into firm points, evoking a moan from me. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold myself up much longer.

Kale’s energy felt hungry, needful in so many ways. I couldn’t help but respond. The high-strung energy practically oozed from him, and I drew it into me hungrily. It filled me somewhere deeper than the physical, stirring my power to life like gasoline on flames.

Our two differing powers danced together, never joining but embracing nonetheless. Kale’s centuries old energy was like the finest aged wine. When his fangs came to rest against my vein again, I welcomed the sting. I ached for his bite.

“I can’t resist.” Kale sighed somberly.

He had a desperate inner loneliness dating back far longer than I’d been alive. I couldn’t fix it, but I could be a source of comfort. That’s what we sought from one another: comfort. Maybe it would never heal the wounds we both carried, but it would give us what we needed for one night.

I looked down my body, taking in the sight of his hands on me. The rush was thrilling. “Then stop trying.”

His agonized groan told me more than any words could have. His touch grew aggressive and the wolf in me loved it. A steady throb started between my legs. I was ready for him to spill my blood. I wanted it.

Kale didn’t have to be told twice. My encouragement was all he needed to unleash the true vampire that dwelled inside him. After how much time he spent holding back, I could only imagine how good it felt to let loose.

I gave a small cry when his fangs easily broke through the surface of my skin, deep into my flesh. The combination of pleasure and pain was dizzying. My knees buckled, and I slumped against Kale who held my weight effortlessly.

The sensation of his teeth buried inside me was more potent and far more intimate than if it had been the hard on he pressed against my rear. The blood rushed from the wounds, and he drank it in along with my heady power. His energy was hot and strong with desire and something more, total abandon.

My breath came fast, and I nearly gasped for air. My heart thundered in my ears as he sucked the living nectar from me. It was both pain and pleasure. I moaned, extremely aroused by the demand in his bite. Kale had been waiting for this moment, but had he really known it would come? I never would have assumed so myself.

Blood spilled down my neck and chest, warm and beautifully scarlet. I needed more of him. It wasn’t enough. Kale’s tongue played along the punctures, encouraging the blood to keep flowing. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I needed all of him.

Kale’s soft moan in my ear drove me over the edge. Before I realized what I was doing, I was hiking my skirt up, inviting him to take me in every way. Releasing my hold on his dark locks, I reached down to free him from the confines of his pants.

Then, we heard the front door open. The sound of Jez chatting away on her cell phone was all it took to break the spell. Kale released me immediately, and I all but leaped away from him.

Oh, this was just great. Of all places for this to have happened, this had to be among the worst. I was consumed with guilt. I had to force myself to meet Kale’s eyes.

My blood coated his teeth and lips. He licked it away with a few swipes of his tongue. The moment had been shattered, yet I still longed to kiss him as I once had, to taste the blood in his mouth.

We stood there staring at one another, listening as Jez went about flipping on lights in the hall and kitchen. Our cars were outside. She knew we were here. It was only a matter of moments until she made her way further into the building and discovered us standing here like guilty children with hands in the cookie jar.

I tugged my corset back into place with a hot blush coloring my cheeks, but I couldn’t hide the fresh and very obvious vampire bite on my neck. Jez wouldn’t believe any lie in the world on this one. I’d be a moron to try.

“Lex?” She called, the sound of her footsteps growing closer. “What’s up? I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

She rounded the corner to my office and stopped dead. As she surveyed the mess, taking in the holes in the wall and finally the two of us, her green eyes grew wide. I could only imagine how we looked from her point of view.

“Why not?” I asked. “Were you planning to have a party or something?” I spoke too quickly in my attempt to strike up normal conversation. I ignored the way her lips curled in a slight smile. Of course, she would find this amusing.

“Looks like the party started without me.” She laughed, looking back and forth between Kale and me. Rubbing her arms, she shivered slightly in response to the power we’d called. “I just stopped in to grab the jacket I left in my office. I’d ask what you two are doing here, but I think I’ll just walk away now.”

Giving me a pointed look that clearly stated she expected details later, she smirked and sauntered off down the hall. Could this possibly get any more uncomfortable?

I was torn between several impulses and urges. I simply couldn’t give in to most of them. Not now. The strongest urge I had was to flee the situation entirely. That wouldn’t be fair to Kale, but what was I supposed to do?

I was sure we wore matching expressions of shame and wonder. My hand drifted to my bleeding neck. It came away stained with fresh blood though the flow had significantly decreased. I stared at my bloody fingers, fumbling for the right words.

Kale beat me to it. He shook his head, horror evident in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Alexa. I want to feel bad. I know I should feel bad, but I don’t. The only thing I regret is Jez’s shitty timing.”

I had to give him a point for honesty. It was more than I could say for myself. However, that crappy timing had saved us from taking a dumb decision into the realms of downright stupid. So why did I feel as disappointed as he sounded?

“No more apologies.” I reached for the tissue on my desk and dabbed at my wound, anything to tear my gaze from his. “I have to go. I just … need to think. This has been a hell of a night.”

He nodded, watching silently as I gathered myself. Neither of us attempted another word. I couldn’t just walk away and leave him standing there. I wasn’t that heartless. In a bold move, I stepped up close to him and threw my arms around his neck. He hesitated for a moment before hugging me tightly.

“You know I adore you, right?” I needed him to know that. Kale was so delicate, so emotionally fragile. I feared becoming another abuser of his heart and soul.

“Of course,” he replied, lifting a hand to stroke the loose tendrils of hair back from my face. “You’re a gem, Alexa. Now get out of here before I decide that I don’t care whether we’re alone or not.”

Chapter Twelve

I didn’t think as I drove home. In fact, I did my best to avoid it altogether. Turning the stereo up loud, I let the heavy sound of Avenged Sevenfold soothe me as I cruised down the highway. I was wired. Between Arys and Kale, my night had been downright fucked up.

The bite on my neck ached, every throb accompanied by a jolt of pleasure to my groin. I was sexually frustrated but partially relieved that Jez had arrived when she did. I’d been ready to let Kale bend me over my desk and bang my brains out. There was something so screwed up about that.

Shaz’s car was parked outside when I got home and the wolf within was delighted. Who better to bang my brains out than my mate? The one man I knew I could trust. Of course, going inside and having to admit that Arys was the scum that Shaz insisted he was didn’t appeal to me.

“Hey, babe!” I called out as I entered. The sound of video games coming from the living room greeted me. I couldn’t count how many times I’d had to listen to the various video games on the market. Boys!

Shaz was just as I expected, intent on the TV, his hands busy on the game controller. I rolled my eyes. In the mood I was in, I had half a mind to tear the thing out of his hands, but I could just imagine the whining he’d do when I destroyed his score.

“What’s up, Lex? Where have you been all night?” There was one thing that could always destroy a werewolf’s concentration and that was the scent of blood. The moment he caught scent of my wound, his game was forgotten.

Turning it off, he came to me with curiosity on his face, like he wasn’t sure if he should be concerned. I reached for him, needing to feel his warmth and to breathe the comforting scent of wolf. I craved him, realizing how badly I missed him and how quickly those vampires stripped away the side of me that was all wolf. It was what I had been for so long. The thought of losing it, of being consumed by the vampire inside, it horrified me.

“What’s going on, Alexa?” Shaz was deadly serious, the lighthearted glimmer absent from his jade eyes. “You’ve been bit. And, you smell like Kale.”

I kissed him with an aggressiveness that welled up from within.

The animal hunger for him was all wolf. I didn’t know what to say about Kale. I was ashamed, and I didn’t want to relive the events of the night by telling him right now. I just wanted to taste the Were blood that raged through his veins and feel his weight above me as he claimed my body.

There was no resistance as he kissed me back. His lips moved on mine, persistent and commanding. He tasted like heaven, that combination of wolf and pine that I loved so much. He kissed me like he couldn’t get enough. When he pulled back, I was breathless.

“Now,” he said, holding me tight and peering deep into my eyes. “Start talking.”

My mind raced but nothing coherent formed. What could I say? “Arys has been with Harley the past two nights. I saw them tonight. At The Wicked Kiss. They were … tag teaming on some girl.” Why I chose to say that, I don’t know. I felt stupid the moment the words left my mouth.

Shaz studied me, his eyes on the bite I wore. “So this was payback?” He gestured to the wound but didn’t touch it. He sniffed lightly, smelling my blood.

“No. It was just an irrational reaction. It hurt so bad to see that. I can’t get the image out of my head. It’s no excuse though. I know.”

“Whatever you get from Arys, you know you can’t replace that with Kale. And, Lord knows that Kale has enough problems. You can’t be what he needs, Lex.”

I hadn’t expected Shaz’s reaction. He wasn’t pissed off or judgmental, just matter of fact. Still, I hated hearing it. Everything was so fresh. It all stemmed from that moment that the door had opened and I saw them. I was overcome with the urge to rage my pain. I stifled it by kissing him again, tearing at my clothing as I did so.

“Please,” I murmured against his lips as I unlaced my corset. “I need you to touch me, to fill me. I’ve got this ache, Shaz. Help me ease it.”

“Don’t be crazy. These vampires are making you lose your mind. It makes me want to take you away from it all where there is nothing but you and me. All wolf.” He groaned when I tossed the corset onto the couch and slid out of my skirt. “You smell like prey, but you feel like a predator.”

“I am a predator. I’m also a woman that’s been betrayed by someone I was stupid enough to trust. And, the only person who can bring me true comfort is you.”

Shaz’s hands on my wrists stopped me before I could remove my thong panties. “Then stop trying to find it in these goddamn vampires. It’s not good for you. I’m afraid it’s going to destroy you, and this, what we have, won’t mean anything anymore.”

“Never!” I shook my head vehemently, shoving his hands away so that I could abandon the thong. “What we have is the only thing that keeps me who I am. Sometimes I wish … that I never had this kind of power. That I was nothing more than any other werewolf. That you and I could just be, without all of this interfering.”

“You can’t live that way, Lex. Regret steals time from you. It gives nothing back. I love you and that means all of you. Even if I don’t always understand it.” Shaz peeled his shirt off, revealing hard abs and a smooth chest that taunted my desire. “The influence of vampires like Arys and even Kale, it scares me when I see what it does to you. But, don’t think for a minute that I would change anything about who you are.”

The sweetness of Shaz brought tears to my eyes. Maybe we could just run away and leave all this behind. Was that so unrealistic? Neither of us had any reason to stay. Yet, even as I thought it, I knew Arys would never let me go. If I skipped town, that vampire would be hot on my trail. I could tell myself he wouldn’t care, but that wouldn’t make it true.

Standing naked before Shaz, I could easily forget about everything else, so I did. I let it fall away and reached for him. Running my hands over his bare chest, I closed my eyes and breathed in his musky, manly scent. The urge to shift forms and run was expected and welcome. I didn’t do it though. No, I wanted to savor him in this form, perfect as he was.

Shaz captured one of my hands in his, bringing it to his lips. He kissed my fingertips gently before sucking my pinky into his mouth. The moist warmth felt good, the promise of more to come.

“I love you like I love nothing else on this earth.” My words came naturally. It was true.

A bashful smile tugged at his lips, warming my heart. He reached to pull the pins from my hair, watching it fall in a mass of blonde tangles. Dropping the pins on the coffee table, he buried his hands in my hair and peered deep into my eyes. There was no further need of words. The emotion conveyed in his touch was more than enough.

His kiss was soft, the barest brush of his lips on mine. The tip of his tongue flicked out to trace my upper lip before delving between my lips, into my mouth. It was breath taking. Shaz kissed me with absolute love. Our tongues entwined, dancing together with a natural ease.

No matter what I had with Arys, he could never run by my side beneath the silver light of the moon. Only Shaz could do that. What we had was beyond special.

I threw my whole heart and soul into our kiss. If I conveyed even half of the emotion that no words could possibly say, it would be enough. Arys had hurt me with his recent absence and his filthy actions, but I could deal. If ever Shaz were to do such a thing, it would destroy me. Knowing that told me so much more about myself than I’d ever wanted to know.

The thought had me feeling desperate, needing to cling to him. I shoved the thoughts from my head and hugged him to me. Love was something I didn’t allow myself enough of. I drank it in like a forgotten flower tasting the rain again as if for the first time.

As Shaz and I made love, I began to loathe the part of me that also felt for Arys. I wanted to be rid of it once and for all, to cut it out of me and never feel anything again for him but disgust. Even as I prayed for that, I knew it was a request that would never be granted.

So instead, I sought true solace from the living, breathing man beneath me, my mate. He wasn’t part of the world I felt trapped within. For that, I was grateful. The shelter of Shaz’s embrace was the only thing that kept me from falling apart.

“Shaz,” I breathed, his name barely audible on my lips. “Don’t stop. I need you. Again.”

Shaz continued our love making with a renewed fervor. Then, I felt it, a firm, persistent nudge in my mind. Arys.

No fucking way, I thought. The bastard locked me out of his thoughts. He had a lot of nerve to try accessing mine now. Maybe a glimpse of what I was up to would show him what he was missing. Was that too low?

I dropped the mental wall in my mind, letting him see and feel what I saw and felt. My sexual awareness was instantly heightened. I concentrated on all of the emotion I felt for Shaz.

Arys didn’t use words to communicate, but I could feel both his lust and his envy in response to what I showed him. He lingered in silence so long that I contemplated slamming my mental door on him. Before I could decide, I felt him slip away, leaving me alone again with my thoughts.

Even when trying to lose myself in my white wolf to escape Arys, I couldn’t. My dark vampire always found me.

Chapter Thirteen

“Ok, spill it. I want to know everything, and I have been dying for this moment since I found you two all over each other.” Jez grinned before taking a sip from her fruity cocktail. “You were all over each other, weren’t you? Because from the looks of that bite you had, you guys had something hot going on.”

“Shh!” I glanced around anxiously, fearful that we would be overheard. “I don’t want anyone to know about that. It was nothing.”

Jez raised a fine eyebrow and assessed me. “Right. It was nothing. Then tell me what happened. You can’t withhold details like that. It’s not fair.”

I stirred the ice cubes in my drink with a straw and sighed. I’d known this interrogation was coming. I hadn’t anticipated that it would be in Lucy’s Lounge when Kylarai and Julian were at the bar ordering drinks.

“Jez, there has got to be a better time for this.” When she said nothing but stared with that feline expectance, I continued. “Kale was there during a hard time. I was upset because of Arys, and Kale was this source of comfort, of power. That’s all.”

She pursed her lips and studied me so hard I squirmed in my seat. “So you and Kale didn’t sleep together?”

I shook my head vehemently, my eyes straying to where Ky and Julian stood in line waiting. “No. Most definitely not.” I didn’t bother to add that if Jez herself hadn’t interrupted, I likely would have. The thought both shamed and embarrassed me.

“Well, maybe you should bang Kale,” Jez said, catching me by surprise. “Lord knows the guy needs it. He is pretty hard up for you, and don’t try to say that isn’t true. You know damn well it is.”

I bit back the defensive retort that had been ready on the tip of my tongue. “Whatever Kale feels for me, it’s all power based. And, that includes sexual attraction.”

Jez threw her head back and laughed. “Right. Whatever you say, Alexa.”

She flashed me a smile and a secretive wink that instantly raised my suspicions. Oh, I didn’t like that at all.

“Do you know something that I don’t?” I asked sharply. I loved the girl dearly, but she was a major gossip and enjoyed being in the know when others were out of the loop. If she knew something, if Kale had confided in her, I wanted to know.

She shrugged and quickly looked down into her cocktail glass. She was so obviously hiding something. “I don’t know anything, just that maybe some things go deeper than power alone.”

“Did Kale tell you something, Jez?”

I knew she wanted to spill it. The need to tell was practically oozing off her. I waited, knowing she would break faster if I stopped pestering her. I continued to sip my drink as casually as I could muster, as if whatever she knew didn’t really matter much.

“Ok,” she finally relented. “I already grilled Kale about you guys. He also said that you didn’t sleep together. He then said it was none of my business.”

“Uh huh.” I nodded, impatience causing me to drain the last of my whiskey in one large gulp.

“But, he did add something.” She fiddled with the slice or orange adorning the side of her glass. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. “He said that he didn’t think he could ever sleep with you, even if it was just for kicks or for some power play. He said that if he did, he was sure he’d fall in love with you.”

I felt like I’d been hit over the head with a cast iron frying pan. The only thing missing was the sound of the impact reverberating in my ears. I looked to my empty glass for help. Damn, I needed a waitress. Stat!

No, no way in hell was Kale feeling things like that. I refused to accept it. I said as much, and Jez rolled her eyes at me. I grew frantic in my search for a waitress.

“Did you at least tell him how stupid that was? Or, that he was out of his mind, and no way in the world can he ever possibly have feelings like that for me?” I sounded desperate, and I grimaced.

Jez caught the eye of a passing waitress and beckoned her over. After we ordered another round, she turned to me. “You are nuts, you know that? You never just eat this stuff up. You always stress it.”

“Um, yeah. Of course. This isn’t something to celebrate.”

“Well, you didn’t bang him yet, so who cares? Stop freaking out so much.” Jez’s eyes landed on someone behind me, and she lowered her voice. “Incoming.”

I busied myself by digging in my purse for cash as Kylarai and Julian took a seat at our table. Julian looked relatively uncomfortable, and I allowed myself a moment to enjoy that.

I was determined to have a relaxing evening with my friends, Julian excluded. The past couple nights had taken their toll on me. I chose an evening out at Lucy’s for a few reasons, one of them being that Shaz was there, even though he was working. Another was that I needed to occupy myself with something normal, something that didn’t involve a trip to The Wicked Kiss or hunting and killing.

I’d been tempted to lie around at home and stare blankly at the TV. However, that was just too lame for words, and I refused to let Arys impact me on that level.

“It feels so good to have a night out,” Kylarai reached over to give my arm a squeeze. Her sweet smile was dazzling, and it was easy to see what drew Julian to her. If only he were actually worthy.

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the waitress returned with a tray laden with drinks. When she set three in front of me, I thought I was overdoing it until Arys walked through the door. Then, I almost choked in my rush to down one.

I ignored him, refusing to look at him. Instead, I focused on Ky as if his presence meant nothing. “You should go on a trip or something, Ky. You work so much. A holiday would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

Both Jez and Ky raised an eyebrow at me, expecting me to react somehow to the vampire’s arrival. Julian swigged from his beer with a nonchalance that he wasn’t smart enough to feign. He was clueless, as I preferred it.

I looked pointedly at Ky, encouraging her to continue the meaningless small talk. She glanced at Arys where he lingered near the door, then back to me with a small shrug.

“Yeah, I’d love to take a trip to Maui. Every time I think about going, I find an excuse not to.”

Even though I wasn’t looking at him, my full attention was on Arys. Julian made a comment to Kylarai about how she was a workaholic, but I could barely follow.

Arys’s presence hurt me in a physical way, the kind of pain that came with the sting of betrayal and abandonment. In my peripheral vision, I saw him look my way before heading over to the usual table where his card-playing buddies always sat. Of course, it had to be directly in my line of vision.

He pulled out his wallet and tossed a handful of bills down on the table. As the appointed dealer dealt him some cards, he made a show of looking them over carefully. Then, he looked up at me.

I told myself to look away, avoid those blue eyes so they couldn’t pull me in. However, this was Arys, and if there was one thing I couldn’t do, it was deny the way I reacted to him. He was part of me now. It took all the strength that I possessed to stop myself from going to him and throwing myself in his arms. Since I couldn’t slap my own face the way I wanted to without looking absolutely insane, I tossed back some more whiskey.

His stare was heavy, forcing my eyes to his. I slammed my glass down in frustration, causing some liquor to splash out onto the back of my hand. Arys watched as I raised my hand to my lips and slowly gave the splash a lick. What was I doing?

A slight smirk adorned his face, and he winked before looking back at his cards. The conversation at my table had continued, and I shook my head, trying to focus on what they were saying.

Who the hell did Arys think he was to walk in here as if nothing had happened? I could still see the visuals in my head, the things he’d shown me. The women he’d killed, getting off on their pain and their begging. I was riled, filled with both anger and jealousy.

“So then she calls me and says that she forgives him after all and wants to change her mind about the entire divorce.” Kylarai’s laugh drew me out of myself. “I mean, that’s her business, but she’s still getting a bill for my wasted time.”

“How the hell can she just up and forgive him after what he did to her?” Jez’s reply was laced with bitterness. She gave me a look that wasn’t lost on me.

“I don’t know.” Ky shook her head almost sadly. “It’s sad what some women will put up with in the name of love.”

I’d heard Kylarai talk about her profession as a divorce lawyer plenty of times. Yet, I couldn’t help but feel she’d brought up this particular story on purpose. And, Jez was doing her best to hammer it home. Yeah, I got it: Arys was an ass that deserved my drink in his face. I didn’t need to be told that, did I?

I threw back my drinks so fast that the alcohol seemed to hit my bloodstream all at once. The warm glow that enveloped me was false security, but I clung to it. Ordering another double whiskey, I shoved my chair back and announced that I was going to the ladies’ room.

“Oh no, you don’t.” Jez all but jumped to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”

I had to pass Arys’s table to get to the ladies’ room. I was a little surprised at her strong reaction. In my defense, I really did need to pee.

I detoured wide around Arys’s table, refusing to look at him as we went by. I could feel his eyes on me though, following me until I was out of sight. I was breathing hard by the time I shoved through the washroom door.

“Fuck, Jez! Fuck.” I didn’t know what else to say. I went to a stall and found myself grateful to be locked in the little metal box alone.

“It could only happen to you, Alexa,” came her reply from the other side.

“I don’t know what to do. Can you believe I want to sneak out the back way so I can avoid him?”

“Fuck that. You are not pussying out. What you should do is play him. Make him sorry he fucked with you.”

“Did he though? Because I keep feeling like this is all my fault.”

When I emerged from the stall and went to the sink, I found Jez’s reflection glaring at me in the mirror as she touched up her makeup. I used washing my hands as a means to ignore her judgment.

“How is it your fault that he is so insecure that he won’t allow you to get the help that you need? And, now he’s fucking around with the same person he wanted you to stay away from. Don’t make me shake you, lady. You are not the one in the wrong here.”

Jez’s words caused me to see Arys again in my mind. That visual of him and Harley in the Kiss, each of them feeding off that woman as they pleasured her, it was enough to make me ill. The worst of it was a part of me wanted to be in her place. I could barely admit it to myself, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to say it to Jez.

I splashed some cold water on my face, hoping it would bring me to my senses. It didn’t. I had to go back out there. I knew it, and so did he. If he gained the upper hand, it would be because I gave it to him. That couldn’t happen.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to draw strength from Jez’s supportive smile and exited the washroom. Arys’s spot at his table was empty. I should be so lucky. I almost breathed a sigh of relief, until his cold, dark power touched me a moment before he grabbed me from behind.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I tried to jerk away, but he held firmly onto my upper arm.

Jez glanced uncertainly from me to Arys, and I gave her a dismissive look so she didn’t feel obligated to hang around for this confrontation. She would have attempted to claw his eyes out if I’d asked it of her but maybe next time. She beat a hasty retreat back to our table, leaving me alone with the vampire that had changed everything for me.

“What? No kiss?” Arys asked, his smug grin stirring both positive and negative responses in me.

“You have a lot of fucking nerve,” I growled the words at him. I fought so hard to resist our power as it joined as one. Being one with him made it so much harder to feed the anger I held for him. “What game are you trying to play here, Arys? Because I am not in the mood.”

His grin slowly faded, and a shadow lurked behind his eyes. He let go of my arm, but I got the feeling he wasn’t going to let me walk away. The desire to do so was fading, but thanks to the whiskey, my irritation was lively.

“I guess that’s for you to tell me, Alexa. You’re the one that started all of this.”

“Oh, here we go again.” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared. “Fuck that. I’m not wasting my breath arguing about this anymore. You got your way. Isn’t that enough?”

His jaw clenched. I waited for him to dispute that. He was smart enough not to.

“I had my reasons, and you know that. I was worried about you. Why can’t you accept that?”

“Don’t bother. I don’t even want to talk about it. Now, you come in here all Joe Casual and act like nothing ever happened. Well you hurt me, Arys. You denied me something and got what you wanted. I don’t think we have much more to say on the matter.”

“We have a lot more to say on it,” he snapped with a flash of fangs. “You made a deal with Harley. A deal that he still expects you to hold to. You promised him blood for answers, and he wants it.”

I was shocked. In my mind, that deal was a total wash. I never expected Harley to assume otherwise.

“What? Fuck that! After your temper tantrum in the parking lot, I didn’t think there was a deal anymore.” Narrowing my eyes, I added, “I assumed I wasn’t allowed to follow through with that.”

He rolled his eyes at me and swore. I took pleasure in his anger. I wanted him to be as upset as I was.

“You made the deal with him, not me. I just protested it.” Arys ran a hand through his messy black hair, and that simple action alerted me to how deeply all of this affected him. His jittery energy was also a pretty clear tip.

“That was a protest?” I scoffed. “Oh my, well to me it looked like you were in bed with the very man you want me to stay away from, along with another woman. Perhaps I don’t recall correctly.”

There, it was out. My cheeks burned, and my temper flared. Our power reacted to my fury, growing hot and violent. I concentrated on breathing. I had to maintain control. This was a public place, and things could get ugly fast if I lost it.

Arys visibly shook with the effort it took him to restrain his own reaction to the rage in our shared power. “Calm the fuck down, Alexa. We can deal with this rationally.”

“Oh really?” There was no stopping me now that I was fired up. The whiskey only fueled my anger. “Rational like you did? I didn’t find your reaction to be so fucking rational, Arys.”

“I didn’t fuck them if that’s what you think,” he said, his voice soft despite the power blazing through each of us. “It was just a little power and blood play. Nothing more.”

What more was there? I felt sick. I flashed back to a time several months ago where I’d told Shaz my relationship with Arys wasn’t about emotion but about power. He’d looked at me as if I’d grown two heads. Now, I knew exactly how he’d felt.

I took an unconscious step back from Arys, needing to put space between us. My head spun, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the booze, the power or both.

“Power and blood … that’s what it’s always about.” I struggled to get the words out. The urge to flee him gripped me. “Why don’t you just go back to Harley and play then? You looked right at home there anyway.”

Arys’s temper flared then, and he stepped forward to grab me by both arms, dragging me so close our bodies touched. He growled down into my face, his lips just barely brushing mine.

“Say what you will, but don’t you dare deny that you didn’t want to be part of what you saw there that night. Why else would you throw yourself at Kale for a little nip and play?”

I was stunned. My mouth went dry, and my mind blank. Arys glanced at the faded mark on my neck from Kale’s bite and waited expectantly. I couldn’t form words.

When at last I could spit something out, it sounded feeble. “I needed you, and he was there. It was a poor attempt at seeking comfort. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself. You wanted it, whether it was him or me, you wanted it.”

I thought back to that night. I’d been hurting, but I had also been aching for that all consuming feeling of being touched by a vampire. Arys’s betrayal had caused that ache, and he couldn’t convince me otherwise.

“I needed you,” I repeated. “You shut me out. I felt abandoned. Don’t twist this.”

Before Arys could reply, the air rippled with the energy of an Alpha wolf ready for a fight. Shaz appeared at our side, his eyes all wolf. My alarm grew when I took in his feisty energy.

“Are you ok, Lex?” Shaz didn’t bother to look at Arys. His eyes were focused on me, the way the vampire held me immobile.

Arys bared fangs at Shaz but said nothing. I nodded quickly, terrified that if I didn’t convince him I was ok, things would get ugly fast. “I’m fine. Please, Shaz, don’t worry. We’re just talking.”

“Yeah,” Arys added. “Just chatting it out, pup. No need to get all snarly and ready to attack.”

“Fuck you,” Shaz spat the words at Arys. He was looking for a fight. “If you fuck with Alexa, you fuck with me.”

Arys’s smile was cold and pure evil. “My pleasure, wolf.”

“No! None of this shit today!” I jerked away from Arys so hard his nails left deep scratches in my arms. “No male pissing contests over this shit. I’m sick of it.”

“Alexa,” Shaz said softly, reaching for me. I stepped out of reach, my mind swirling with confusion.

Arys stood there with his fists clenched. The power emanating from him was running high with the need to spill blood. I felt it, too. Instead of feeding it further, I turned my back on both of them and walked out.

The difference between the two of them was apparent when Arys that caught up to me in the parking lot. Shaz knew when to let me be. He respected my need for time alone. Arys couldn’t swallow his pride long enough to let me walk away from him.

“So that’s it?” He shouted, blocking my way. “You just get pissy and walk away?”

It was damn hard not to blast him with a shot of power. I was beyond infuriated. “You walked away from me first, outside the Kiss. Remember? How does it feel?”

“That was different.” He took a step to block me when I moved to dodge him.

“Of course it was. Because it was you. Run back to your master and tell him I won’t be holding up any deal. You can both burn in hell for all I care.” I didn’t mean it. As the words passed my lips I regretted them, but I was mad and couldn’t let myself care in the moment.

Pain flashed through Arys’s eyes, but the icy, evil gaze he often wore when he killed quickly replaced it. I suddenly ached to touch him, to kiss him and tell him I didn’t mean it.

“Arys, I-,”

“Don’t!” He interrupted, holding his hands up so that I wouldn’t touch him. “Just fucking forget it. Forget everything.”

Everything? What the hell did that mean? “Everything? Don’t be delusional, Arys. We are bonded until death. So unless you plan to kill me twice, don’t say shit like that.”

The glare he turned on me then froze me right to the tips of my toes. The blood drained from my face, and I was truly afraid of him then. Maybe that had been the wrong thing to say. I recalled his thought then, the one that he’d projected to me about how he desired my death.

I was chilled to the bone, knowing that he was thinking about that very thing, too. After everything, would Arys be the one to kill me?

The silence grew thick with tension as I waited for him to either speak or attack. After a long drawn out few minutes, he gave an exasperated sigh. “You know that would likely result in the death of both of us, which right now, is very tempting. Look, I went to Harley because I needed to know what he really had in store for you. Though it may not have looked that way, my actions were to protect you. You made a deal with the devil, Alexa, and he won’t let you get out of it. Be careful.”

I shook my head, trying to grasp what he was saying. “I don’t understand why you had to take a trip down memory lane. I’m sorry, I don’t, and I doubt I ever will. You claim to hate Harley so much, but I know that’s not true. You can’t have both of us.”

“Coming from the woman that has two lovers, that’s a pretty hypocritical stand to take,” Arys said as the air crackled all around us with unused power.

“Is that what you want?” I asked because I needed to, not because I really wanted to know. “To resume your relationship with Harley?”

“No.” His answer was firm. I wanted to believe him. “You don’t seem to realize that I’m caught in the middle, torn between the two of you. Maybe he can’t blood bond you now, but he can do many other things. He’s manipulative, and he hasn’t hung around town this long without a good reason.”

“I want to drive him out,” I said, hoping the admittance wouldn’t come back to bite me in the ass. “Since he came, things have gone from weird to seriously fucked up. He has to go.”

Arys studied me hard, and I almost feared that he would repeat my words to Harley. Arys would never do that to me, would he? After all, he’d been linked to Harley far longer than I had even existed.

“You know it won’t be that easy.” Arys shifted uncomfortably. I wondered if he craved me as badly as I craved him.

“I don’t care anymore. He’s ruining everything for me.” I gave my head a toss when the breeze blew a strand of hair across my glossed lips. “He doesn’t belong here.”

“There are those that may say the same thing about either of us,” Arys replied, a thoughtful expression on his gorgeous face.

I was instantly on full alert. His remark made me suspicious, and I felt my stomach drop. “What are you saying, Arys?”

The energy moved in slow circles around us, like a tornado building. It sought to draw us closer, to unite us in all ways. I resisted. It was almost painful to do so. I waited for him to tell me what I already knew. He didn’t want to, I could see that. So, I rushed on.

“If I go after Harley, I don’t have you at my back, do I?”

He groaned and looked away. “Don’t do anything stupid, Alexa. You’ve got to know you can’t take him. Not now. Maybe if you were…”

He let the words trail off, but I knew what he’d been about to say: if I were a vampire. That damned day would come, and I was not about to rush it. Arys was wrong. I knew it in every part of me.

“Well according to Harley, I do have enough power to take him. I just don’t know how to use it yet. And, if you’re not willing to help me, which you clearly are not, then I will do it without you.”

My entire body vibrated. I felt sick. Knowing I couldn’t count on Arys to back me hurt more than I would ever admit out loud. It killed me.

“Are you asking me to choose between you and him?” Arys asked, his eyes flashing beneath the streetlights. “You know I don’t give a damn about him. Not the way you think I do.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?” I shouted the words, my voice strained, and my pulse pounding. I ignored the group of smokers near the door. “What the fuck is such a big deal that it has you running to him like it’s the good old days? Why are you spending your nights at the Kiss, playing blood games like you’re no better than he is? And why … Why are you ok with hurting me like this?”

I cringed, wanting to snatch back my words. When his face fell, my heart dropped, too. I’d thought I’d known emotional agony with Raoul, when I’d been no more than one of many women. This, this was a whole different kind of pain. I felt my own, and I felt Arys’s. Our bond never stopped. It had no bounds.

“Alexa,” Arys spoke with steel in his tone. “I am in love with you. You are inside me, in my mind, my body, my entire being. I can never escape you. Even when I want to. Even when I try to.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but he held up a hand, silencing me effectively. I gave a frustrated growl and paced ten feet away and back again. He waited until I stopped before continuing.

“Sometimes, I don’t know where you end and I begin anymore. And, it fucking scares me.” His voice shook, and I recognized the waves rolling off him as fear. “I haven’t felt this close to human in over three hundred years, and to be honest, I’m not liking it. I feel like I am running from myself and getting nowhere. I’m feeling things and thinking things that are not who I am. They are you.”

I felt relieved to hear him say that. I’d been feeling very alone and isolated lately. “Welcome to my world, honey. Do you think it’s easy to combat everything I’ve gained from you? I’m losing my mind, and when I need you, you’re not there.”

I don’t know what I expected from him. I think I was hoping for some TV drama reconciliation. I was bitterly disappointed.

“I can’t be,” he said heavily. “I need to deal with this shit, too. In my own way. You are my wolf and don’t think for a minute that I regret what we have. I just need some time to deal with it.”

What the fuck? Was I being dumped? Isn’t that the kind of shit guys said when they wanted to be rid of you?

I shook my head, backing away and almost stumbling in the process. My brain was foggy from both confusion and whiskey. He gave me this apologetic look, and I wanted no sympathy from him. How dare he do this to me after I’d been the one resisting his persistent advances?

“Alexa?”

“No.” I shook my head, fury filling me when tears stung the back of my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Arys’s way of dealing was by running to Harley and having a ménage of blood, death and God only knew what else. His way of dealing was by shutting me out. And, he expected me to understand that?

“Alexa, wait!”

I turned my back on him and headed for the street beyond the parking lot. I didn’t get far before he grabbed me and forced me to face him. Pressed against him, I was torn between the urge to slap him and to kiss him.

He kissed me before I could decide. Our power crashed over us like a thunderstorm that could not be contained. I felt like I was drowning in it, unable to breathe or to react. I did react though. I kissed him back with everything I had in me.

I was desperately afraid that if I didn’t savor this moment, I might not get another chance to. He was right about one thing. It was near impossible to tell anymore what was me and what was him. Why couldn’t he see that that was exactly why I needed him so badly?

“Don’t walk away mad,” he whispered against my lips.

I crumpled against him, breathing his scent deeply. “Let me go.”

“I can’t. I don’t want to.”

“But, you already have.”

“No, Lex. It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it?”

“Please understand. I’m losing my mind here.”

It took all of the remaining inner strength that I possessed to push away from him. “Then go back to The Wicked Kiss and find it.”

I did walk away then, and much to my utter horror, Arys didn’t stop me. I held my head high and strode across the street. I’d drank too much to drive, and I couldn’t hang around to wait for Ky and Jez. The dark walking path alongside the road would lead me home.

I refused to acknowledge the flurry of emotions that assailed me. Fuck it. Even as I walked away from him, the power urged me back. All I could think as I went was that I should have known, should have expected this. He was a vampire, and I was a woman with scars on my heart. Bad combination.

Chapter Fourteen

The town was so quiet. Not even the teenage crowd that partied wherever they could find a vacant spot was out and about. It was a little unnerving.

As I walked down the path toward home, I sent a text message to Kylarai telling her I’d gone home. If she wanted the details tonight, she could harass Arys for them. I could only assume he’d gone back into the bar after letting me walk away. Perhaps he’d gone to The Wicked Kiss instead. The thought made my wolf pace inside.

I mulled over the situation in my mind, unable to let it go. If Harley expected me to show and keep my end of the deal, I would. Then, I’d finish what I’d started months ago when Arys had stopped me. I could have killed Harley then. I wanted to. Other than the information he had, he meant nothing to me.

Would it hurt Arys if I killed his sire? Was that something I should allow to alter my decision? He claimed to feel nothing for Harley, but how could I be sure?

I hated that he might, which made me feel like the world’s biggest hypocrite. Arys could do whatever he wanted. Who was I to say anything? I did what I wanted, despite the many repercussions. I was no one to judge.

Knowing that didn’t change my way of thinking. I wandered the path home feeling broken, insecure and more than a little jealous. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get the image of Arys and Harley together out of my head. It made me hate Harley so much more.

I allowed myself to fantasize about the various ways I could kill him. Each one brought a smirk to my face. I was almost looking forward to seeing him again.

As caught up as I was in my thoughts, I was instantly aware that I was being followed. I sensed it before I picked up the wolf scent of my follower. It wasn’t a total surprise. I figured Dylan wouldn’t wait long before making his move. Predictable bastard.

Keeping a calm head was easy. I was already spoiling for a fight. This was the perfect time for him to try to jump me. I knew his buddy had to be out there somewhere as well. So far, I could only smell one, but I could sense the other. I continued to walk as if I didn’t know I was being stalked.

The sensation of their watchful eyes burned right through me. Instinct told me to take a stand and call them out, but common sense said to keep going. Kylarai’s place was closer than mine was. If I could get into the forest on that side of town, I could avoid a confrontation in town and hopefully have the home turf advantage.

Before I left the comfort of the streetlights, I needed to bang out a quick message to Shaz. I kept it short and to the point: being followed, headed for Ky’s. If I knew Shaz, he wouldn’t be far behind.

Resisting the urge to look for my stalkers was nearly impossible. I was torn between both physical and psychic responses. It was hard to focus, and I started to wish I’d never left the bar.

Deep breaths. Do I run? No. They’d just chase me down. Could I make it into a public place before they could grab me? Fuck that. I was the Alpha in this town. My town.

I watched my feet hit the ground, one after the other, and I concentrated on the energy in my surroundings. The power that Arys and I had just tapped immediately reacted to my desires. I wanted to know where these two wolves were located around me. I wanted to see them.

I could feel them then with a keen psychic awareness of their auras. I read them with the ease of reading the morning newspaper. Just had to skim the surface to get everything I needed to know. It was so simple to bend the power to my will. I knew it was largely due to the confrontation with Arys. He had a way of firing me up. Oddly enough, it seemed to work in my favor. Also, it proved me right. Arys and I did need each other. It was no coincidence; my power and my control improved because of him.

Both Dylan and the other wolf kept their distance. Dylan was staying about a block behind me, keeping to the shadows. I could see him in my mind’s eye, padding along with the silence of the wolf. His companion was to my right, walking parallel with me a block over. I didn’t feel intimidated by them, but I was wary. Werewolves were nothing if not true killers. Having two of them preying on me was definitely unsettling.

My wolf was on full alert, ready for an attack. She wanted it. Tearing Dylan’s throat out would feel incredible right now. The thought encouraged my bloodlust and a small smile played along my lips. This could be fun.

Much as I liked to rant and rave about it, the vampiric tendencies I’d acquired from Arys had a plus side. With the power blazing its way through me and the blood hunger rising, I wasn’t surprised when my fangs and claws lengthened fully. My brown wolf eyes were very likely blue with the vampire power coursing through me. I focused on control. I’d let loose when the fuckers cornered me.

It wouldn’t be much longer before they made their move. I could feel it. Dylan started to close in on me from behind, and that’s when I casually strolled across the street. Kylarai’s was still several blocks away, but using the walking path and cutting down another street would lead me to the stretch of field behind her house just the same.

I jumped when my phone vibrated in my purse. Slipping it out, I struggled to maintain my casual composure. Shaz’s reply said only: on my way. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was pretty sure I could handle these guys, but Shaz was my mate and Alpha male in this town. I knew he’d want a piece of Dylan.

Ever so slightly, I quickened my pace. I wanted to hurry as if trying to flee the biting cold, but they’d never fall for that. It wasn’t cold enough to greatly affect a Were. Dylan would be onto me by this point. He had to know I was aware of their presence.

The liquor induced haze I’d felt upon leaving the Lounge quickly dissipated as adrenaline blasted through me. I was ready to fight for my life and, if all went well, end theirs.

I’d underestimated them. I’d mistakenly assumed they would tail me from their positions a block away until we left public property. When I sensed the sudden shift in their positions, I almost panicked.

They were coming up on me fast, a full out run. I could feel it. I froze, glancing frantically at my surroundings: a line of houses on both sides of me and the field at the end of the street, straight ahead. One mile or so remained to the tree line beyond.

Dylan’s heady Alpha wolf energy was strong, coming fast. I broke into a full out run, knowing that I had to outrun him. I couldn’t decide whether to shift forms or not. I had more metaphysical power in human form. However, we were all wolf, and that was the ideal way to settle this.

Leaving the glow of the streetlight behind gave me a sense of comfort. My eyes adjusted to the dark, and I stared hard at the tree line. I’d never beat them in human form. I simply couldn’t move as fast on two legs as I could on four. A snarl broke the silence behind me, causing the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end.

I reacted without thinking, throwing a blast of vampy energy behind me. It burned my palm as it went, and the sudden yelp that came next was music to my ears. The two of them were hot on my heels, no more than several hundred yards behind me. Too close.

I allowed myself a split second to mourn my outfit. No way would I have enough time to disrobe before shifting. It would end up a torn, useless scrap of rag instead. Damn.

The two men had much longer legs than I did. They quickly closed the distance between us. As carefully as I could, I let my purse drop to the ground. I used the last precious moments to toss another shot at them before leaping into the air and becoming wolf.

I hit the ground hard, nearly losing my balance. The element of surprise was on my side, and I was off and running before they could change forms. The snow and dirt kicked up beneath my feet, and the cold wind ruffled my fur.

Exhilaration drove me hard, and I all but threw myself toward the awaiting forest. Shaz couldn’t be far. He’d be coming from Kylarai’s backyard. A glance in that direction revealed nothing.

I fought back the fear that threatened to break through my calm and ready demeanor. Dylan was approaching fast. I made the mistake of casting a look back over my shoulder, right in time to see him launch through the air.

I didn’t even have time to gasp before he slammed into me. His momentum rolled us so that we flipped in the snow a few times before sliding to a stop at the base of a large spruce tree. I sprang to my feet before he could sink fangs into me. Circling away from the tree, I put it at my back so that neither wolf could attack from behind.

Dylan, large and grey, advanced on me in a way that was supposed to intimidate. His companion, a slightly smaller brown wolf, stood twenty feet away watching for a signal from his Alpha.

Peeling back my lips, I growled deep in my throat. I refused to let him cow me in any way. His eyes flashed in the moonlight. Rage fueled him. Without hesitating, he flung himself at me again.

I snarled and snapped, driving him back with my fangs bared in his face. He didn’t let up, coming at me again and again. My back end was up against the tree. There was nowhere I could go and nothing I could do but fight back to the best of my ability.

We both fought so hard, yet, we were doing little more than battering one another. I was somewhat surprised to find the other wolf merely watching and waiting. If they’d taken me on together, I might not have stood a chance. As it was, Dylan was going for the respectful Alpha-to-Alpha combat. Or, so I thought until he shifted back to human form.

That was when the other wolf snapped into action. He came at me from the side, drawing my attention to him while Dylan grabbed me around the throat with strong hands. The way they moved together, so calculating and precise, told me this was likely a tactic they used often. My disgust grew.

“Shift,” Dylan growled into my face. “We’re going to have a little conversation before I tear your throat out, Ms. O’Brien.”

He wanted me to shift so he could kill me? That was disturbing. I didn’t want to be naked and exposed with him, but that would be irrelevant when he was dead. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it, but as his grip tightened, cutting off my air supply, I didn’t have a lot of options.

The inability to breathe sent me into a frenzy. I thrashed around violently, shifting back to human form. The power that was subdued in wolf form came rushing to the surface, bursting forth from me like my body was over capacity, and it could not be held in.

It threw both men off their feet with more force than either of them had expected. I sucked in my breath, my mind racing to determine my next move. The brown wolf recovered fast, scrambling to his feet. Envisioning him trapped within a circle of energy, I directed the flow of power with my palms, and it happened.

He leaped into the side of the energy circle, hitting as if leaping into a brick wall. Good. That allowed me to focus on Dylan who was rapidly getting to his feet. I kept my eyes on his face, careful not to acknowledge his nudity.

He looked pissed. Rubbing his hip, his hand came away bloodied due to his fall on the hard packed snow. Oops.

“You protect a known murderess!” His voice boomed through the forest, and I cringed. It seemed so wrong to be human here where animals belonged. “You are no better than she. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Crossing my arms over my breasts, I glared hard. “And, you’re a fucking trespasser in my town. You have no right to come here and tell me how to run things. Zoey Roberts can be punished without being killed.”

Dylan’s eyes widened, and he huffed. “You’re as goddamn deranged as she is. She murdered my family, people who were there to protect her. That is unforgiveable.”

He seemed to be keeping a cautious distance. I don’t know what I was waiting for. The blue and gold energy that swirled around my fingertips reached for him. It seemed to have a mind of its own.

“Something like you,” Dylan said, taking a menacing step toward me. “Shouldn’t be allowed to live. You’re as bad as she is. A mix that never should have been.”

“Fuck you.” The power jumped as I spat the words. A cut appeared beneath Dylan’s left eye, slowly dripping blood down his rugged face. I licked my lips hungrily at the sight of it.

The breath he sucked in was shaky despite his continuing forward motion. “Last chance. Give up Zoey Roberts, and I walk away from you right now.”

“And, if I don’t? You kill me?” I laughed wickedly. What a joke this guy was.

He rushed me then, hands outstretched, fangs bared in his human face. He was trying to catch me off guard so that I couldn’t have a metaphysical advantage. It worked because my automatic reaction was to step backwards when I should have held my ground.

The breath smashed from my lungs when his weight hit me. I was able to get a knee up in between us, and I drove it into his groin with everything I had. He grunted and froze. I took advantage of his pain, rolling him off me and following up with a solid punch that had his nose gushing blood.

“Bitch.” He was up and after me faster than I’d expected. When he went for my throat again, it became increasingly clear to me that he knew he couldn’t take me. He was seeking the fastest way to disable me.

The grim look in his eyes warned me that he really felt he was doing what was right. That kind of dogma could drive a man beyond the restraints of sanity. If Shaz didn’t show soon, this really could get out of control.

I drew on the hot energy burning inside me, battering him with it. I was weakening fast in the metaphysical area due to the physical and mental exertion, which had me panicking. Dylan was bruised and bleeding, yet he continued to strangle me like a rag doll. This would be one time when being a vampire would be beneficial. Strangling can’t kill you when you don’t need to breathe.

I struggled against him, trying anything to loosen his hold on me. I would have felt ill at the touching of our naked bodies if I hadn’t been trying so hard not to black out.

“Girls like you and Zoey, you are nothing. Not fit to be Alpha. No better than a warm body to fuck and then dispose of.” Dylan continued to rant and rave into my face as he choked the life out of me.

Those words spun around in my brain, playing over and over. He was sick. He was mentally fucked. And, my ill ease quickly turned to the need to wretch violently when I felt him grow hard against me. No fucking way. I’d die first.

In my mind, I couldn’t help but flash back in time. To another time and place, when I was so young and at the mercy of a much older male wolf that was determined to make me his play thing whether I was willing or not. Raoul had stopped him before he could force me. Then, Raoul had beaten the shit out of him. Now, there was no chance of Raoul coming to my rescue.

I hit Dylan. I clawed him and even tried to gouge out his damn eyes. Still, he held firm. His eyes held no semblance of human. He was all monster. As he tried to work his knee in between my legs, I was suddenly sure that what he was trying to do to me was something he had done to others, many times before.

The raw hate that quickly grew to overflowing was all I needed. It seared through me like a jolt of electricity, coming out in a storm of power. It actually hurt me as it moved from my body to his. Dylan let out a pained cry and released me. Bastard choked me twice, what a miserable excuse for a wolf.

He stumbled back, almost slipping in the snow. He continued to make agonized sounds. His chest was burnt, the flesh, literally smoking. I was astonished. I could have burned the fucker alive. Now that was encouraging.

I felt another wolf then. Expecting Shaz, I looked to the east. Except, I felt it to the north. Dylan looked around in confusion as he sensed it, too. He lunged forward, as if to shift forms, but he wasn’t fast enough. A black shape emerged from the forest, leaping through the air to hit him full on.

I stared in silent shock as Zoey Roberts took Dylan down on the forest floor and sunk fangs into his throat before he could utter a scream. The brown wolf locked inside my energy circle howled and yipped as he watched his Alpha die.

I took the opportunity to change forms, feeling more comfortable in my fur than standing naked in the forest. Watching Zoey make a bloody mess of Dylan, I knew that he had certainly done to her what he’d just tried to do to me. She deserved this vengeance.

I didn’t want to watch it though. It reminded me too much of watching her kill her father. The first man I’d ever loved. And hated.

Shaz’s arrival was a welcome relief. With his watchful eyes on Zoey and her kill, he came to me. If he knew what he’d just missed, he’d be sorry he didn’t get to kill Dylan himself.

I nuzzled Shaz lovingly before drawing his attention to the wolf freaking out inside my circle. Trotting over to it, I broke the circle with a simple touch. The brown wolf stared in horror at the three of us. I was braced for an attack. He turned tail and fled, kicking up snow as he went.

Shaz was after him like a bat out of hell. Letting him get away wasn’t an option. His pack needed to know what a mistake it was to take us on. If he made it back to them, who knew what move they’d make next? Though, I figured the death of their Alpha might be enough to keep them away.

I wasn’t sure if I should go after the brown wolf with Shaz or stay. Zoey lifted a muzzle covered in Dylan’s blood, and I tensed. If she came for me…

Our eyes met, and time seemed to stop. I searched her enchanting blue eyes, looking for something more than the predator staring back at me. She’d been in wolf form for several months. It was entirely plausible that she may have lost whatever humanity she’d had left. Then I saw it, the spark of human that glinted from deep inside her.

The recognition in her gaze held no menace. I wasn’t sure how to approach her. Should I shift to human and try to talk to her? I felt pressured to communicate with her somehow.

Before I could decide, Zoey gave me one last lingering look and turned away to disappear into the night. I made no effort to go after her. Instinct told me to let her go, but compassion told me that I had to do something. I started to wonder, with all of the power Arys and I had, would it be possible to get Zoey Roberts back into her human body?

Chapter Fifteen

“I’m sorry, Alexa. I simply don’t have that kind of power.”

I stared at Lena, hating what I was hearing. I’d tried not to get my expectations up, but I couldn’t help but be hopeful. Lena hadn’t been spending as much time at the office lately since she’d recently been out of town, so I’d asked her if she would mind dropping by. I didn’t know whom else to talk to about Zoey.

“But, could it be done at all, if one had the right kind of power?” I knew I sounded desperate, but since the recent events with Zoey two nights ago, my mind had been constantly turning the situation over.

Lena gave her head a shake, her long braid moving like a snake against her back. “My dear, there is nothing that can’t be done if one has the right power. Of course, that doesn’t always mean it should be done. You have to use careful judgment and discretion.”

I sipped from the steaming mug of coffee sitting on the table before me. Rather than talk in my office, I’d opted to sit in the kitchen. The topic of conversation wasn’t exactly top secret, and just the act of walking into my office made my face flush.

“And control,” I murmured, more to myself than to Lena. “I think I can do it.”

Lena frowned and pressed her lips together into a tight, thin line. “I don’t have to tell you to be careful. You’ve heard it from me more than enough times. But … be careful.”

I smiled at the older lady. Both a witch and a genuine soul, Lena was special in many ways. I always took what she said to heart, though I didn’t always follow her advice. It was much too late for regrets. I was sick of the questions and confusion. Now, I needed to focus on moving forward and taking charge.

“Well,” Lena rose from her seat, rinsing her tea mug in the sink. “If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll do my best to help you. I do have some resources I can look into.”

“That would be great. Thanks. I always appreciate your help.”

The sound of the front door opening drew my attention. Jez gave us a quick wave as she passed by the kitchen, chattering away on her cell phone. I considered going to her office to chat with her but decided against it. I wanted to get to The Wicked Kiss by midnight. When Lena was ready to leave, I gathered my things and walked her out to her car. One could never be too safe around our office building.

I gave Lena a friendly hug before watching her little car disappear down the street. I really should have coffee with her more often. We hadn’t been keeping in touch as much as usual lately. I hated that.

No sooner had Lena’s tail lights vanished from sight than oncoming headlights replaced them. Kale’s Camaro was like a loud black shadow against the white, snowy night. Hmm, shit. I hit the unlock button on my car keys but knew I’d never manage to avoid him without looking like a total ass.

Crossing my arms, I leaned against the door of my car, ignoring the way the cold metal cut through the warmth of my long skirt and jacket. I was a little apprehensive but shrugged it off when Kale parked next to me.

“Hey.” I tried my best for casual, hoping I didn’t sound like an actor reading cue cards. “How’s it going? No Wicked Kiss tonight?”

A toss of his head moved a short brown lock of hair out of his eyes, those eerily beautiful eyes. Kale could really enthrall a lot of people with his eyes. He could work them to his advantage, if he wanted to. I couldn’t help but wonder what he’d been like in the beginning, back in his brutal, killer without a care days. Of course, I had no desire to know firsthand.

“No. Not tonight. I have something else to take care of. Something for Veryl. He’s been rather weird and ‘hush hush’ about it. I don’t even have all of the details yet.”

My mind instantly went to Lilah, and the day she’d come storming out of Veryl’s office, refusing to do his dirty work for him. It smacked of something dark and nasty. If a demon as high in rank as she evidently was didn’t want any part in whatever Veryl was up to, I sure as hell hoped Kale wouldn’t either.

“Well…be careful. Maybe it’s none of my business, but Veryl seems to have some shady dealings going on. Don’t let him suck you into anything.”

Kale pocketed his car keys, a frown creasing his brow. “Oh yeah? Like what?”

“I don’t know. You’d have to ask Lilah.”

“Interesting.”

I could see that he was mulling that over in his head so I reached for the door handle of my car. “I should get going. I actually am going to the Kiss tonight. Gotta hold up my end of a bargain.”

“What was that?” Kale cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

“What?” I didn’t have to pretend not to know what he meant.

“That look in your eyes when you said that. Hold up your end of a bargain. What are you up to, Alexa?”

I chuckled but made a note to work on my poker face. “Nothing yet. I can be honest with you though, right? Harley won’t be around much longer. Not if I can help it. He’s a pile of dust and bone. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

A moment of silence ensued while Kale looked at me as if trying to decide if I was joking or just stupid. It was then that I noticed the subtle vibration of his aura. It burned with power that wasn’t his, but mine. Days had passed since he’d taken my blood, but my power still smoldered within him. Now that was intriguing.

“And, you’re telling me to be careful?” Kale scoffed. “You really need to start taking your own advice. Things have been weird at the Kiss lately, weirder than usual. There have been incidents. A lot of blood games and dead girls.”

“Yeah, yeah. Courtesy of the Arys and Harley reunion, I’m sure.” I rolled my eyes and laughed it off. I didn’t want to give him the opportunity to say or do anything to change my mind. I was hell bent on seeing this through.

I pulled open the door of the car and started the engine. Kale stepped closer, forcing me to drop down into the driver’s seat. I looked up at him, refusing to feel intimidated because of our last encounter. Intimidation was pleasantly absent. However, temptation rarely was these days.

Leaning in close, Kale’s voice dropped. “I fully believe that you can handle Harley, but what the hell do you plan to do in the aftermath? He may have allies that will come after you, and the bar, what about that? And Arys…”

“I can handle Arys,” I replied much too quickly. It gave away my inner doubt. Arys may very well hate me after I killed his sire. That wasn’t going to stop me. “As for the bar, I have a bank account filled with Raoul’s money. Money that’s really not much good to me. I’m sure I can use it to pull the right strings and get the ownership of that place transferred.”

An idea struck me then, and Kale’s eyes narrowed when a slow, sure smile spread across my face. “Actually Kale, that is something you may be able to help me with. I’ll need someone to take over legal ownership. Who better than you?”

“Oh, you bad little wolf. You have been doing some thinking, haven’t you?”

“I have,” I said with a nod. I met his eyes steadily, wanting him to read how very serious I was. “You know the Kiss better than anyone. You can run it, and I can work behind the scenes, restore a sense of order there. A place like that in our possession could be beneficial in many ways. Think about it?”

Kale paused, a typically dramatic vampire move that made me want to roll my eyes at him.

“If you can pull off killing Harley and keep Arys from losing his mind over it, I will do whatever you ask.” He gave me a pointed look, one that told me I was facing a bigger challenge than I wanted to admit.

“Don’t doubt me, Kale. You know that just makes me more determined.”

“Not doubting, just saying.” With a sexy smile that flashed fangs and a wink, he sauntered away. “Have a safe night, Alexa.”

* * * *

After what seemed like hours of listening to Harley go on about how the root of my power was all in my mind, I grew openly bored. Leaning on the small table in his room, I rested my chin in my hand and gazed at the ceiling.

“Am I boring you, Alexa?” He snapped suddenly. “Do forgive me for the lack of excitement. What were you expecting? A field trip?”

I started to resist a smirk, then thought better of it and let it spread over my face. “Something like that. I guess I don’t make a very good student.”

“Then why are you wasting my time?”

“Oh, give me a break. You’re getting what you want out of this so humor me.” I gave my long hair a toss and fixed him with an icy stare. I couldn’t shake that image of him and Arys, and I choked on my hatred. “You keep pounding this mind over matter shit into my head. I get it. It’s all about envisioning what I want to do with the power. But, how about some actual hands on action? A demonstration, if you will.”

Harley crossed his arms over his chest and met my eyes with a gaze so chilling mine must have looked pitiful in comparison. Damn vampires.

“A demonstration? Like what? You must have something specific in mind.”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. Since making up my mind earlier about Harley’s imminent demise, I felt much calmer around him. I’d never been this relaxed inside The Wicked Kiss. I was self-conscious though, hoping I didn’t give anything away with my words or actions.

“What about the big things? Like healing? Or manipulating the form of a person or object?”

He continued to stare at me. With his arms crossed over his expensive black suit, he looked like a secret service agent from TV. All he needed was a gun and dark sunglasses. I shrugged but offered nothing more. If he couldn’t show me those things, I was done here.

In a blur of motion, he was suddenly beside me, gripping my arm in his cold hands. It startled me, which had clearly been his intent. He gestured to my exposed forearm.

“Cut yourself. A nice deep one. You have claws.”

“Seriously?” I gawked up at him, struggling not to leap out of my seat and jerk away.

“Of course. How else do you expect me to show you healing?”

I guess I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Surely, we could employ someone else in the Kiss for that. Though, I suppose that wasn’t really fair. I wanted to know so it was fitting I’d be the guinea pig. At least I got to inflict my own injury. That seemed safe enough.

“You better not be bull shitting me.” I held out my free hand, focusing ever so slightly. My fingernails lengthened into razor sharp claws and for a split second, I had the urge to bury them in Harley’s throat.

Instead, I carefully dragged one long claw along the flesh of the arm Harley held. It stung, but it was bearable. Blood welled up from the gash, and I glanced at the vampire, curious to see his reaction. There was none. Harley had had centuries to perfect his poker face. He was much better at it than I was.

An injury like the one I’d just given myself would have normally healed up overnight. I watched as Harley released my arm and held his hands over the wound, careful not to touch. His eyes were intent on the bleeding cut. My skin began to grow warm and then tingled as he tapped his power.

“Envision it as healed,” he whispered without meeting my eyes. “See it in your mind, whole again.”

My jaw dropped when the stinging wound sealed up as I watched. The pain disappeared and nothing remained but a smear of blood. The place where the cut had been tickled a little, giving me the urge to scratch. I reached to touch it, finding smooth, unblemished skin.

“Just like that, huh?” I was breathless, awed by what Harley had just done. He made it look so simple.

“Just like that. You know how to focus energy. You just have to drive it into your source and direct its path.” I didn’t miss the dark glare he shot me when he added, “And, that’s something I know you can do.”

My cheeks warmed at the memory. So, Harley was holding a grudge. It had been months since I’d tried to kill him. Arys had stopped me. Regardless, I was planning to finish what I’d started then.

I wasn’t about to defend myself for something I didn’t regret. “Oh come on now, don’t pretend part of you didn’t like it.”

He huffed and paced away from me but said nothing. I smiled to myself.

I wanted to push the issue of getting Zoey back into a human body but wasn’t sure how to approach it. Just spit it out? Something about it felt taboo, as if I were inviting disaster by even considering it.

I was trying to find the right words when an icy chill shot up my spine. My senses were on fire as Arys’s unmistakable presence made itself known. He was here. Just my damn luck. I hated the trepidation that filled me as he drew closer. My eyes went to the door, and I waited with baited breath.

He had to be fuming, sensing my presence as well. Well … fuck him. I had just as much right to be here as he did. I was ready when the door swung open, a stubborn expression already in place on my face.

Harley’s gaze strayed to the door, his eager smile just another reason for me to kill him. The bastard had likely been expecting Arys. Neglecting to mention it wasn’t going to win him any points with me.

I was ready to be stubborn if Arys came in with attitude. I was prepared to tell him off if he backed me into a corner in front of Harley. What I wasn’t prepared for was the way my heart fluttered and dropped at the sight of him. Oh, Lord.

Arys’s jet-black hair was always messy in a sexy bedroom way, as if he’d just rolled out of bed after lovemaking. Now it was also damp from a recent shower. I couldn’t help the image of him that flashed through my mind, naked and wet.

Like usual, he looked good enough to eat in his casual attire, blue jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his hard body just right. His fierce blue eyes landed on me immediately, and I sat up a little straighter in my chair.

He pinned me with a heavy stare, one that left a flaming heat within me, as he slowly looked me over. I was no idiot. Though I hadn’t expected Arys to show, I’d known it was possible so I’d worn the black halter-top with the plunging neckline, the one I knew he loved on me. I hid a grin when his gaze strayed to my cleavage.

“Hello, Arys.” I nodded, unable to resist giving him a suggestive smile and a wink. If he thought he had the advantage here, he was going to discover how wrong he was.

Frowning, Arys let the door close with a slam. “Alexa … I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Better get used to it, I thought. Boy was Arys in for a surprise. I was almost afraid of how he might react when I killed Harley. I couldn’t let that hold me back though. It was going to happen.

“Are we done here?” Harley was looking at me with hunger in his eyes. He appeared a little too gleeful for my liking.

We had a deal, his knowledge for my blood. I could swear he’d planned for this, to feed from me in front of Arys. What a way to make the guy squirm. I hated Harley, but I had to admire the way he worked.

“Almost,” I replied, without tearing my eyes from Arys. “I still have that one question, about manipulating things into a new form. You dodged that one.”

Arys glanced from me to Harley before crossing the room to take a seat on the couch. It bothered me a little that he sat as far from me as he could get, but I shrugged it off. I wasn’t playing games with anyone anymore.

“Be more specific. What is it that you want to manipulate?”

It was hard to meet Harley’s penetrating stare. I didn’t want to come right out and say it. I took a deep breath and ignored the sound of people down the hall that sought to distract me.

“A woman. A hybrid that’s stuck in wolf form. I want to get her back into her human body.”

I waited for a response. The quiet in the room quickly became deafening. Of course, Arys would know whom I meant. Harley didn’t need to know. He just needed to tell me what I needed to do and how to do it.

“You know that what you’re asking is incredibly huge, right?” Harley drew closer to me, stopping just a few feet away.

“Obviously,” I replied with an eye roll. “Otherwise, I would have already done it.”

“Don’t be too cocky, wolf,” Arys added as he regarded me with a studious expression. “You endanger yourself with that attitude.”

I bristled at his use of the word “wolf”. It was what he often called Shaz when being disrespectful. I did my best not to react. He didn’t need to know that I was affected by it. That’s what he wanted.

Focusing solely on Harley, I continued as if Arys hadn’t spoken at all. “Please, just tell me if it’s possible. If it isn’t, I’ll forget it.”

“Oh it’s possible. It’s also possible to make matters worse for her if you don’t have the ability to pull it off.”

“And do I? In your expert opinion, I mean.”

Arys shifted uncomfortably on the couch, but neither Harley nor I looked his way. We were intent on one another. I searched Harley’s eyes for any sign that he was lying to me, or about to.

“Your blood bond with Arys has secured your abilities,” he said with a glance at Arys who sat clenching his jaw. “But until your death, until you rise as a vampire, you can’t access them fully. Maybe you could do this if you can perfect your focus like I’ve shown you. But … it’s unlikely that you can do it without the help of your other half.”

Harley gestured to Arys, and my heart sank. I believed what I was hearing. I had no reason not to. Arys had no reason to help Zoey. The last time they’d seen each other, she’d plunged a blade into him, and at my command, he’d tried to kill her.

I pushed the hair back from my face and sighed. “Ok then. That’s all I needed to know. Thank you.”

“If you two want to talk further about this…” Harley glanced from me to Arys.

“No,” I said in a rush. “That’s fine. We can discuss it later.”

Harley clapped his hands together loudly. The sound irritated my sensitive ears, and I grimaced.

“Well then,” he announced with obvious delight. “I believe you owe me a little something.”

I nodded, sneaking a look at Arys. He sat stiffly, watching Harley and me with feigned indifference. He could fake an expression, but he couldn’t stop me from picking up his tension. I had to wonder if he’d come here because he knew Harley would be taking my blood tonight. Did he not want us to be alone? What was he so afraid of?

“Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

I rose from my seat, uncertain if I should offer him my wrist or neck. I assumed he would have a preference.

The atmosphere grew heavy with Harley’s bloodlust. It rose quickly and violently, provoking my own inner hunger. I wasn’t the predator this time though.

“I cannot wait to taste you again.” Harley approached me swiftly, suddenly standing too close, invading my personal space. He licked his lips like a hungry animal.

I took an instinctive step back. “Yeah, just a taste. The moment I feel you going beyond that, I’m going to defend myself. Got it?”

Arys got to his feet then, drawing near without hovering. “The wrist, Harley.”

Those simple words were enough to have Harley rounding on Arys with eyes blazing. “You weren’t part of this deal. You have absolutely no say in this. You can leave, or you can watch. But, keep your mouth shut.”

“She is not yours!” Arys’s voice vibrated with sudden rage. “Yeah, you have a deal, but that doesn’t make Alexa one of your toys. She is not a victim, and you will not treat her as one.”

With a chuckle, Harley turned back to me, a devious grin revealing fangs that would soon pierce my flesh. A shiver shook me, and I swallowed hard.

“Can we just fucking do this and be done with it?” I demanded. I wanted to snap and snarl at the both of them.

Harley sprung into action. In a bold move, he reached for me, brushing my hair aside. Damn him, I knew he would go for the neck. He didn’t pause or wait for an indication that I was ready. I expected as much.

He moved fast, biting into my exposed throat. I flinched but didn’t make a sound. It definitely wasn’t a welcome bite like it was with Arys or Kale. I hated everything about it. Still, it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle.

Pain seared a scorching path down my neck, burning in its intensity. It was a battle to keep from crying out. This bite held no pleasure, no desire. It was all agony. My pain was mirrored on Arys’s gorgeous face. His eyes were riveted to the place where Harley’s fangs made my blood flow. Horror was etched in his fiery blue orbs.

I closed my eyes, unwilling to witness Arys’s reaction any longer. I just wanted this moment over. Harley held me with both hands, one on my waist and the other buried in my hair. It was intimate in a way that made me ill. Unlike the last time he’d bit me, when I’d reacted to him with lust and hunger, I now felt sickened by his touch.

Arys’s energy shook with anger and something else … jealousy. After the recent conflict between us, I found that satisfying, even somewhat reassuring.

Harley sucked on the two punctures, drawing my blood into him. My every instinct commanded that I fight him off. I clenched my hands into fists, my clawed nails cut into my palms. My heartbeat was strong and steady, but I gasped for breath as adrenaline crashed through me.

Time seemed to crawl by. Every second seemed to drag on. I could feel the power building in my core, and I ached to throw Harley off me. Arys’s thrumming energy grew like a blazing inferno as it reached for me. The mix of vampire and werewolf power coiled inside me was drawn to him, always seeking that connection with him.

“Enough, Harley.” Arys’s voice was strained and low. It sounded far calmer than he was. I could feel him, ready to break. Was the sight of Harley feeding from me really so bothersome to him? Good.

Placing a hand on Harley’s chest, I pushed against him firmly. He didn’t budge. The sensation of his lips and tongue licking and sucking at my neck made me all the more eager to get him off me. I shuddered when he grew more aggressive.

Harley’s power pulsed and throbbed, assaulting me. My wolf leaped against my insides, threatening to break free. A low growl rumbled in my throat. I’d given him more than enough, and I wanted nothing more than to be free of him. I shoved at him again, harder this time. He resisted, holding tight as he pulled harder at the wound.

I threw my hands up in defense, instinct guiding my power as it slammed into him. It tore him from me as he hurled through the air, hitting the opposite wall hard enough to rattle the door on its hinges. Arys put himself between us, facing Harley with an expression so ablaze with fury that I’m sure it could have boiled water.

A peal of laughter erupted from Harley as he gathered himself. “Oh calm down, Arys. You’re incredibly uptight. I didn’t do your lady any harm.”

“You’re a disrespectful bastard,” Arys replied, the struggle for self-control evident in his tone.

“Spare me.” Harley’s tongue snaked out to catch a drop of my blood as it dripped off his lower lip. His pupils were huge, his dark eyes, glassy. He was high on my blood and power. It disgusted me.

I touched the punctures that decorated my flesh. They still bled, but it was slowing already. I had no desire to stay and argue matters of respect with these two. We were all monsters in our own right. I didn’t expect anything better than that from Harley.

Grabbing my coat from the back of my chair, I headed for the door without a word to either vampire. Arys called my name, but I kept walking, knowing that to stop would be a mistake.

My wolf raged inside me like a caged animal, demanding that we kill Harley here and now. Not yet, I told myself. A better time would come. Then, I would be the one laughing in a euphoric stupor as I took all Harley had to give, until there was nothing left.

Chapter Sixteen

I didn’t get far before my dark vampire was hot on my heels, my name, a hushed command on his lips. I kept walking, focusing on calming breaths and putting one foot in front of the other. It was almost physically painful to deny the need that insisted I tear Harley’s throat out.

I was fully anticipating it when Arys caught my arm and spun me to face him. He backed me up against the hallway wall, and I let him.

“What?” I snapped, my patience severely being tested. I wasn’t in the mood to get into it with him again, especially not here.

Arys’s midnight blue eyes were almost as black as Harley’s. It was impossible to raise the kind of power the three of us had and not be affected.

“Are you ok?” His words were soft, his face, etched with concern. Arys made it really hard to be pissed at him.

I sighed when he touched my face. I wanted to throw myself into his arms but had too much pride to allow it. I was always far too stubborn for my own good.

“Of course I am. I got what I came for, and now I just want to get the hell out of here.”

He nodded and stepped back. I continued down the hall, surprised when he fell into step at my side. I felt pressured to speak, to bridge the strange gap between us, but I didn’t know what to say. His presence beside me washed away the remnants of the pain and anger I’d been carrying around the past several days.

I was intent on the exit at the far end of the hall. The next time I was at The Wicked Kiss, everything would change. Harley would die, Kale and I would take over, and anyone who didn’t like it would join Harley in ashes.

“We need to talk,” Arys said when we were crossing through the parking lot.

“Arys, I can’t keep doing this. The last thing I want is conflict between us. And recently, there’s been a lot of that.”

“I know. I don’t want that either. I know you may not believe it, but I’ve been a fucking wreck lately.”

We walked through the mess of cars until we reached the vacant end of the lot. My car sat there alone, cast in shadow. Arys leaned against the hood, crossing his arms over his chest and fixing me with a dark gaze. It was so damn sexy, the way he looked into me rather than at me. My knees trembled ever so slightly.

I tossed my jacket on the roof of the car and met Arys’s enchanting eyes. “A wreck? It definitely hasn’t appeared that way.”

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Ok, I know I owe you an apology. I’ve been acting like a selfish asshole, carrying on with Harley like it was the good old days. I was pissed off, and I acted on that without a second thought. I’m sorry if I hurt you. What you saw… I wish I could take that back.”

I frowned and stared at the ground as if fascinated by the snow-covered asphalt. I didn’t want to think about that. I relived that moment daily. I couldn’t stand the thought of Arys seeing the pain of that in my eyes.

“Just … forget it,” I said quickly. “I don’t want to think about it.”

He nodded his dark head and reached for me. His hands were warm on my bare arms. He’d fed recently. “Can I just say something else? I want you to know that those women, I wasn’t … I didn’t sleep with any of them.”

“Don’t feel like you have to explain yourself to me, Arys.”

“I need you to know.”

“Why?” It bugged me that I felt so guarded. I adored Arys, but my past experience with love had hardened me in many ways. Letting him in had been hard. Keeping him out was impossible. I was a mass of confusion.

“Come on, Lex, drop the defensive shit. You can’t stay pissed at me forever.” He flashed a sly grin at me, testing my resolve. His use of the shortened version of my name was rare. It said more than the words he spoke.

When I cocked my head to the side and raised an inquisitive brow, he added, “Ok, maybe you can. But trust me, centuries together will not be pleasant if that’s the case.”

“Ha! Very funny, Arys.” I hit the unlock button on my keys, and the Charger’s headlights flashed, momentarily illuminating the night. “I’m not pissed at you, ok? I’m just, really confused.”

“Well, so am I. I damn near went on a rampage when I found out about you and Kale. The thought of him touching you makes me crazy.” A muscle flexed in Arys’s jaw, and he made a show of getting comfy against my car. Alright, I got it. He did not intend to let me leave until he was good and ready.

“I didn’t screw Kale, if that’s what you’re thinking. It was just blood.”

“It’s never just blood.”

Arys’s reply came too fast and sharp. It burned with venom. His energy grew heavy with a jealous hatred that both pleased and frightened me.

“Don’t even think about doing anything to Kale,” I warned, my voice laced with my wolf. “You know this isn’t about him.”

Arys’s grin had completely vanished. He was staring at me as if I’d slapped him. I was getting ready to do just that. “Look Arys, if you have something to say, then say it. Let’s get this all out in the open so we can finally be done with it. Isn’t that what you want? Isn’t that why you’re out here preventing me from leaving? Or, do you enjoy the conflict?”

Sirens screamed by on the main road, too loud to talk over. I paced a few feet away, fighting to separate my emotions from Arys’s. It was easy to become overwhelmed when the energy was running so high between us. After a few calming breaths, I was able to focus on the lively wolf within rather than the beckoning hand of the grave.

When the sirens faded, replaced by the regular sounds of traffic and people, Arys spoke. “You do know that he’s in love with you.” He let those words hang between us, watching for my reaction.

My mouth went dry, and the blood rushed from my face. No, we were not having this conversation. “Is this a tactic to steer the discussion away from you? Because that is a hell of a cheap shot.”

He chuckled, but it held little true humor. “Fine. Have it your way. Play dumb because you don’t want to admit it, but if he touches you again, I’ll kill him. Unless of course you invite it. Because you want it. Again.”

“That’s it!” I snarled the words, my fangs, long and sharp in my mouth. “We’ve been over this! You fucking hypocrite. Where do you get off judging me when you were having blood orgies with Harley? This has gone far enough. It’s done. Finished! Got it?”

My voice was rough, raspy with the wolf fighting to break free. The desire to bite a chunk out of him was immense. As far as I was concerned, the entire Kale incident was a moot point, none of Arys’s damn business. Besides, he was wrong about Kale’s feelings for me. He had to be.

Arys moved fast, reaching for me with an unexpected hunger. I fell into him, stumbling from the force he used. His lips were on mine before I could take a breath to tell him off further.

His kiss was demanding and aggressive, but it was also revealing. He couldn’t hide the desperation of it, a vulnerability that the wolf inside me didn’t understand but the woman inside me did.

A sigh escaped me when he slipped his tongue into my mouth. Arys had a way of driving me mad like no one else, and yet my body responded to him regardless. He was part of me. Even though I still wanted to smack him upside the head, I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back with the urgency that several days of unrest had created.

“You are such a feisty little she-bitch,” Arys whispered against my lips. Gently, he dragged his tongue along my bottom lip. “But God, I love you.”

Before I could respond, he picked me up and turned us in a swift motion, placing me on the hood of the Charger. Leaning in to mesmerize me with another deep, spine tingling kiss, he slowly pushed my long skirt up my legs until he could stand between them.

“Arys-,”

He cut me off by pressing a finger against my lips. With a slow shake of his head, Arys kissed me again. His tongue swept the inside of my mouth, knocking the breath from me. The passion in his kiss ignited the fire inside me that always burned for him. I wanted to take him home with me, but Arys had something else in mind.

The warmth of his hands on my upper thighs was a delightful contrast compared to the chill of the evening air. Snow fell in soft, fluffy flakes, landing on us just to melt away as soon as they touched. The hood of the car was cold beneath me, but Arys’s heat made it forgettable.

Arys continued up my thighs to my velvet and lace booty short underwear. He hooked them with two fingers and began to tug. Excitement crashed through me along with surprise. Was he for real? Here? In the parking lot?

My eyes grew wide with an unspoken question. The answer I received was a sexy smirk and further tugging on my underwear. My heart hammered in my chest from both fear and anticipation. Even though my mind was alarmed, my body was already responding. Heat rushed to my southern region, creating a delicious tingle between my thighs.

“Are you friggin’ serious?” I had to ask even though I knew he was. This was insane.

His smile revealed fangs, and I melted just a little. His fingers brushed against my soft mound, and I sucked in my breath. I was rather pathetic when it came to resistance. Arys was my ultimate undoing.

He leaned in close, nuzzling my neck and nipping it gently. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re out of your mind.”

“Yeah? You’re not exactly known for your calm, cool and collected mentality either. Humor me.”

His teeth scraped against my skin, and I gasped. Though his touch was lively and ravenous, there was a delicate quality to it that spoke of his deeper devotion.

When he tugged at my underwear again, I wriggled atop the car, allowing him to slide them down my legs. I bit back a laugh when he hung them unceremoniously on the side mirror. With one hand, he lightly stroked the sensitive flesh between my legs. With the other, he held my face as he kissed me.

I reached to embed my hands in his midnight black locks, savoring both the feel and the scent of him. Vampires didn’t have much of a smell. Arys’s was made up primarily of hair products and cologne that was both musky and alluring, but sometimes, he smelled like my wolf.

His tongue was persistent, sweeping the inside of my mouth as if he would devour me. The faintest taste of blood lingered on him. It encouraged the interest of my wolf, called to my bloodlust. I kissed him back with an intensity I felt to the tips of my toes.

Instinctively, I shifted so that he had more room to tease me. He ran a finger over me teasingly until I quivered. Part of me was sure I was crazy for doing this in public. I had a keen ear trained on the sounds of the night around us in case anyone happened to come along, but I had no intention of stopping.

Pulling back from the deep kiss, Arys bit my bottom lip. It stung, and I felt the blood well up. Before it could fall, he’d already sucked it into his mouth. Running his tongue along the small wound, he watched me with a penetrating gaze.

I clung to him, trying to stay still so that I wouldn’t slide off the hood of the car. It was difficult with the mass of sensation that rocked my body. The public place combined with his actions and the fact that it was Arys, my greatest weakness, made the entire scenario positively mind blowing.

If I wasn’t already quite surprised and delighted, I certainly was when he dropped to his knees before me, burying his face between my thighs. With a hand on each of my hips, Arys wasted no time.

I threw my head back, resisting the urge to howl. The sky appeared dark overhead; the stars, near impossible to see though I knew that they were up there. The moans that broke from me grew louder with each movement of his skilled tongue.

I heard his name on my lips, mumbled and unintelligible. The bliss that rocked me was massive, almost too much. My entire body tensed and grasped desperately at both Arys and the car, hoping I wouldn’t slide off when my body melted into a puddle. One of my cries sounded like a pained scream, and I could only hope that nobody would hear it.

When Arys stood up and began to free himself from the confines of his jeans, I had to refocus my vision. Holy shit. Who would have thought that public nookie would be so damn good?

He pulled my rear end close to the edge of the car and held my upper body securely with one arm. We were looking directly into each other’s eyes when he entered me with a determined thrust.

I groaned as he shoved into me as if he couldn’t be bothered to start out slow. He watched my face with a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. Though it was primal and demanding, it was nothing like the crazy time on the kitchen table. There was love here. I could feel it in the way he held me close and peered into me and in the way he leaned in to nuzzle my neck.

The action was somewhat wolfish, and it brought a smile to my face. I held him close, my arms wrapped around his neck. I couldn’t move much to meet his thrusts, but something about that made it more exciting.

Just as I felt myself starting to slide off the hood, Arys hooked one of his arms beneath my leg, supporting my weight. It also gave him a better angle.

He slowed his pace, sliding as deep as possible in an achingly slow motion. It was the ultimate tease. This time when the orgasmic sensations began to build, it wasn’t as fast but it was just as intense. I hungered for the moment when the storm would crash over me, sending me spiraling into that perfect bliss.

The visual of Arys’s body and mine joining together increased the growing excitement. It quickly became too much, and I pleaded for him to take me faster.

Ever the control freak, Arys shook his head, a grin on his handsome face. If I didn’t know any better, I’d have thought the bastard wanted me to beg.

“Arys,” I practically hissed. “Please.”

He knew what I wanted. I didn’t have to say another word. He held out for just a moment, long enough to make me growl at him. Then he relinquished his hold on his personal control.

For a moment, I couldn’t even breathe as the earth seemed to shake all around us. There was a buzzing in my ears, almost deafening in volume. I realized it was the power we naturally called when together like this. If I could bottle that kind of power, I’d be a walking time bomb.

I held him tightly to me, unwilling to let go immediately. Every spasm was delightful as the sensations slowly subsided. I gasped for air, trying to catch my breath. I tried so hard to savor the moment. It wasn’t long before doubt crept in. Would Arys still make love to me like this after I killed his sire?

I banished the thought, refusing to allow anything to disrupt the heady afterglow we shared. I would deal with Arys’s reaction when the time came. Until then, it wasn’t worth my worry.

Chapter Seventeen

Cheesecake and coffee … was there anything quite so soothing? Well, maybe chocolate and liquor but the cheesecake ran a close second. I shoveled another forkful into my mouth and sighed. Delicious.

Kylarai and Shaz didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm for the rich dessert. They both stared at me as if I’d lost my mind. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen that expression on their faces, and I highly doubted it would be the last.

The three of us sat around the kitchen table at my place. I was finally starting to get used to thinking of it as mine. I’d Lysoled the hell out of the table, but I still blushed when I thought about what Arys and I had done there. It was our little secret.

“So, if you don’t want us to talk you out of this foolery, why are you telling us about it?” Kylarai asked, pointing at me accusingly with her fork. “So we can start writing your eulogy?”

“Nope.” I sipped my coffee and beamed a brilliant smile at Ky, receiving a half-assed glare in response. “I just wanted to tell you. You guys are my best friend and my mate. Would you really rather I not tell you? Just for the record, I’m not asking you to back me. I wouldn’t do that.”

“You couldn’t ask me not to,” Shaz spoke up, pinning me with a steely jade stare. His dessert plate sat empty before him. His crossed arms and stiff posture was only a slight indication of the wolf that paced within him.

I nodded knowingly. “I’d expected as much from you.” I had to smile. I adored my white wolf.

“If you’re really determined to kill Harley, really kill him, then I’m going to be there. That fucker bit me. If you’re going in to finish him, I want a piece of the action. And, as much as I hate to say this, I have to: What about Arys?”

I’d been pretty sure that Shaz wouldn’t protest the destruction of the vampire who’d been a royal pain in the ass since his arrival in town. The night Harley and Shaz had tangled was still crystal clear in my memory. When I saw Harley sink those deadly fangs into Shaz, I’d lost it. That’s when I had my shot. I could have killed him then. If Arys hadn’t stopped me… But, he wouldn’t this time.

“Arys doesn’t know. And, he’s not going to. Not until it’s already been done.” I took another bite of cake, paying extra close attention to how creamy and smooth it was as it virtually melted in my mouth. I didn’t take the time to appreciate things like this anymore. Such a shame.

“Wait,” Kylarai leaned forward on the table, her fork forgotten. “Isn’t there some risk to Arys by killing Harley? They’re bound. And more importantly, won’t he be super pissed?”

“It’s not going to take Arys out, too, if that’s what you mean. But, it’s highly likely that he’ll sense it the moment Harley goes. If he’s pissed, well, too bad. My every instinct tells me I have to do this. Arys stopped me once and regretted it. He’ll get over it. And, if he doesn’t, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Kylarai shook her head in disapproval, her brunette ponytail bouncing. “You’re in over your head, Lex. Harley owns The Wicked Kiss. What do you expect to happen with the nightclub? Not to mention the employees and clientele.”

“Well,” I drew the one word out, looking back and forth between the two of them. “That’s where the money Raoul left to me comes in handy. It’s also where you come in Ky. If you’re willing.”

I explained my plan to have Kale take over as owner, with me as a silent partner. Shaz nodded his approval while Kylarai continued to look grim.

“What do you want me to do?” She looked as if she expected me to drop a bomb on her.

“Nothing too drastic. Just hook me up with a lawyer that can make Kale’s take-over legal on paper.”

She pursed her lips and regarded me with a thoughtful expression. I waited patiently, my fork suspended in midair. I was hoping she could pull the legal strings. It was certainly not my domain of expertise.

“My office doesn’t handle that kind of thing.” With a sigh, she relented and added, “But, there is this one guy, a werewolf, in the city. I met him once at a convention. I could ask him about it.”

I beamed at her, delighted. “That’s all I ask. Thank you, Ky. I really appreciate this.”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t mention it. But, do you really think it’s a good idea to have Kale running that circus? He has enough issues, don’t you think?”

“I don’t think there is a better person for the job. He knows everything about that place. If anything, it will be good for him.” To Shaz I said, “I have a job for you, too, but it’s your call. When all is said and done, I’d like you to work some kind of security there. I need people I can trust monitoring who and what is coming and going in that place.”

“Count on it. I have nothing keeping me at Lucy’s Lounge. And, I’m eager to get my hands dirty.” A devilish grin spread across his features, reminding me that the boy I once knew was long gone.

“Not too dirty, I hope.”

“So when do we do this? Take out Harley.”

Shaz looked far too eager, but I couldn’t really blame him. He had his reasons almost as much as I did.

“Tomorrow night. I want it done fast, before either he or Arys have a chance to find out I’m planning it. It’s not always easy to keep Arys out of my head. I don’t want to risk him blowing this.”

Silence fell as we all mulled it over. I shoved my plate away, too full and too anxious to take another bite.

Ky stood up and began clearing the table even though I tried to make her leave the dishes. “So, have you thought about what you will do if Arys is at the Kiss when you arrive, or if he shows up?”

I hesitated. I knew it was a possibility, but I hadn’t planned for it. Ky was right. That could fuck up the entire scenario. Before I could open my mouth to reply, Shaz gave a short laugh.

“I’ll run interference. Arys won’t be a problem.”

“Oh no.” I shook my head vehemently. “The two of you brawling is not going to help me kill Harley. Bad idea.”

“You can trust me, Lex. I won’t start anything that can get out of control. I’ll just throw a few distractions at him.”

“No. I need you. I’ll have Jez come along in case he shows up. That’ll go over much better.”

Shaz frowned. I knew he wanted to protest, but he dropped the subject altogether, much to my relief. The discussion quickly died down. There was little more to say on the issue.

When Kylarai suggested a run outside of town, my wolf practically leaped for joy. Not only was it the best way to free both my body and mind, it also gave me a chance to sniff out Zoey. If I could track her down, I had every intention of finding out if I had it in me to get her back into a physical body.

* * * *

When the following night arrived, I was ready. I stared out the window, watching the sunset. I kept expecting the nerves to hit me, but I was rock steady. I’d woken up a few hours earlier ready to face the evening, maybe even a little eager. By the time this was over, Arys and I would finally discover where we stood with one another.

I reached into the pocket of my tight black jeans, lightly toying with the keys to Raoul’s Jaguar. It had sat in the garage for several months. Tonight I would be driving it to The Wicked Kiss. It would enable me to arrive a little more incognito than my bold red Charger would. I didn’t want to announce my presence any sooner than necessary.

I’d dressed for a fight: slim fitting jeans that I could still move well in and a sporty tank top. With my hair pulled back in a ponytail that reached my elbow, I felt good, ready to kick some ass. However, I didn’t intend to get any more physical with Harley than I had to. I’d spent hours before bed working on my focus and honing my control. Harley’s coaching had helped incredibly with envisioning my power and guiding it. He’d sealed his own fate in a way.

The banging and clanking of dishes in the kitchen reached me as Shaz moved about cleaning up after dinner. I’d had no appetite though I’d tried to eat. When this was all over, I’d likely be ready to devour a four-course meal.

One of my biggest concerns had been dealt with, all thanks to Kylarai. I had such amazing friends. She’d been able to reach her contact in the city and not only had he asked her to dinner, he’d also been more than willing to make Kale’s ownership legal. She’d agreed to the dinner as a means of saying thank you. I was crossing my fingers that it may lead to more, as long as he wasn’t a dirt bag like Julian.

If everything were going as planned, Jez would be getting to the Kiss any time now. She was going to play the role of vampire junkie and hang off Kale as if she was his donor of the night. As long as Arys didn’t show up, she wouldn’t have to do anything else. I was keeping my fingers crossed. Could I be so lucky?

I paced impatiently as the sun vanished from sight and darkness fell. When Shaz came in and wrapped his arms around me, I found it hard to relax into his embrace. He smelled faintly of steak and shampoo, scents that I associated with home and comfort. The sooner we got this over with, the sooner I could snuggle up with those lovely smells and entwine his warm body with mine.

I sighed and rubbed a hand along his arm. “Are you ready to get this show on the road?”

“I’m way ahead of you.”

The drive to the blood-junkie nightclub seemed to take less time than I remembered. I wasn’t afraid or nervous, but I wasn’t in a rush either. Shaz kept up a steady stream of small talk as I drove in silence. I think he was unsure of my mental state. I’d been quiet since waking, lost in the zone, where I needed to be to do this.

I glanced over at Shaz, admiring him despite my mind’s preoccupation. His white blond hair was tousled, appearing even whiter in contrast to his brilliant green wolf eyes. He was feeling the predator within, strong and commanding. He was dressed all in black, but casual wear, easy to move in.

I swore at the Jaguar when I accidentally ground the gears while shifting. My car had an internal clutch. I wasn’t used to this manual clutch work. Listening to the pricey car’s protests, I smiled, envisioning Raoul’s fury if he could see what I was doing to his prized automobile.

I pulled into the parking lot of The Wicked Kiss with an unintentional squeal of tires. It was empty except for two barely legal women strutting their way inside in breakneck stilettos. I knew it didn’t take long for vampire donors to become vampire wannabes. This place had spawned more than enough foolish donors turned vampire. I couldn’t wait to bring that to a stop.

We parked and headed for the door. We were going in through the front. I concentrated hard on shielding my energy. I didn’t want Harley to sense me until I was ready to blow him apart. I couldn’t assume it would be as easy as I was picturing it. I was keeping my fingers crossed though. Good Lord, please don’t let this backfire on me.

The bouncer at the door didn’t stop me, knowing better by now. The woman taking cover charge gaped at me when I breezed by with Shaz at my side, but the bouncer waved away her protest.

A wave of relief washed over me when I spied Kale and Jez sitting at his usual table. I was torn, uncertain if I should approach them or not. Shaz took the lead and strolled casually over to them, so I followed along with a lingering glance at the patrons littering the place.

“He hasn’t come out front yet tonight.” Kale skipped the greeting and launched into the important stuff. “He usually does after he’s had his fill of eager youth. Then he leaves and goes God knows where. This is the best chance you’ll get all night.”

“Good, I’m going in then.” To Shaz I said, “Wait here. Give me ten minutes or so before following. If we both burst in on him, it’ll get ugly faster than I’d like.”

“Alexa.” Shaz shook his head at me, clearly not liking my plan. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”

“Of course. Don’t question me now, Shaz. I don’t need you planting doubts in my head.” I was primed and ready. I didn’t want to hear anything that could ruin my state of mind.

Jez listened to our exchange, but her eyes were constantly moving, watching the building carefully. She gave me a dismissive wave, telling me just to go. She was right. I shouldn’t waste time standing around. I kissed Shaz quickly before heading for the black curtain behind the bar.

I didn’t allow thoughts to form. I focused on putting one foot in front of the other and nothing else as I moved fast with silence and stealth. I tapped the power inside me, calling it forth in full force. Where it had once quickly overwhelmed me, it now felt right as it flowed through me with a heady mix of vampire and werewolf. Though I wasn’t one-hundred-percent sure I could control it if it went wild, I was willing to find out.

A few girls lingered in the hall outside a closed door, eyeing me curiously as I swept past. My sensitive ears picked up one girl’s whispered comment that my hair color had to be from a box. It so wasn’t. She’s lucky I couldn’t be bothered to flip over such petty, trivial shit.

The few lights in the dim hallway flicked as I strode past. One of them blinked out completely. My excitement grew as I drew closer to Harley’s door at the end of the long hall. My mind played out visions of blasting the door right off its hinges. The thought was encouraging, and I could only imagine the look on Harley’s face were I to do it.

I was half-assed toying with the idea of trying it, pleased with myself, when the door swung open just as I reached it. My big plan died as Harley stared at me with a combination of intrigue and annoyance on his rugged face.

All I knew was that I couldn’t allow him to get a word out or move a muscle. I envisioned the spiraling psi ball in my hand and let it fly all in the space of a heartbeat. It exploded against his chest with a bright gold flash. The impact took him off his feet, throwing him against the far wall.

I didn’t give him a chance to get up, hitting him again and again with blasts of power that burned my hands with their intensity. Smoke rose up from Harley’s body, and I focused hard, envisioning him bursting into flames. It didn’t happen.

He got to his feet in one smooth leap, coming at me with a monstrous glint in his eyes. His hand vibrated as he called his power. I threw up an energy circle around me for protection, hoping it was enough.

“I wondered how long it would take before you tried something this stupid,” he snarled at me, his face, an ugly mask of twisted features and hate.

He let the power he held fly, and it hit my barrier hard enough to shake it seriously. Thankfully, it held, but it wouldn’t hold for long if he kept battering it like that. I was ready to retaliate, but in order to do so, I had to drop my circle.

“I’m not here to exchange words with you. You’ve overstayed your welcome in my city.”

I dropped my circle and sent another metaphysical attack his way. In the same breadth of time, he did as well. The two opposing shots collided in a thunderous shower of sparks. The sound it made was deafening, and I resisted the urge to cover my ears.

I was faintly aware of the young woman cowering on the edge of Harley’s bed. Clad in only a skimpy nighty, she clutched a blanket to her and watched us with terror in her eyes. I’d probably saved her from a horrific death by arriving when I had. I didn’t expect a word of thanks though.

Harley didn’t throw another blast as I expected. Instead, his eyes glazed over, and he stared at me with an eerie intent. I wasn’t sure what to do, fumbling to stay in control and commanding of the power that rode me. He was working up to something, and it would be ugly.

I took advantage of his inaction, again launching a psi ball the size of my head directly at him. My guts twisted with a sick sensation when he caught it in his hand, absorbing my power into him. Oh, fuck.

“You’re an awful student, Alexa.” He grinned, his steady stare never wavering. “All offense and no thought. Instincts may guide you as a wolf, but now you’re playing a vampire’s game. Poorly, I might add.”

A burning pain started in my core, spreading quickly throughout my limbs. I wasn’t sure what his intention was, but it hurt. I tried to concentrate on the pain, to shove it out of me. It wasn’t working. The pain continued to increase until my legs shook, and my knees grew weak.

“Oh, fuck you,” I gasped out, at a loss for words. Whatever he was doing, it was going to kill me if I didn’t stop him.

Harley scoffed. “Such class you have. You make it easy to do this without regret. By the time I’m done with you, there won’t be enough of you left to rise again as a vampire.”

I struggled to gather my power close around me, to form another attack. As my pain grew, my hold on my power slipped away. How could I have been so self-assured to underestimate him like this? I would have felt like a fool if I hadn’t been stricken with fear as my breath restricted. My chest tightened, and I gasped for air.

I’d really believed I could rampage in here and take him out. The bastard had lived several of my lifetimes. I was out of my league.

My wolf fought to break free of my human shell, insisting it was the only way. I didn’t want to shift, fearing it would put me at a disadvantage. I wouldn’t have the same access to my metaphysical abilities. However, focusing on the beast pacing inside me eased the pain Harley was inflicting. I could do this. I wasn’t down for the count yet.

I managed to draw a shaky breath. I wondered why he hadn’t finished me already. Either he wanted to drag this out, or he couldn’t do it as easily as he made it appear.

It was all about my focus and guiding the energy to do what I wanted it to do, classic energy manipulation with a supernatural touch. I could do this. I had to. Harley’s smug face smirking at me drove my fury, in turn driving my strength. I stayed on my feet and fought back the pain’s threat on my concentration. I could take a little pain. I had before.

“Why haven’t you killed me already?”

“What? And rush through the fun part?”

A low growl spilled through my lips, my fangs were suddenly there, long and dangerous. A psi ball formed in hands that were tipped with vicious claws. If metaphysical means weren’t going to work, I’d have to settle for tearing him apart the good, old-fashioned way.

Harley shifted slightly, and I felt the pressure on my insides increase. What in the frickin’ hell was he trying to do to me? Did I really want to know?

He was clearly waiting for me to take my shot. I didn’t want him to absorb it again. I needed to catch him off guard somehow. Before I could make a firm decision, the sound of silent paws breaking into a run reached us, and Shaz leaped through the doorway with a snap of jaws.

Shaz was a blur of white as he launched through the air, crashing into Harley with both front paws solidly against the vampire’s chest. They went down hard, Shaz atop Harley snarling and snapping. It all happened so fast my eyes could barely keep up with what I was seeing.

I hadn’t expected Shaz to appear in wolf form but he’d clearly been thinking ahead. Blood sprayed in a crimson fountain, and I rushed forward to see that it came from Harley’s torn throat. Shaz hadn’t been messing around. Shaz’s fangs were still deeply embedded as Harley thrashed beneath him, beating uselessly at his attacker.

Shaz ripped away enough flesh to expose bone and other not so pleasant things. It wouldn’t be enough to kill a vampire, though it had successfully disabled him. I had to finish Harley now before he gathered his wits and defended himself.

A sickening gurgle came from Harley as he attempted to speak. His eyes were wide and wild, landing on me with accusation in their dark depths. I nodded and smiled grimly. Arys was so much to me, part of me in so many ways. Yet, when it came to doing what needed to be done, Shaz and I fit like two pieces of a puzzle. I knew then that no matter what happened, if I were to rise one day as a vampire because of my blood bond with Arys, I would always be a wolf first.

The power that crackled through me surged with a renewed strength now that Harley’s hold on me had been broken. I looked down at the flailing vampire, watching as Shaz bit deep and released him just to bite again. The pitiful blows Harley landed against my white wolf grew weaker. I felt it when he reached for the energy he held, forcing it into Shaz with a sudden jolt that caused him to jump back with a yelp.

I stepped closer then, placing a booted foot across Harley’s destroyed throat. I leaned down and lightly touched a hand to either side of his face. I knew how to finish him. I met his eyes with an unwavering gaze. I felt the shift within me that indicated I now looked out through eerie blue eyes rather than my own brown ones. I let the power wash over me into the struggling vampire at my feet, and I watched as it stormed through him with only one intent.

The buzzing in my ears grew louder though my effort became eased, fluid and natural. He tried to use his power on me; I felt nothing. I was in command now, and nothing he threw at me broke through the steady feed I had going.

In my mind, I saw Harley’s destruction. I saw his heart burst and his body turn to ash. Then, it happened.

Blood began to pour forth from Harley’s mouth and his black eyes became red with it. Elation flooded me, bringing a genuine smile to my face. Harley’s hands grabbed at me, but he was weak. It was futile. The moment his heart burst, I could feel it as if I’d squeezed it with my bare hands. I pulled back on my assault. He was going now, and I wanted to take as much of his remaining power as I could before he was ashes.

It was too late. Before I could focus on draining what was left of him, his body shuddered and then exploded beneath me into flames. I jumped back, shocked and curious. I’d never seen that before when killing a vampire.

The fire quickly simmered down until nothing remained but a smoldering pile of ash and bone. My eyes met Shaz’s, and he came to me, nuzzling my hand with his wet nose. I slumped down to the floor and leaned heavily against him.

We did it. Harley Kayson was good and dead. Yet, as I stared at the remains of my dark vampire’s sire, a chill stole over me, and I prayed that I wouldn’t live to regret this night.

Chapter Eighteen

Searing pain shot through my skull, blurring my vision as I struggled to stay upright. I reached out, grasping at the wall, finding nothing to hold onto. Shaz had gone on ahead to where he’d left his clothes after we’d chased out Harley’s intended victim and closed the door to his room. I was alone in the hall as the excruciating pain overwhelmed me. The faintest murmur of sound reached me from the closest room, and I fought down the urge to shriek, not wanting to draw attention after what we’d just done.

It was Arys. His ice-cold power chilled me to the bone as he battered at my mental block. Good news traveled fast. Shit!

I had no choice but to drop the mental barrier. Fighting him could prove deadly, judging by the insane amount of pain he was inflicting on me with his insistence. I let the wall between us drop and was instantly assaulted by a flurry of angry emotion.

‘What have you done?’ Arys’s voice slammed into my brain with enough force to leave me gasping for breath. His evident fury was scorching hot.

‘I did what had to be done. What you would never do.’ I wasn’t so ignorant as to be fearless. I knew Arys was capable of destroying me but I refused to apologize for this. I had given both Harley and Arys a chance, and instead of playing nice, they’d opted to run rampant like they had in the good ol’ days. Well, those days were over.

‘Why? How? How did you do this?’ Arys’s thoughts were coming hard and fast. His confusion was clear, and the emotional pain he tried to withhold from me instilled the first pang of guilt.

‘You know how I did it. I had the power to do so, and I did it. It had to be done. I’m sorry, Arys.’

He was gone. I half expected some kind of slamming door inside my mind, but he slipped away without a painful exit. My eyes filled with tears, but I wouldn’t let them fall. Blinking them back, I held my head high and continued down the hall.

I figured that he was now on his way. I had to gather myself, get my head together before he showed. It wouldn’t be long.

Shaz met me at the end of the hall, near the doorway that led back into the main bar. He was just tugging his t-shirt over his head. Blood stained his face, Harley’s blood. The first thought that flashed through my mind was that I wanted to lick the crimson smears, to taste Harley as Shaz had. I wouldn’t do it though.

Our eyes met, and Shaz’s victorious smile fell. “He already knows, doesn’t he?”

I nodded, forcing myself to breathe deeply. “Yeah. He must have felt it. He gave me a hell of a headache by smashing his way into my mind. I can only assume he’s on his way. Better be ready.”

“I’m not going to let him hurt you, Lex.” Shaz’s jaw clenched, and there was a fire burning behind his green eyes. After killing Harley, he was ready for anything. Absolutely fearless.

“You’re going to back off and keep your cool.” I meant business, and I wanted Shaz to know it. “I’ll deal with Arys. He’s going to be livid. You getting in his face will make things go from bad to totally ape shit. Please … trust me on this.”

Shaz stared at me, a hard, stubborn glint in his eyes. He didn’t want to let me call the shots here, but he had no choice. Arys was my area of expertise, not his.

“I won’t be far. And, I won’t hesitate to intervene.”

That was as good as I was going to get from him. It would have to be enough. I didn’t have much time. I needed to warn Jez and Kale. Arys would most likely only have a beef with me. As long as he left my friends alone, I could handle him.

“Stay near Harley’s room,” I told Shaz. “I don’t want anyone finding what’s left of him. I need to find out how many employees knew who they were working for.”

I left Shaz in the back hall with his arms crossed and his gaze narrowed. I wasn’t enjoying this any more than he was. The bartender glanced up at me when I came back through the velvet curtain, but he quickly turned his attention back to the drink he was mixing.

Kale and Jez had their eyes on me the moment I came into view. Kale looked anxious while Jez simply looked expectant as she sipped from a bright blue cocktail.

“Done deal?” She asked when I slipped into the booth seat beside her.

“Yes. And no. He’s dead alright, a pile of ashes. I expect Arys to show any time now.” A waitress paused near our table, asking if we’d like anything else. Jez ordered another fruity drink, and I ordered a triple shot of Jack Daniels on the rocks. I needed it.

When the waitress had moved on to the next table, I continued. “I’ll handle Arys. But Kale, I need to know who all knows Harley here. And, how many knew that he was the big boss man behind this circus?”

Kale’s contrasting eyes strayed from the main entry to the black curtain and back again. His nervous energy teased my senses, as it often did.

“Anyone human wouldn’t know, and if they did it would only be because he’d fed from them. I’d guess that only a few people know. He wasn’t here much until the last few months.”

Harley was primarily a Vegas vamp. He’d only abandoned Sin City to come here and get a taste of me. His mistake.

“Alright, good. Try to get your hands on the books, find out how people get paid here and where it comes from. You’re in charge now, and if anyone has a problem with that, there are legal documents to back that up. And, if that’s not good enough for them, we take them out.” I wasn’t going to take any shit from anyone who got the dumb idea into his or her thick skull to defend Harley’s death, not even Arys.

Kale nodded once, his expression deadly serious. I felt reassured, knowing I was leaving The Wicked Kiss in the right hands. This place had been spawning vampires, murdering donors and Lord only knew what else. I wasn’t entirely sure how the club would give me leverage in the future, but I knew it would. If nothing else, maintaining control of it would give Kale and even me a little added security.

The waitress returned with our drinks, and I took a long swallow. The strong whiskey burned a path down my throat, and I savored the sensation. The tingle of the alcohol in my bloodstream was welcome, but it wasn’t as calming as I’d hoped.

“Are you afraid?” Jez asked, startling me with her question. “I mean, aren’t you concerned about Arys? The guy is always ready to tear off heads. Do you think your bond is strong enough? Stronger than his bond with Harley?”

I took another sip from my glass, listening to the clink of the ice cubes. “I really don’t know. I guess I’ll find out.”

“And, if things get out of control, if he tries to hurt you? What do you want us to do?” Her brilliant green cat eyes studied me. I saw how she noted my every move, from the anxious way that I tossed my ponytail to the needy way I gripped my glass of JD.

I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. I didn’t want to drag anyone else into this, especially if Arys came in here with murderous intentions.

“I don’t know. Let me handle it. If he tries to kill me or something, jump in. But, don’t do anything to put yourself at risk. I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. I warned him this would happen. He didn’t listen.”

I felt restless and nervous. I couldn’t sit still, so when I’d finished my drink, I excused myself and went up to the bar for another. I barely even tasted the golden liquid as I drained a second glass of whiskey. My heart thrummed in my ears, and my senses were on full alert, waiting to feel that cold presence steal into the building.

I felt it internally first. A chill crept through me, and I glanced around, combating the fear that threatened. I wasn’t afraid of Arys. I wasn’t, dammit!

Though he couldn’t cloak himself from me completely, he did a damn good job of it. I turned to step away from the bar, and he was just suddenly there, looming before me. His blue eyes instantly put me on guard. The irises bled across the whites, obliterating them. Wolf eyes. My personal power shone in him like a beacon in the darkness. It was both breathtaking and horrifying.

I opened my mouth as if to speak, to plead with him for understanding. However, my breath was choked off when he grabbed me around the throat with one strong hand, slamming me back against the bar.

Arys brought his face close to mine, our cheeks pressed together as he snarled one word. “Why?”

The bartender behind us carried on his business as if he saw this kind of thing every night, which he likely did. I could feel the eyes of both Jez and Kale on us, but thankfully, neither moved to intervene. I said a silent prayer that Shaz wouldn’t appear from his place in the back hallway just yet.

I shook my head furiously from side to side, cursing myself when blood tears welled up in my eyes. Arys bared his fangs and repeated the word, though I didn’t think he really expected an answer. His hand on my throat shook with rage, but I sensed something else beneath the surface of his being. Pain.

He pulled back enough to fix with me a furious gaze. He loosened his hold enough so that I could breathe but made no move to release me.

“Come on Arys, you know why. Don’t tell me you never saw it coming.”

“I guess I should have. This isn’t the first time you’ve betrayed me recently.” Cocking his head to one side, he looked me over from head to toe and breathed deeply of my scent. “I suppose some of this is my fault. If I wasn’t such a sucker for you, the power and that magic pussy, maybe it wouldn’t have come to this.”

The wolf inside me rose to the surface, and I bared fangs that were far deadlier than his. I blinked away the crimson tears and gripping his wrist, jerked his hand from my throat with enough force to bring a smile to his sensual lips. He wanted me to fight back. I knew this. Yet, it was my instinct. I couldn’t deny the need to defend myself. I was nobody’s bitch.

“Remember who you’re talking to,” I snapped. “I’m not a vampire junkie that exists solely for your pleasure, Arys. I was ready and willing to kill the man that made me what I am. I was denied. That didn’t mean I couldn’t kill the one that made you what you are. Deal with it.”

Arys held his hands up in mock surrender, smirking in a self-righteous manner that made me itch to slap him. Despite his evil, villain-style grin, he was seriously pissed off. I could feel it oozing from him like molten acid. I wouldn’t get out of this without a few nasty burns. So be it.

“Forgive me. I forgot that I was dealing with the spoiled little werewolf that seems to think killing her own kind doesn’t make her a hypocrite. How thoughtless of me.”

I was fuming, and he knew it. In fact, he loved it. I curled my clawed hands as if to make a fist but I couldn’t. I succeeded only in cutting into the palms of my hands.

“And, just what is my kind?” I struggled to keep my voice calm. Draining the last of my glass, I motioned to the bartender for a refill. “I’m more than a werewolf and yet not quite a vampire. Got any answers? Oh, that’s right. No. You don’t. You like it better when I’m in the dark and easily manipulated.”

I tossed a few bills on the bar and accepted the refilled glass, not once taking my eyes from Arys. I knew better than to turn away from a vampire carrying a grudge.

In a blur of speed, his arm shot out, grabbing my empty hand. There was no gentleness to him when he brought it to his mouth and slowly licked the bloody cuts in my palm. My wolf was ready to tear him to pieces, but the woman inside me still quivered at his seductive touch. And, I hated him for it.

“Where is he?” Arys’s tone was ice cold.

“You mean what’s left of Harley? In his room. Unless he’s been vacuumed up by now. Then he’s right where he belongs. In the trash out back.”

With a growl, Arys tightly gripped my wrist and dragged me through the velvet curtain. Shaz was pacing at the far end of the hall outside Harley’s door. His head came up fast when he sensed us coming. I shook my head and gave him a look, hoping he’d understand and stay calm.

Arys stormed past him, shoving through the closed door. He came to a dead stop near Harley’s ashes still holding tightly to me. I watched as he took in the room, the burn in the carpet and what remained of his sire. I felt the first pang of guilt try to take hold of me, and I pulled away from him.

For some reason, I felt the need to explain, to make things better. The pain Arys fought back cut through me like a knife. I felt overwhelmed by his emotion, as if my heart were breaking, too. I’d never considered that killing Harley would emotionally wound me through our bond. Hurting Arys hadn’t been part of this. It was about eliminating someone that had to be stopped.

“Arys … I didn’t do this to hurt you. This was about him, not you. I’m sorry.”

He spun to face me, so fast it surprised me, and I stumbled back a step. The bastard actually shoved me so that my back hit the wall behind me, knocking the breath from me. Shaz was instantly there, swinging at the bold vampire. With the flick of his wrist, Arys took him down with a blast of power, not once looking at Shaz as he did so.

“Don’t!” I shrieked. “This is between us. You leave him out of this unless you want to end up just like your precious sire.”

I hated myself as soon as the words spilled from me, but I couldn’t take them back. I’d uttered the worst threat possible, said something that cut too deep to heal with a word. As Arys and I faced off, staring into one another not as lovers now but as enemies, I had to ask myself, what had I become?

Arys’s expression didn’t change but something inside him did. I felt it.

“You’re threatening to destroy me, too, Alexa? If I was going to kill your wolf, I would have done so months ago. Do you even know me at all?”

My lower lip trembled, and I bit it hard, tasting blood. “I thought I did. Before all of this nonsense started. Now, I don’t know what to think.”

Shaz picked himself up but remained at a distance, watching pensively. The room was thick with tension and unspoken words. I didn’t know what to say. I just wanted to make everything ok again.

Arys had me pressed against the wall, his body holding mine firmly. It was both threatening and sexual, causing my wolf to protest in confusion. Since I didn’t know what to say or do, I rambled like an idiot.

“Kale is taking over the club. I already pulled the legal strings necessary. I’m not letting any more bullshit go on here. It’s over. No more vampire spawn.”

“Is that all you wanted? Don’t you think there was another way? How could you do this to me?” In a sudden burst of anger, Arys grabbed the whiskey glass from my hand and threw it so it smashed against the far wall.

I expected him to throw me next. So when he shook me so my teeth rattled, I braced for my flight. It didn’t happen. As if the entire scenario wasn’t already completely fucked up, it quickly rose to a whole new level when Arys backed away, his eyes filling with blood red tears.

Shaz subtly moved to the doorway, turning his back on us to create the illusion of privacy. Arys sat heavily on the end of the bed, staring at what little remained of Harley. Twin drops of blood streaked their way down his alabaster cheeks, cutting me deeper than I’d dreamed possible.

I stood where I was against the wall, frozen and fearful that if I moved or spoke, I would just do more damage. I didn’t regret killing Harley, and I wouldn’t take it back if I could. Regardless, seeing my dark vampire broken in a way I could never have imagined, I regretted that.

Arys wiped away the tears before another could fall. His pain lived inside of me, as surely as it was in him. It wasn’t so different from what I’d felt after Raoul died. I’d lost a man that I both loathed and loved, and now, so had Arys.

Common sense told me to leave him alone, but love drove me to my knees before him. I took a chance, knowing he may push me away. I took his hand, bringing it to my face. It was cool and smooth. This hand had touched me in many ways, aggressively and intimately with care. I wasn’t sure I knew how to love someone like Arys. I just knew that I did.

My voice was barely a whisper. “I’m sorry.”

I wasn’t apologizing for my actions but for his pain. I felt helpless, knowing that I was the cause and unable to take it away.

After a long silent moment, Arys shook his head. “Don’t be. You’re right. I should have let you kill him the first time you had the chance.”

We both knew that though his words carried truth, he didn’t entirely believe them. I said nothing. What more could I say?

I’d watched once as a man ceased to love me the way I longed for him to love me. My stomach turned, sick at the thought of Arys pulling away from me like that. What’s done was done. If this destroyed what he felt for me, I’d have no choice but to live with it. For eternity.

Chapter Nineteen

The wild young vampire fell at my feet, bursting into dust. I didn’t feel nearly as satisfied as I had hoped. Another one spawned by The Wicked Kiss, now unable to wreak havoc on the city I claimed as my own. These newborn vampires were running amok, thanks to Harley and those that called the Kiss home. Jez, Kale and I had been tracking them down and wiping them out one by one. Easy kills, lacking creativity and challenge.

Tonight the three of us had nabbed four of them. I had to shake my head at the waste of life. Though, we couldn’t turn away and allow the bloodlust to drive them to slaughtering innocents in the streets. I knew that hunger well, and a newborn vampire had little to no control over the urge. I could barely control my own.

“These kills are just too easy,” Kale commented from behind me. “Doesn’t it make you long for the rush of one that really gets you going?”

I shrugged and wiped at the blood spatters on my face and clothes. “It did at first. Now, I just want to be done with them all.”

I hadn’t seen or heard from Arys in almost two weeks. Every night that came and went was like another nail in the coffin. I couldn’t accept what it meant. I just couldn’t. Harley’s death haunted me. It lingered like a bad scent or a painful memory. I couldn’t escape it because it had cost me Arys.

“Let’s go for drinks.” Jez approached, a bloody stake in her hand. “I’m buying.”

It was tempting. Drowning my sorrows in a bottle of whiskey was right up my alley. It was also false comfort. Still, Shaz was working his last night at Lucy’s Lounge, and my house was empty. Why not?

“What did you have in mind?” I looked from Jez to Kale, an eyebrow raised in expectation.

“Let’s hit the casino for shits and giggles. I bet Kale can find himself a drunken young thing to play with. We’ll get loaded, win some or lose some, and wake up with a hell of a hangover.” Jez put her arm around me, steering me toward Kale’s Camaro at the end of the block.

Two hours later, I’d lost two hundred bucks and won a pathetic twenty. It wasn’t looking good for me. I allowed Jez to drag me from the slot machines to the craps table. I followed her lead, having no idea of what I was doing. My biggest concern at that point was the waitress and my next drink.

I watched as Jez won more money than I’d even dared to gamble. Kale lingered near the blackjack table, occasionally trying his hand. He didn’t seem to be doing any better than I was. I became convinced that Jez was stealing our thunder.

She was so caught up in her winning streak, she didn’t even notice when we took our leave from gambling and moved to watch the cover band that played a series of top 40 songs. I certainly had no problem letting her foot the bill for the evening. Even though a part of me couldn’t stop thinking about Arys, wondering where he was and what he was doing, I felt content to be out with my friends attempting to have a good time.

I was more than a little tipsy but not to the point of raging drunk. I let Kale order me another drink as we listened to the clang of slot machines all around us. The flashing lights and loud people were both annoying and welcome.

“So,” Kale began after a few minutes had passed. “How are you really doing? You’re so good at putting up a strong front, but you can’t be without feeling.”

“I’m existing.” I heard the words spoken in my voice, but they didn’t feel like mine. “Does it hurt that Arys is MIA? Hell yeah. But, can I do anything about it? No. He’ll come around when he’s ready or maybe he won’t and that’s that. It’s over.”

Kale leaned closer so as not to have to raise his voice quite so loudly over the music. His scent filled me, but my wolf lay quiet, taking no interest in him. It was always the vampire coiled like a snake in my soul that thrilled at Kale’s close proximity. I sighed and ignored the unbidden thoughts that danced in my head.

“Arys left town over a week ago. Please tell me you had some idea. I don’t want to be the first to tell you.”

I met Kale’s eyes, finding sympathy and hating it. I wasn’t an emotional charity case. I searched the dance floor before us, watching a young couple gyrate to a recent hit song. Anything to divert my attention from that look Kale was giving me.

Of course, I hadn’t known Arys skipped town, but the thought had occurred to me many times. Shaz had tried to assure me the vampire wouldn’t do that, but I knew his reassurance was false, as had he.

“I’ve had my suspicions, but you’ve just confirmed it for me.” I cast a sidelong glance at my vampire companion then. “Funny how you and Arys rarely interact, and yet you know so much about each other.”

“Oh?” Kale raised a brow, looking uncertain. “Why do you say that?”

I thought back to Arys telling me that Kale was in love with me. He’d been so sure of it. I debated keeping it to myself. Kale was family though. We definitely had our odd moments. Good Lord, he’d almost screwed me on my own desk, but he was a true friend regardless of anything else. I knew that.

“He told me that you’re in love with me.” I forced myself to meet his eyes when I said it. I felt the blush that stole over me, my cheeks growing hot. I didn’t say another word about it, simply left that statement to linger between us amid the constant clang of jackpots being won and money being dropped into slots.

Kale’s gaze dropped, and it was in his sudden inability to look me in the eyes that I knew Arys had been right.

The band came to the end of a fast song, launching into a slower melody that had dancers coupling up. I was vaguely reminded of school dances back in junior high. A song like this would drive girls and boys to the opposite sides of the gym. It was so different in adulthood.

The warmth of Kale’s hand was startling as he slipped his fingers between mine. He said nothing, merely flashed me a soft smile and tugged me onto the dance floor. I barely had time to abandon my drink before he pulled me into his arms.

I felt awkward in his embrace. I couldn’t find my rhythm, and I felt like a total fool stumbling along with him. He held me so that our bodies touched, and I cringed when my heart raced, knowing he would sense it.

Drawing my arms up around his neck, he leaned close and murmured, “Relax.”

Calm swept through me, followed by the awareness that he was doing it, manipulating my energy with his. Gradually, I began to move with him to the music in a fluid, natural motion. Kale’s energy taunted me, enticing my hunger for his power as it often did. I had more control now. It tempted, but it didn’t command my attention.

He held me protectively, the way friends do before they become lovers. I don’t think Kale knew how much I appreciated him. He was one person I didn’t doubt I could count on no matter what. That kind of friendship was priceless. I wouldn’t let anything change that.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” I dared to lay my head on his shoulder, ignoring the itch to sink fangs into his pale throat. “I hope you find someone as amazing as you are. You deserve it.”

His response was to tighten his hold on me, pressing closer. He said nothing, but I knew he’d heard me. I couldn’t keep doing this. It wasn’t fair to Kale that I sought solace in him when Arys left me hanging. It wasn’t right that he allowed me to.

I longed to shove the storm of emotions deep down inside me. I didn’t want to feel tonight. Everything from love to anger and pain, even guilt, I just wanted to escape it all, but doing so in Kale’s arms was not the way. It was too easy. More importantly, it was wrong.

Knowing that, I still let him press a warm kiss to my temple. I didn’t stop him when he tipped my head up and pressed his lips to mine in a gentle gesture. However, Kale knew better than to take it too far. The kiss was nice but chaste. It ended as quickly as it started. He really was a terrific friend.

After a second slow song, the band picked up the tempo and launched into something faster. Jez bounded up to us with a grin from ear to ear. She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the center of the dance floor, motioning for Kale to join us.

“I won two thousand bucks, baby!” She shrilled. “And, I got the number of the hot redheaded waitress. It’s a good night.”

I smiled, genuinely happy for her. “That’s kick ass, Jez. Watch out for those redheads. I hear they’re a feisty bunch.” I flashed her a wink and couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. It was infectious.

Kale looked hilariously out of place in the midst of a crowd of people dancing to a trendy new song. I laughed so hard at the look on his face, and it felt so good to do so. I wasn’t surprised when he offered to go get us drinks. He’d have done anything to get off the dance floor.

He blew us a teasing kiss and disappeared from sight, leaving us to lose ourselves in the music and the people surrounding us. I gladly followed Jez’s lead and focused on nothing but the music, my friends and having a good time.

I knew that come morning, nothing would have changed. Arys would still be gone. I would still feel like it was my fault, and I’d still be out the money I’d lost tonight. For now, however, nothing mattered but the music and the freedom of letting the rest go. If only for tonight.

* * * *

My darkened bedroom greeted me when I opened my eyes late the following afternoon. It was certainly a major benefit of choosing the downstairs bedroom for my own. It had been vampire friendly for those times Arys stayed over, and with my primarily nocturnal hours, it was perfect.

I’d expected a throbbing headache to assail me upon awakening. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I felt pretty good after partying with Kale and Jez until just before sunrise. I took my time stretching before rolling out of bed and reaching for my robe. The large house was quiet, empty, but I expected Shaz to come by sometime this evening.

With a yawn, I pushed my tousled hair back from my face and headed upstairs to the kitchen. My focus was on the coffee pot on the counter, and I frowned when I realized I’d forgotten to make coffee and set the timer before going to bed. Then I saw it, the large black shape looming outside the patio door.

Adrenaline slammed through me, far too strong and sudden for having just woken up. It took me a moment to recognize the ebony wolf staring in at me with crystalline blue eyes: Zoey Roberts.

I stared at her long and hard, my tired brain scrambling to make sense of what I was seeing. It was surreal, seeing her sitting there on the other side of the glass that she and I had both crashed through, thanks to Arys. I remembered that night as if it were yesterday. I’d stood by helplessly while she killed Raoul, her own father. It was all so fucked up, yet here she was.

I took a tentative step toward the patio door, hesitant to open it. I didn’t fear her in the least. If she’d come, it was because she had accepted my offer. Perhaps it was time for both of us to let the past go. We’d loved and hated the same man, albeit in different ways and with different reasons. Now, he was gone, and we were still here.

I reached for the door but paused, caution reminding me that I was alone. Though I wasn’t afraid, it was better to be safe than sorry. I went to the phone and called Kylarai, leaving a message on her voice mail to come by when she had a chance. Shaz would be here soon. I was safe.

Zoey didn’t move the entire time, she merely peered at me with those amazing blue wolf eyes. Again, I was reminded of how much she resembled her father. Only those eyes set them apart.

The click of the lock on the sliding door was loud in the silence of the large house. Only when I began to slide the door open did Zoey move. She lowered her head and slowly backed a few feet away. She was being submissive, trying to show me that she meant no harm.

Regardless, I was ready for her if she tried anything. I had enough power ready to down her in one blast if it came to that. I opened the door just enough so that I could slip out onto the patio with her.

I felt awkward. Of all the people in my life, Zoey was unlike any other. I really didn’t know what to say to her. We couldn’t just stand there and stare at each other. I glanced to the left and right, finding neither of my neighbors out in their backyard. Definitely a good thing.

We stared anxiously at one another, me with uncertainty and her with quiet complacency. I took a deep breath, hoping she was coherent in there. I had to assume so.

“Zoey … I’m glad you came. Obviously, your speech is limited so let’s just cut to the chase. If you came here because you want to be back in your human body, turn in a circle.” I shrugged, knowing how stupid that sounded. Still, I had to know we understood each other.

She gave me a long, lingering look. I imagined she was thinking what a dumb ass bitch I was. Oh well. After a moment, she turned in a slow circle, sitting so that she faced me again, her head tilted to one side.

Something in her gaze, an irritation, told me she wasn’t happy with having to come to me. However, she didn’t have any other options. After spending six months trapped in wolf form, she had to be more than ready to be rid of it.

“Ok,” I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest. “You can come inside. I don’t need the neighbors seeing a wolf in my backyard. But, don’t try anything, or I’ll lay you out cold. And, bear with me. I’ll do my best, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

I opened the sliding door, indicating that she should go first. I noted how she hesitated. Her eyes strayed to the pane of glass in remembrance. We’d both been thrown through it. I relived that memory, too. I couldn’t say I blamed her for never forgetting.

When we were inside, I shut the door and pulled the curtain closed. I quickly set about making coffee, needing my caffeine fix. I said nothing to Zoey while it brewed, moving about the kitchen while she watched me with cold eyes. I could feel her judging me. The energy rolling off her grew heated, furious. Finally, I slammed my coffee mug on the counter and spun to face her.

“Look, I know what you’re thinking. This house rightfully belongs to me now. He left it to me. Ok? Besides, he left you a load of cash. So stop thinking whatever awful things you’re thinking about me. Either we find neutral ground or you leave. I don’t have to help you. I’m doing this for Raoul.”

I downed my first cup of coffee in a few swallows. I couldn’t get the caffeine in my bloodstream fast enough. Pouring a second cup, I steeled my nerves and tried to get in the right zone to do this. A flurry of fearful thoughts flashed through my mind. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I failed or made it worse somehow? Only one way to find out.

I didn’t entirely know what I was doing, but I relied on the wisdom Harley had shared with me to guide me. I had nothing else to go by.

Clearing my mind of all thoughts, I sat down on the floor a few feet from the black wolf. I envisioned her as I remembered her, the last time I saw her as human. I tapped the waiting power in my core, letting it flow through me. It grew in strength, encompassing me in a heady rush that pushed the boundaries of my control.

Zoey stared at me expectantly. She was patient though, allowing me the time I needed to concentrate. The vampire and werewolf power flowed into one sensational stream of energy, growing fast until it was bigger than I was. I reached for Zoey, placing a hand on her forehead. Her fur was soft and smelled musky, like wolf. Looking at that coal black fur beneath my hand flashed me back to a different time and place, with Raoul.

I shook the memory away. Not now. I closed my eyes, blocking out all sight. A roar like thunder filled my ears, a crash like ocean waves on the shore. My body vibrated with the power that flowed through me, and I fed it into Zoey with only one thought in mind: human.

The energy was stronger than anything I’d ever felt. It ran through me like I was no longer in control. I was merely a vessel transferring it as it sought its purpose. Please, I prayed. Don’t let this go wrong.

A surge shook me, a backlash as the power found its destination. It hit me hard, throwing me back across the kitchen. My back hit the cupboard doors below the sink hard enough to rattle dishes on the counter above. A yelp came from Zoey and then nothing. The breath was crushed from me, and I opened my eyes to find my vision blurred as everything grew dark.

Before the darkness claimed me, I saw Zoey’s crumpled form on the floor where she’d sat. She was naked, bruised and unconscious, but she was human.

Chapter Twenty

A hand continuously slapped my face. It wasn’t painful, just annoying. I swiped at it, realizing as I did that I was cradled in Shaz’s arms. I blinked a few times, peering up at him with confusion fogging my head.

“Lex? Are you alright?” Shaz furrowed his brow and helped me sit up. My head spun, and I felt weak, but otherwise, I was fine.

“Yeah … where’s Zoey?” A glance around the kitchen revealed that she was nowhere to be seen. I started to panic, fearing the worst.

“Upstairs with Kylarai. Ky took her to get cleaned up. She seems fine, but she’s kind of out of it. Not speaking or really acknowledging what’s around her. I guess that’s understandable, all things considered.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. I did it. I freaking did it! Zoey was human, and I had done it all on my own. I wasn’t such a bad student after all. It had taken a hell of a lot out of me though. No sooner had I focused on my exhaustion than the blood hunger rose up with a vengeance. My eyes went to the pulse in Shaz’s neck.

“Easy now, babe,” he chuckled, knowing me so well. “I’ll gladly donate a little red for the cause, but don’t go all vamp shit crazy on me.”

“Sorry,” I murmured. I could hear the beat of his heart. My senses were amplified. Even the scent of him was so much stronger, like the scent of a fresh steak to a starving wolf.

I was grateful for Shaz. He frequently gave blood to ease my cravings. I didn’t require much, just enough to take the edge off. Sometimes I feared that when the day came that I did rise as a vampire, human blood wouldn’t satisfy me after having his heady werewolf blood.

I watched as Shaz held up a finger, a claw protruding from its tip. In one swift motion, he sliced a clean cut a few inches long down the inside of his forearm. He clearly hadn’t trusted me to do it. What kind of hunger was he seeing in my eyes?

I didn’t know how bad I wanted it until it oozed to the surface of his skin. Licking my lips, I eagerly reached for his arm, gliding my tongue over the rich, crimson nectar slowly, to savor the pleasurable shock as it hit my system.

Shaz moaned, and I smiled to myself as I sucked lightly on the small wound. He never came right out and said so, but I knew part of him got off on this. Bloodletting was never a part of sex with us like it was with Arys. However, the scent of his arousal and the obvious erection straining beneath his jeans said more than the words he refused to say. I wasn’t going to push it. Shaz would come around in his own time.

There was a roar in my ears as the powerful Were blood quenched the vampire’s hunger dwelling deep within me. I wanted more than Shaz’s blood. I drew on his energy, pulling it into my core, careful not to drain him. It was like taking a deep breath of fresh air. When I raised my head from his bleeding arm, everything seemed crisp and clear.

I kissed him then, a delightful press of lips. He opened up to me, tasting his blood in my mouth. If Ky and Zoey hadn’t been right upstairs, I would have climbed on top of him and made love to him right there on the kitchen floor. As it was, I had to cut it short and deal with the matter at hand.

Shaz lingered downstairs, not wanting to make Zoey more uncomfortable than she already must be. I ascended to stairs to the bathroom, hesitating at the door. I could hear the soft sound of Kylarai’s voice inside, soothing and calm. I knocked lightly, waiting until she told me to enter.

Zoey sat on the closed toilet wearing one of my robes. Her hair hung long and wet. Kylarai stood beside her, carefully brushing her tangled locks.

Kylarai turned to me with a small smile. “Her arms hurt too much to lift this high. The shift really did a number on her physically. Do you have any Tylenol or anything? That may ease some of the aches.”

“Yeah.” I nodded absently. “I’ll dig some up.” I didn’t want to talk about Zoey as if she weren’t in the room so meeting her cerulean eyes I said, “Are you ok? Is there anything I can get you?”

Zoey opened her mouth to speak, coughing before she managed to reply in a hoarse voice. “Some water, please.”

I felt extremely awkward so I turned to go. Her raspy voice stopped me before I’d made it out the door.

“Alexa?”

I looked at her, waiting with breath held. I didn’t know what to expect from her. She’d been a total lunatic last time I dealt with her. I was nervous, unsure of her mental state.

“Yes?”

“Thank you. For helping me.”

“No problem. I’m glad I was able to.”

After I delivered the painkillers and water to Zoey, I waited impatiently for her to feel well enough to come downstairs. The only bedroom up there was Raoul’s, the same room where Zoey had murdered Belle, a pack member that boned Raoul on a regular basis. Zoey had been after any woman that Raoul felt for, feeling the need for vengeance against the womanizing man she’d felt abandoned her. I didn’t think it was a good idea for her to stay in that room.

In the end, it was decided that Zoey would go home with Ky and stay in the room that had previously been mine. It seemed to be the best idea. Though very soon Zoey and I would have to sit down and really talk. We’d never done so, and I felt there was much we had to share. We were linked to the same man, regardless of the difference in how.

I sent Zoey off with Ky, equipped with a change of clothing and a promise that we’d talk soon. We had many things to discuss from legal and financial to personal. I hoped it went well.

If anything, Kylarai was a better person for Zoey to stay with than I was. They too had had their own physical face off, but Ky was the type that could sweep that under the rug and blame it on circumstance. She was a special person with a beautiful soul. I owed her much.

The door closed behind them, and Shaz turned to me with a grin. “Go get ready. I’m taking you out tonight.”

* * * *

I hated movie theatres. They were crowded, sticky and filled with strangers coughing, eating and talking on their cell phones. Being there with Shaz made it easy to ignore all of that. I felt like a teenager again when he reached over our shared popcorn to take my hand. It sent a fun tingle through me, and I was tempted to make out as if we were in high school. We’d both been robbed of the high school dating experience. Why the hell not?

The movie was less than stellar, typical Hollywood drivel. Being there with Shaz made it great. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gone out and done something so normal. I loved every moment of our attempted normalcy, and though I couldn’t help but wonder where Arys was tonight, I didn’t dare breathe a word of that to Shaz.

Dinner and a movie was classic date material. I embraced every moment. It was a far cry from my regular evening entertainment. During a love scene on the big screen, Shaz brushed my hair aside and nuzzled my neck. I giggled when I heard the teenage girls sitting behind us whisper in low tones. I hadn’t missed the way they’d been eyeing Shaz. Hell, I couldn’t blame them.

When the movie let out, I could barely remember the storyline. Sitting in the dark with Shaz had dominated my attention. Back in his little blue Cobalt, I was all over him.

Shaz laughed, a low sound that stroked me in intimate places. His hands were lost in my hair, and he pulled me close, dipping his tongue into my mouth. We hadn’t even left the parking lot. I sighed, lost in the taste of him. My wolf longed for him, for the two of us to be lost amid the scent of earth and pine.

I’d lost myself in him every night for the last couple weeks. Shaz was my mate, my other half. He was my comfort in all things. I adored him like nothing else on this planet. Arys’s recent absence had left me sleepless many times, wondering how much worse the pain would be had it been Shaz to disappear. It was a thought I couldn’t bear to entertain.

Love was weakness. This was something I’d believed since I’d fallen in love with Raoul. Now … I didn’t feel quite the same way. Love hurt; there was no doubt about that. The bottom line was whether or not that hurt was worth the love itself. This was something I was still trying to determine. So far, yes. It was worth it. Win or lose.

I pulled back quickly when a lady and her two young kids got into the car next to us. She gave us a dirty look anyway. Oops.

Shaz shrugged it off and started the car. “It’s still early. What do you want to do? Go for drinks? Go for a run? Go home?”

“All of the above?”

Apparently, it was frowned upon to get it on in a public parking lot with families coming and going. It had been several weeks since I’d been to Lucy’s Lounge. Shaz would actually be able to enjoy it with me for once. A cocktail and a game of pool sounded like a nice way to unwind before heading home for some naked fun.

Lucy’s Lounge always felt like home. It was welcoming, a warm yet not at all high-class atmosphere, and Lucy’s served the strongest drinks in town. It was worlds apart from a place like The Wicked Kiss.

After Shaz kicked my ass at pool the second time, I let loose with my favorite swear words. “Care to make it interesting?” I taunted Shaz with a seductive smile.

He raised a brow and ran a hand through his near white hair. “You know I do.”

I was about to make Shaz a sexy bet he couldn’t refuse when I sensed another Were in the building. It was instinct to look for the newcomer. When I sensed Julian’s presence, I grimaced.

I expected to see him emerge from the doorway with his buddy Zak or even Kylarai, though I assumed she’d be at home working or keeping Zoey company. When he sauntered in with a bleached blonde that I didn’t recognize, my jaw dropped. What in the fuck was he doing?

I could only guess that with my absence from Lucy’s and Shaz quitting his job there, Julian had stupidly assumed he could cheat on my best friend in public and not get caught. Really? He was either cocky and careless or a complete moron.

I wasn’t going to jump to conclusions. Maybe the blonde was his sister or a friend. I was hoping he would prove my first suspicion wrong. Shaz followed my gaze, his green eyes narrowing as he analyzed Julian and his companion.

“Is this guy for real?” Shaz dropped his pool cue on the table, and I froze when I saw the fury blazing in his eyes.

“Just keep playing. It might not be what it looks like. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.”

“Are you kidding?” Shaz’s tone was incredulous. “Don’t give him that much credit.”

“What are you going to do? Kick his ass for cheating on Ky?”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“Shaz…” I was about to tell him to stay out of it, but the look on his face shut me up. He was Alpha wolf and Kylarai was our beta and best friend. “Just, take it outside. Ok?”

Julian was searching the bar, feeling our eyes on him. When his gaze met mine, he pursed his lips and shrugged. Son of a bitch. Kylarai didn’t deserve this shit. She was too good for that pathetic excuse for a man.

Shaz was already making his way across the crowded bar. I shook my head and followed behind. At the very least, I had to make sure he didn’t kill Julian. He was a dirtbag, but he wasn’t worth it.

Julian’s blonde friend was hanging off his arm, leaning in to whisper in his ear. She wasn’t his sister. That was wishful thinking on my part. Julian looked up at Shaz’s approach, greeting him with an arrogant smirk. I saw them exchange words, catching only the tail end of Julian’s angry, “None of your goddamn business.”

“Kylarai is like a sister to me,” I heard Shaz snarl. “If you don’t want to be with her, don’t. You will not treat her as if she’s around for your convenience.”

“Fuck off, Shaz!”

Julian reacted first, shoving Shaz into me. I almost went down, catching myself on a nearby table. I almost regretted our choice to come here tonight. Ky deserved to know her man was scum but not like this. Shaz was easy going, but when something set him off, there was no stopping him.

He grabbed Julian by the collar of his jacket and literally dragged him toward the exit. Julian struggled to free himself but went along willingly, indicating to me he was ready to rumble with Shaz again. This crap had to stop.

The blonde appeared uncertain, playing with her long curls. I ignored her and chased after the two male wolves, hoping to stop the coming bloodshed. Men!

I lost them momentarily in the crowd. When I emerged into the parking lot, I followed their scent around the building to find them already engaged in blows. Each of them snarled with a mouthful of fangs and eyes that were pure wolf. I sighed in exasperation. These two had already faced off, more than once. If I had anything to say about it, this would be the last time.

I hated watching others fight. I preferred to be one of the participants. Watching was painful. They were going at each other with fists and more curses than I’d heard used at one time. I watched them carefully, and when I saw that neither of them seemed inclined to let their wolf loose, I let them go at it a bit longer.

It was stupid really. Yet I understood that there was something ingrained in men that made it natural for them to settle problems with their fists. Beating Julian bloody may make Shaz feel better, but I doubted it would do much to ease Kylarai’s pain. I felt horrid for her.

For the most part, they were each throwing and taking solid punches but nothing worth freaking out about. A nice right hook by Shaz caught Julian’s nose just right, and the blood poured forth. He growled and returned the blow. Shaz easily blocked it, but the next one caught him above the eye. His eyebrow split open fast, blood gushing.

“Alright,” I interrupted, throwing an energy wall between them. “You’re both bleeding, and I hope you both feel good about yourselves for acting like juvenile idiots.” I paused, waiting until they both looked at me and away from each other. “This is the last time you will lay hands on each other. Got it? And Julian, you better tell Kylarai before I do. She deserves better than that, better than you. If you stay in this town, don’t expect us to have your back. You’re now on your own.”

I was so mad I couldn’t stand to look at either one of them a moment longer. Spinning on my heel, I stormed away, dropping my energy wall as I went. Shaz was right behind me, grabbing for my arm. I didn’t slow down. I didn’t know if I was so pissed off because of his rash actions or if it was because he’d gotten to Julian first.

“Lex, wait up. What’s your problem? Don’t tell you me didn’t want to pound him yourself. Wait, did you want to pound him yourself?”

“That’s not the point, Shaz. I just feel bad for Ky. She doesn’t deserve this. And, I meant what I said. You and Julian, never again.”

“Fine,” he huffed, keeping pace beside me. “I can’t help it though. I just want to kill the guy. Nobody had made me feel the need for the kill the way he does.”

“Oh?” I managed a slight grin. “Not even Arys?”

“He runs a close second.”

I guess I had to be relieved that Shaz wasn’t always scrapping with Arys. The one time they’d fought it out had been more than enough for me. Part of me was insanely turned on by the way Shaz had rushed to protect Kylarai. He was fearless, and in his own way, he had done what an Alpha wolf was supposed to do. He’d defended one of his own.

Despite the male immaturity of the sudden way the two of them had gone at it, I had to be grateful they hadn’t been trying to tear each other’s throats out. Julian was a done deal as far as our pack was concerned. Unfortunately, Kylarai had become attached to the egotistical asshole. I’d always known he was scum. She had given him the benefit of the doubt. Now, I couldn’t do anything but be there when her world fell.

Chapter Twenty-One

The scent of vanilla bubbles was soothing, and I savored the hot water with appreciation. I reclined against Shaz, reaching to sip from a glass of champagne. It wasn’t often that I took the time to enjoy such simple luxuries. I had to change that.

The gash above Shaz’s eye was ugly but already healing. His arms came around me from behind, and he trailed his hands down my body to my thighs and back up again. Setting my glass on the edge of the tub, I arched my back when he caressed my breasts.

“You know,” I said, my voice lazy. “We can probably never show our faces in Lucy’s Lounge again. How many brawls have you been in at that place now?”

“Hey now, most of those brawls I was breaking up. Can’t blame me for defending my friend. That asshole is lucky he’s still walking.”

I laughed off his words, steering the topic away from the evening’s ridiculous events. “This is really nice. We should do it more often.” I leaned forward to turn on the bathtub jets, squealing when one shot out too close to my nether region.

“You must be pretty happy about Zoey.” Shaz’s hands glided over my stomach. “Power like that will make you a hot commodity.”

“Or, a name at the top of everyone’s hit list.” I sat up and turned in the tub so that I faced him. “Forget I said that. I don’t want to ruin this moment. But yes, it was incredibly satisfying to discover that I could do something big and actually control it.”

Shaz pulled me close for a kiss. He tasted of champagne and wolf. “I guess there have been benefits to having Arys in your life.”

I frowned, forcing a smile before he could see it. “Let’s not talk about Arys. I don’t want to think about him right now.”

I kissed Shaz again, running my tongue along his bottom lip. The musky wolf scent and taste of him tantalized my senses, driving heat to my groin.

“He hurt you. More than you’re letting on. I can feel it, the pain, all over you. I can smell it.”

“I don’t want to think about it.” I spoke the words with my lips against his. Why was he pushing this topic when I wanted to abandon it?

“I know. You never do. You have to stop burying everything inside, Lex. It’s not healthy.”

“My entire relationship with Arys isn’t healthy,” I scoffed. “What’s new?”

“Do you miss him?”

I pulled back, fixing him with a dark look. Even though my body responded to his delightful touch, I was still clear headed enough to pick up on the odd note to his tone.

“What’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play games with me, Shaz. You’re being suspicious.” My eyes closed when he nuzzled my neck, kissing and licking at the ticklish spot beneath my ear.

He ignored me and continued to suck at the sensitive place on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I put my arms around him, running my wet hands through his platinum hair. It grew damp under my touch, yet it remained feather soft.

The cold power of the dead washed over me, as if out of nowhere, and I froze. My heart began to race, thundering its beat like an echo inside my head, drowning out the sound of the jets. There was nothing else like that cool, undead energy. Nobody else commanded it but one man.

“Arys.” I whispered his name, surprised when Shaz looked up at me with awareness in his jade eyes. He’d already known.

“You knew he was coming,” I accused, standing up to grab a towel. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He asked me not to.” Shaz followed my lead, stepping from the tub and wrapping a towel around his waist.

“When? Why didn’t you tell me you saw him?” I almost knocked over my champagne glass in my haste to tuck a towel securely over my breasts.

Shaz turned off the jets and pulled the tub drain. “Go ask him yourself.”

The steamy mirror reflected my flushed skin and confused expression. I was flustered. I wanted to be angry that Shaz had spoken to Arys and had kept it from me. Despite the frustration, I wasn’t their ruler, and they weren’t obligated to tell me everything they said and did. The doorbell rang, and my breath caught.

“Did you know he was coming right now?” My voice rose in pitch, driven by apprehension.

Shaz shrugged. “I didn’t know the exact time. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Go open the door.”

Grabbing my fuzzy black robe from where it hung on the back of the door, I struggled myself into it and ditched the wet towel on the way downstairs. I didn’t want to open the door. I envisioned myself opening it long enough to slam it in Arys’s face. I knew I would never do it though.

The only sound was my pulse pounding through my head. It had only been two weeks, but it’d felt like forever. I fought back my emotions, refusing to allow anything to show on my face. I clutched my robe closed tight with one hand and opened the door.

The cold winter air rushed in with an intense chill. Arys stood there with a solemn expression. I had neither anger nor pain in that moment. I was just so glad to see him.

That damn vampire couldn’t look bad if he tried. In form fitting jeans and a leather jacket, he looked good enough to eat. With a toss of his short, messy locks and a wink, he shuffled his feet ever so slightly. Was he nervous?

I stepped back, speechless, and indicated for him to enter. I shut the door on the cold dark night and faced him. We stared at each other until awkward became unbearable. I didn’t know what to say. Finally, Arys opened a hand to reveal several playing cards marked with the recognizable name, “Caesars Palace.”

He tossed them down on the table in the front entry where I threw my mail. They landed in disarray, but I could make out the entire royal family and then some.

“You were right.” Arys broke the silence, his voice sounding so heavenly after weeks apart. I could never survive a lifetime without him. “You were right to kill Harley when you did. I’m sorry.”

Those words coming from my dark vampire were almost worth a call to Guinness. It had to be a record of some sort.

“Um, what?” My tongue was tied. He was blowing my mind.

His piercing gaze traveled over me, taking in my damp hair and robe. His eyes lingered on my lips, and I shuffled from side to side, anxious.

“I went to Vegas. I played some cards, won some answers. It wasn’t good.”

I noted that Shaz had disappeared, leaving us alone. I could hear him down in the living room, the TV on to give us privacy though his wolf ears could hear our every word. I waved Arys in further, and he kicked off his shoes and followed me to the kitchen. I needed to sit down to hear the rest of this.

“What did you find out?” I wanted him to keep talking. I had had a gut instinct about Harley. I needed to know what Arys found out about him.

“The clubs he was running there, they’re horrific. Worse than anything I’ve ever seen. I mean, I feel nothing when I kill, no guilt or shame, nothing but the rush. But, this was different. I saw what was happening, and I was ill.” Arys stared out the patio window, seeing something that wasn’t there. “You’re no stranger to some of the sick, twisted things people do. Human and otherwise. From human blood ring trafficking to fetish kills with minors, I discovered some seriously fucked up stuff.”

Arys fell silent, still staring beyond me out the window. It was dark out and only reflected his image back at him. The shadows that danced behind his midnight blue eyes haunted me. Arys was a killer alright, but he didn’t murder children. I could see how deeply it affected him to know that his sire had no qualms doing just that. Knowing this now, I wished I’d dragged Harley’s death out. No amount of torturous agony could be enough for him.

“What happens now?” I asked with my throat dry and my pulse pounding. “I mean, Harley’s dead, but is that enough to stop what’s going on there? And, how many other places is it happening? He would have started it here, too, wouldn’t he?”

“He likely was leading up to that. I made my mark on his Vegas properties before I left town. With him out of the picture, I expect to have little trouble shutting them down. And, if I have to take a trip back there to be sure, I will.”

I wanted to ask more questions, but the look on his face stopped me. He was reliving what he knew enough without me badgering him for details. I was secure in the knowledge that I’d been right about Harley. He’d had to go, and I had no reason to feel guilty for being the one to bring about his demise.

Arys leaned forward on the table, dropping his head into his hands. I’d never seen him like this. With anyone else, I would have been comforting and supportive. I wasn’t sure Arys would appreciate that. Instead, I stayed silent, allowing him his moment.

When at last he spoke again, it was to persecute himself further. “How could I be so stupid? I’d let him turn my world upside down once before. And, here I was, going down that same path, playing right into his hands.” It took great effort for him to meet my eyes steadily. I could see that he wanted to look away.

“You’re not stupid, Arys. If anything, I was the fool for going to him against your wishes and starting all of this in the first place.”

He was already shaking his head before I’d finished. “No. Don’t say that just to make me feel better. I’m far too controlling and territorial for my own good. I fucked up.”

I was thoughtful, fully in agreement with his statement. However, I didn’t want to seem overly eager to voice that agreement. With a nod I said, “Would it make you feel any better if I told you that he actually taught me something valid? Maybe he was hoping to gain from me if he gave, but not only did I kill him with what he taught me, I put Zoey back into her human body.”

“Really? Well, you certainly are a fucking powerhouse, aren’t you?” This he said with a grin, and I relaxed in my chair.

“I missed you.”

“Not nearly as much as I missed you, my wolf.”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. I all but threw myself from my chair into his arms. Breathing deeply of his familiar scent, I closed my eyes and savored the moment. He shifted so that he could pull me onto his lap. His leather jacket was cold against my scantily clad skin, but I didn’t care. I snuggled in against him, thrilled when he kissed me hungrily.

The sound of Shaz channel surfing in the living room reached us. When Arys pulled back, he glanced around uncertainly. “I’m interrupting, aren’t I? I didn’t mean to. I just had to see you. I wanted you to know.”

“It’s alright.” I stroked a hand through his ebony hair. I let my hand slowly slide down the side of his face, holding him close as I pressed my lips to his. I was aching for him, but my kiss was soft and tender. I wasn’t in the mood to rush.

I looked up suddenly at the sound of Shaz entering the room. He and Arys shared a look, and I didn’t detect the slightest trace of animosity between them. Their relationship had undergone many changes over the past several months. It wasn’t always this easy going. I could get used to this. Although I doubted they’d ever truly be friends, stranger things have happened.

Shaz nodded to Arys in a masculine gesture of acknowledgement and held out a hand, which Arys accepted. Their casual handshake spoke loud, and I hid a grin.

Turning away to the fridge where he grabbed the champagne bottle, Shaz tossed back over his shoulder, “Don’t feel like you have to rush out. It’s cool if you stay.” He took a swig out of the open bottle, and I laughed when he almost lost his towel.

“Maybe we should get dressed.” I stood up, tugging my robe down to cover my legs.

“Well,” Shaz took another large, unclassy swallow of champagne and eyed Arys. “We don’t have to.”

My eyes grew wide, and I blushed. What was it with these two? They were either ready to kill each other or so oddly in step with one another that it was eerie.

Arys didn’t miss a beat, adding, “I suddenly feel incredibly over dressed.”

When Shaz opened a fresh bottle of champagne and handed me a glass, I tossed it back with unladylike swiftness, anything to calm the sudden nerves that twisted my stomach into knots. I adored both of these men more than I could put into words. Yet, I still wasn’t used to being with them at the same time. It was still new and mind blowing. It set free a swarm of butterflies inside me and had me blushing like a virgin.

Shaz flashed Arys an apologetic smile. “Sorry we can’t offer you anything. I can’t imagine having a one course diet.”

The wicked smile that spread across the vampire’s face left me tingling even though it was directed at Shaz, not me. “Oh, you can offer me something, wolf. I promise I’ll accept.”

I looked back and forth between them, unable to keep the shock off my face. Arys was bold, and I expected that from him, but to proposition Shaz like that was something he did not do. As if to make his meaning unmistakably clear, Arys let his eyes wander to the pulse that throbbed in Shaz’s neck. I held my breath, fearing an angry retort from my white wolf.

Surprising me further, Shaz laughed it off. “Well, let’s just see how much champagne I have and how impressionable I become.”

“By all means,” Arys replied. “Drink up.”

It wasn’t lost on me that I was the only one in the room feeling uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have been because they were clearly at ease. It was just so unexpected. I was pretty sure they communicated without me more than I was aware though I didn’t get the feeling they’d call themselves friends.

“So uh, shall we move this little party to the living room?” Shaz asked with a playful smile.

I swallowed hard and nodded. Excitement thrilled through me, anticipation guiding me as I followed Shaz down the stairs into the living room. Arys was right behind me, so close a shiver raced down my spine.

A fire was blazing in the hearth, filling the room with a warm glow. A faux fur throw rug was on the floor in front of the fireplace. Combined with the champagne Shaz held, it was a very inviting scenario.

The TV played quietly, little more than background noise. Arys shed his leather jacket and draped it over the back of the sofa. He didn’t stop there, peeling his shirt off in a swift, smooth motion. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me against him, hard. The glass I held sloshed pale golden liquid onto my hand. I automatically licked the spilled drops from the back of my hand. Arys watched me, his pupils dilating in response to his reaction.

He guided me down to the floor so that we sat in the center of the fur throw. Shaz set the bottle on a nearby coffee table and joined us, sitting on the other side of me. My nervousness gave way to intrigue and expectation.

Arys kissed me, a quick but soft press of his lips to mine. “I know I’ve already said this, but … I’m sorry. For everything. I should have trusted you all along. I feared that Harley would corrupt you, and I ran blindly back down that path myself.”

“Don’t.” I shook my head and caressed his face. I hated the self-loathing in his enchanting eyes. It wasn’t right. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. Harley’s dead. You are here now. It’s over.”

With a nod, he leaned his forehead against mine. As much as I hated that Arys was in such emotional turmoil, it was a relief, too. He was so much the killer, seeking the thrill of the hunt, guided by unashamed bloodlust. I appreciated the deeper part of him.

Shaz said nothing, though as the one who had really taken Harley down, I imagined he was still overjoyed about the whole thing. He traced a finger lightly along the back of my neck, sweeping my damp hair aside. While Arys and I loosely held one another, Shaz leaned in to press his lips to my sensitive flesh.

It tickled even as it sent a shot of heat to my groin. I squirmed and giggled against my will. Shaz slipped his arms around me from behind, and I relaxed into his embrace. I pulled Arys closer for another kiss, this time slipping my tongue into his mouth swiftly. I longed to taste him, needing to make up for the last two weeks he’d been absent.

I wanted to tell him never to leave me like that again, that I needed him and couldn’t bear to be without him. Instead, I kissed him with all I had, letting my actions speak for me. With one hand, I reached back for Shaz, grasping his hand and holding it tightly. Touching each of them like this, it was hard not to notice the strong current of energy that flowed through the three of us.

Arys deepened our kiss, devouring me in his sudden urgency. Running his hands up inside my robe, he pushed it down my arms in an attempt to free me of it. Shaz caught on quickly, tugging the robe off the rest of the way. I sat between them naked and feeling exposed. My response was to tug at Shaz’s towel. It came loose easily, and I tossed it aside.

“What about you?” I grinned at Arys, indicating the blue jeans he still wore.

“In a hurry, are you?” In no time, Arys was as nude as Shaz and I. The sensation of their naked bodies pressed to either side of me was glorious, and I reveled in it.

I turned to Shaz, nuzzling him as I would in wolf form. His musky wolf scent teased me, stirring my lust for him. I bit playfully at his lips before targeting the pulse in the side of his neck. I nipped at it lightly until a soft moan came from him. At the same time, Arys was kissing his way up my arm, pausing in the hollow of my elbow to lick the soft spot that always drove me wild.

He continued to make his way up my arm, pausing to nip at various places along the way. Arys pressed closer so that I was sandwiched between them. Slipping his arms around me from behind, he cupped my breasts, kneading them firmly. Shaz ran a hand over my cheek and up into my hair, entwining his fingers tightly in my long locks.

I trembled at the pleasure that steadily grew within me. I kissed Shaz with a passion that swept me with fire. As our tongues danced together, Arys’s lips left a moist trail along my upper back and shoulders.

With one hand, I felt my way down Shaz’s body. His hard abs and flat stomach drew my appreciation. I followed the path of my hand with my lips. Arys modified his position so that I could lay on the fur throw in front of Shaz. I settled myself between his legs, grinning up at him playfully.

I allowed Arys to roll me onto my side so that he could stretch out alongside me. As I tasted Shaz, Arys pressed his face against my stomach and breathed deeply of my scent. A hand slipped between my legs, and he lightly stroked me until a rush of heat flooded me.

I was surprised to see he and Shaz make eye contact. Their unspoken communication puzzled me because I wasn’t part of it.

I was momentarily surprised when Arys suddenly rolled me so that I was flat on my back staring up at the ceiling. He gestured for Shaz to take his place between my legs, which the white wolf was quick to do.

My brain struggled to make sense of the swarm of mental and physical affections. My two lovers were commanding my body, and my mind responded in full. It was overwhelming but so intimate and demanding of me in every way.

A low growl rumbled through the room. Shaz’s wolf was rising to the surface of his being, calling mine to join him. I reached for him with a clawed hand, grasping his forearm and drawing blood.

The three of us were a tangle of limbs as we sought to give and receive. The energy flowing between us continued to grow. I was caught up in it, like being in the eye of the storm as the calm gave way and the massive thunder crashed over me.

I felt detached from my body, able to feel the onslaught of pleasure but having no control. I writhed on the floor between them, helplessly caught in the throes of both physical and metaphysical joy. The mental aspect of our play was no less effective, driving me over the edge again and again.

When at last I came back to myself, the earth seemed to be spinning. There was a high-pitched squeal in my ears, the sound of too much energy built up too quickly. Shaz reached for my hand to pull me to a sitting position, but I waved him away, needing an additional moment to catch my breath.

I knew that Arys was purposely holding himself back. Perhaps he was waiting for the big bang I felt was yet to come. He seemed to be enjoying the climactic highs Shaz and I were hitting. My dark vampire … such a giver.

Shaz reached for the champagne bottle that I’d completely forgotten about. He drained the last of the contents in one large swallow. I lay there watching him, loving the way the fur rug felt against my skin. Arys was looking at me with a new kind of hunger. Bloodlust.

I held my wrist out to him. His gaze flicked from my offered arm to Shaz, and I knew what he was angling for. Arys wanted a taste of my wolf mate.

He grabbed my wrist in a blur of motion. His action was aggressive and hungry, but he held me carefully. He stroked a finger along the soft spot where my veins were visible. Looking up at him, I studied the contours of his beautiful face while he bared his fangs. Shaz stretched out beside me on the fur, and though his arm went across my middle, his gaze was glued to the vampire.

I held my breath when Arys’s fangs punctured my flesh. It was a shallow bite, just enough for him to get a mouthful. The pain was instant, but it didn’t last long. His warm tongue snaked out to lick the wound delicately, and a shock of heat coursed through me. Arys had pure sex in his bite.

When he looked at Shaz and me, there was blood on his bottom lip. He stared steadily at Shaz. “Are you impressionable enough yet, wolf?”

Shaz didn’t visibly move, but I felt him stiffen beside me. I was more than a little surprised to hear him reply, “Possibly. But only on my terms.”

“Of course,” Arys said with a nod and a badass smile. “Name them.”

I sat in stunned silence, afraid to move or speak lest I destroy the moment. Shaz was going to allow Arys to bite him, and this was something I wanted to see.

“We keep Lex between us,” Shaz stated, finding his comfort zone. “Don’t try anything funny. One bite, a taste … and that’s it.”

“Deal.” Arys held out a hand, and Shaz reached over me to accept it. Arys used their connection to pull Shaz to his knees so that both men knelt facing each other on either side of me. I stayed as I was on my back looking up at them, one arm folded under my head for slight leverage.

I was breathless with anticipation. I hadn’t given much thought to this, but now that it was about to happen, I realized how much the idea turned me on. I wasn’t sure how Arys would go about this. I expected him to ease Shaz into it. I was wrong.

My two men stared deeply into each other, Shaz with caution in his eyes, and Arys oozing delight and lust. Then, Arys moved, fast and precise. Plunging one hand into Shaz’s platinum hair, he forced his head to the side, exposing his neck. Arys bit fast and deep, his fangs suddenly buried in Shaz. Just watching, I felt it in my stomach.

They hovered over me, locked in the blood embrace of a vampire and his victim. Shaz reached out to steady himself by gripping Arys’s shoulder with a clawed hand. I held my breath, thinking he would attempt to pull away. Instead, he leaned into it.

Shaz made a soft sound somewhere between a moan and a growl. A rivulet of blood escaped Arys, running down Shaz’s neck and falling to stain my stomach crimson. I didn’t dare tear my eyes away from them, but I couldn’t resist running a finger through the blood drop and bringing it to my lips.

I was in awe as I watched the two of them. Arys’s lips were locked on Shaz’s wound and though I couldn’t see it, I knew the way he worked the punctures with his tongue to draw more blood to the surface. My body reacted as if he were feeding from me.

The image before me was something I could have clung to for a lifetime. Yet, it was nothing compared to what came next. Arys jerked his head up, as if he needed to stop before he took too much. I could see the blood on his lips, mine and Shaz’s mixed together. Grasping both sides of Shaz’s face, Arys kissed him with a passion I’d felt but never witnessed as the bystander.

I may have gasped. I’m not sure. The scene before my eyes captivated me. My breath caught, and I blinked a few times. I waited for Shaz to unleash his fury over Arys’s daring action. I feared the fight that may ensue. So, when Shaz kissed Arys back with an uncharacteristic boldness, I was stunned.

I watched as Shaz slid a hand into Arys’s ebony locks. Was I really seeing this? Arys was clearly in control of the kiss, but Shaz was intrigued, I could see that. He tasted his own blood on Arys’s tongue along with a touch of mine, and he loved it.

My pulse raced, and I slowly sat up between them, careful not to interrupt. The blood that ran in a slow trickle from Shaz’s wound beckoned to me, and my bloodlust awakened. I was overcome with the many things I wanted to do to each of them, but that blood was at the forefront of my focus.

Pushing myself to my knees, I went for Shaz’s bleeding neck. The last thing I wanted to do was tear my eyes from the head spinning vision of their kiss, but there was no denying the call of the bloodlust. Tilting my head to the side, I was easily able to lick the red nectar that flowed from the twin punctures.

Shaz’s blood was salty and yet so powerful. It was like tasting it for the first time all over again. Breaking off their kiss, both men turned their attention to me. Arys’s arms went around me from behind, guiding me so that I fit perfectly between them. Shaz kissed the tip of my nose before claiming my lips.

I could taste Arys on him, and it thrilled me. They each pressed close, sandwiching me between them. I was a lucky lady, and I knew it. There was no taking this for granted.

With a sigh of contentment I wrapped one arm around Shaz’s neck and reached back with the other to caress the side of Arys’s face. He swept my hair aside and lavished my neck with kisses and nibbles.

Their hands on my body were eager. Shaz grasped my hand and pulled me back down onto the rug beside him. Arys dropped down to press against me from behind, and I snuggled in between them with a smile on my face.

There was a spicy new dynamic to our trio, and though I knew Shaz had boundaries that Arys had abandoned long ago, it was good thing. I had no reason to believe that Shaz would ever allow himself to like Arys genuinely, but this understanding was between them, and, however they’d come to it, I could only be grateful.

This was my favorite sensation, the feeling of them on each side of me while the flames of passion burned throughout us. It washed away the remnants of the last several weeks. The sense of peace that had settled between Arys and me was something I’d been longing for since the entire Harley nonsense started.

Arys entwined a hand in my hair, holding my head while Shaz kissed me. Together they dominated me in a manner that was both affectionate and primal. I’d never felt so safe. In my ideal world, I could stay this way forever and never leave.

Time ceased to exist. Physical pleasure became emotional essence, obliterating all else. The glow of the fire illuminated us, casting our shadow on the opposite wall.

The night was ablaze with lust, love and bliss. And, I had a feeling, it was just getting started.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Do you want the usual?” Kylarai bustled around the kitchen, fixing us coffee.

I nodded, my focus on the sound of water running down the hall. “Yeah, the usual.” I was waiting for Zoey to finish in the shower. I’d come to Ky’s to see her, knowing I couldn’t put off this visit. I was uncomfortable, and I assumed she would be also.

“So, uh, how is she doing?” I asked, fearing the response.

Ky tossed her dark hair out of her face and brought two cups of coffee to the table. She took the seat across from me and beamed a bright smile. My guts turned. It was obvious Julian hadn’t told her about his little indiscretion. I didn’t have the heart to wipe that smile off her face with the news. I hated being in this position. Should I do what was right and tell her, or let the truth come out on its own? Julian couldn’t hide it forever.

“She’s actually much better than I expected. She’s been pretty quiet, keeps to herself a lot. But, we’ve had a few chances to chat and though she seems a little disturbed, I think she’s doing better than most other people would be in her position.”

I sipped the perfectly brewed coffee and stared out the window. The field we ran in lay beyond the backyard. I missed living here, but I belonged in Raoul’s house. I knew that.

“Does she want to see me?” I tried unsuccessfully to banish the anxiety from my tone. “I mean, has she indicated that she’d rather not?”

Kylarai reached across the table to give my hand a warm pat. “You both have a lot in common. She knows that, too. Just take it slow, give her time, and I’m sure everything will be fine.”

Ky glanced out the window, noting the way the scenery kept drawing my gaze. “Are you ok?” She asked. “Do you want to go for a run later? I’m free all night.”

I sighed and turned back to my coffee, attempting to find strength in the creamy mocha fluid. “Thanks, Ky. I would, but I’m heading to The Wicked Kiss later. I’ll take a rain check though.”

We chatted quietly. I caught Kylarai up on the recent happenings regarding the Kiss. She asked about Kale, and I was reminded again of why I could never tell her about the incident with him in my office. They’d never been in love, but they had loved. That was enough to keep my mouth shut.

She went on about Julian and the diamond necklace he’d gotten her in celebration of a case she’d won at work. I forced myself to smile and admire the sparkly bauble. I couldn’t help but think it was more likely that he’d bought it out of guilt. Was it even possible for that bastard to feel guilt?

A sound from down the hall drew our attention. A moment later, Zoey appeared in the doorway to the kitchen. Her black hair fell over her shoulders in damp strings that she shoved back from her face in a nervous gesture. Dressed simple in jeans and a tank top, she appeared so normal at first glance. A deeper look revealed the slight frown she wore and the haunted expression in her blue eyes.

Kylarai waved her over to where we sat. “I’m just going to run out and check the mail.” It was obvious she was trying to give us a moment alone.

After she’d disappeared outside, Zoey and I sat uncomfortably across the table from each other. I tapped my fingernails against the side of my coffee mug and took a deep breath. Zoey squirmed in her seat, making no attempt to break the silence first.

“How are you?” I managed at last. Better to start small.

She gave a slight shrug, looking everywhere but directly at me. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

The awkwardness was killing me. So, I scrapped the beating around the bush and cut to the chase. “Look, let’s just skip the weird part of this. Our first meeting was short and violent. But, it’s long over. I think we’re more alike than either of us realizes. I just want to make sure you’re ok with everything. Well, as ok as one can possibly be after six months in wolf form.”

Zoey did meet my eyes then. “I spent my whole life feeling like I didn’t belong, longing to release the animal inside me. After the past six months, I’m thankful to have a human voice again. To be me. I need to thank you for that.”

“To be honest,” I replied. “I wasn’t sure it would work. But, I’m glad it did.”

“Did you love him?” She asked the question so quickly I almost couldn’t make sense of it. “My father, I mean. Did you ever love him?”

Talk about a loaded question. How did I even begin to answer that? By telling the truth, I guess.

“I’ve loved him since I first met him. Also, I’ve hated him more than anything or anyone else walking this earth. Things between me and him … they were complicated.”

She nodded and began to play with the edge of the tablecloth, twisting it between her fingers. “Because he loved you and left you?”

My voice was soft as memories took me back to a place that was oddly both safe and painful. “Because he was everything to me and, after he got what he wanted from me, he moved on to the next pretty face. I didn’t mean anything to him.”

It hurt to say those words aloud. I could almost hear Raoul’s voice in my head, telling me I was wrong. That he had loved me. He’d said so in the note he left me. He’d also confessed to the ultimate betrayal in that same note. I didn’t want to relive the moment I’d read his confession.

“I still think you got the better deal,” Zoey said after a moment of silence. “He abandoned me after my mother died. It was his fault she was dead, and he couldn’t be bothered to take on the responsibility of raising me. He was a coward.”

I flashed back to the night Raoul had told me about Zoey. He’d been in pain when telling me about giving her up. He’d cried. After what he’d done to me, here I was tempted to defend him. It was so wrong.

“He hated himself for giving you up, Zoey. He did what he thought was best to keep you safe. Make no mistake, I don’t blame you for feeling the way you do. I thought I could forgive him for the ways he’d wronged me. Then you killed him, and I found out that he was the wolf that killed my family, the same one that attacked me. He’d been in love with my mother-,” I choked on a sob and had to stop. I couldn’t face that again.

Zoey studied me, taking in my sudden brokenness. Her next words were icy cold. “He was worse than I thought. He deserved to die. You’re right, Alexa. We do have much in common.”

She seemed to show no remorse, to feel no guilt or regret even though she’d murdered her own father. I had to know, had to ask.

“You don’t regret it? Killing him? At all?”

“How can I regret it? He left me and moved on to hurt others. Like I said, he deserved it.”

Looking at Zoey, I saw a young, weary woman with a determined set to her jaw and a ruthless glint in her eyes. There was more to her than that though. I could sense the way her energy wavered. It was pained. She may never admit it to me, but her lack of closure with her father hurt her deeply. Probably more than she would even admit to herself. We were both alone in the pain Raoul had caused us, and yet, here we were. There was strength in that.

I decided to change the subject. Rehashing the pain of the past wasn’t going to help either of us right now. “He left you money. It doesn’t change anything, but it’s more than enough to provide you with some security.”

“Thanks. I guess I’ll be needing that, much as I hate to take it.”

“Well, let me know if you need anything else. I’ll do my best to help you. I know that Kylarai is more than happy to let you stay as long as you like.” I raised my mug and downed a giant swallow of coffee. Not all the caffeine in the world would be enough during a conversation like this.

Zoey smiled then, and it transformed her face entirely. She was actually quite beautiful. If only the smile reached her eyes. I imagine that Zoey hadn’t felt genuinely happy in a very long time, if ever.

“Kylarai is a total sweetheart,” Zoey said, appearing to relax a little. “She’s done so much to make me feel at home here. Even after our little tangle months ago, she’s forgiven and forgotten completely. She’s an inspiration for sure. It’s too bad that she’d rather date men, and an asshole at that.”

Ah. I hadn’t realized that Zoey was playing for the other team. Of course, I hadn’t had a chance to find that out until now. It wasn’t really all that important, but it did bring Jez to mind. She was always looking for that right woman. Her steady human flings were little more than a way to pass time. She could relate to a woman like Zoey.

“Yeah,” I nodded in agreement. “Julian is a real pig. I can’t stand him. I know it really isn’t my place, and I’m not trying to play match-maker but-,”

“The leopard, right? Jez?” Zoey smiled knowingly. “Kylarai told me about her. I vaguely remember her being at my father’s the night I killed him. It’s all a blur really. I’m not looking for anything right now, but I wouldn’t mind meeting her sometime, on better terms than last time of course.”

I got up and went to the sink to rinse out my empty cup. Before I could respond, there was a sound at the front door. Kylarai came in accompanied by Julian who must have arrived while she was outside. Great. I dreaded how hard it would be to keep my face from revealing the truth about the scumbag.

I shared a look with Zoey, each of us less than enthusiastic about his unwelcome presence. It was funny how that one little thing gave me a sense of camaraderie with her. Maybe we would get along just fine after all. I’d feared the drama with Raoul would have us at odds, but he was gone, and perhaps that would be enough to allow us to move forward in peace.

“How’s it going, Alexa?” Julian greeted me as he sauntered into the kitchen. He winked at Zoey, and she mustered a half-assed smile in response.

“Can’t complain.” I kept my answer short, going through the motions for Kylarai’s sake. I glared hard at him, and he ignored it entirely. “And you?”

“Game on TV tonight and beer in the fridge. It’ll be a good night.”

I figured this was as good a time as any to make my escape. I said goodbye to Zoey, promising that we’d speak again soon. Kylarai followed me to the door, a frown creasing her brow. She wanted to say something.

“Be careful ok, Lex? This whole thing with you and Kale taking over The Wicked Kiss, it doesn’t sit well with me. That place is dangerous, regardless of whether or not its former owner is dead.”

“We’ll be ok, Ky. Kale can take care of things. And, I’ll watch my back. Promise.”

“I guess that’s all I can ask.” She pulled me close for a quick hug before making me repeat my promise.

I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that I was safe at the Kiss. Nobody was safe there. I wouldn’t be there alone. With two vampires and a werewolf accompanying me, I’d be as safe as I could possibly get.

Chapter Twenty-Three

At first glance, The Wicked Kiss didn’t appear to be any different than it was the first night I saw the inside of it. The dance floor was packed, as always. The bar had a line up, and the rooms in the back occupied by vampires and their willing, or not so willing victims, were full. Yet, I could already feel the difference in the atmosphere.

Kale had wasted no time in taking charge. As a regular and an old and powerful vampire, few would be ballsy enough to challenge him. The few staff members that hadn’t wanted to stick around after Harley’s death were gone though almost all of the staff had remained. They hadn’t seemed to care who was in charge, as long as they had a purpose in the club and a paycheck. That worked for me.

I stood near the dance floor, sipping an iced tea and watching the combination of humans and vampires grinding and groping to the music. A few of the human patrons looked like they may be underage. That was something that was going to change and fast.

Arys was in the back. I assumed he was in Harley’s room, though I wasn’t sure what he was doing in there. Shaz was getting a feel for the place as he was about to take over security duty. In addition, Kale was by my side, observing those that were willing to bleed.

“It’s been far too easy. I keep waiting for something to happen.” Kale leaned close so that I could hear him over the loud music. “But, I’ll be ready when it does.”

“And, what exactly are you expecting?”

“I don’t know. It just seems too calm and normal here. Makes me suspicious.”

His words made me look that much harder at everyone around me. Arys hadn’t been happy with my decision to give legal ownership to Kale or my choice to share the responsibility of running the place. It wasn’t up for discussion though. Arys didn’t like that Kale had sunk fangs into me or that I’d wanted it. However, after some of the things we had done recently, we had no choice but to live with it and let it go. Kale was someone I shared a connection with, a connection unlike the one I shared with my lovers. I’d stopped trying to define it.

“I’m always suspicious in this place,” I replied. “But, now that Harley’s out of the picture, I’m ready to rumble anyone that wants to make trouble.”

“I have to admit, I was worried about you. I hated seeing you so wrecked when Arys was gone. It’s hard to watch you suffer.”

I reached for Kale’s hand and gave it a friendly squeeze. “Thanks, Kale. I appreciate that. It’s a touchy situation for sure, but we’re making do. He’s still beating himself up over the things he found out during his trip to Vegas.”

Kale shrugged and turned his serious multi-colored gaze on me. “Well, good. He should be. He was an idiot to doubt you.”

I hid a smile. “In Arys’s defense though, Harley was his sire. I can understand the attachment.”

Kale scoffed, glancing away from me back to the crowded dance floor. “Even more reason to off the guy. But, I guess some of us regret the things that others thrive on.”

I had nothing to say to that. I wasn’t a vampire. Not yet anyway. I couldn’t relate to what most of them had gone through. Kale’s experience had been horrific. I knew only some of what he’d endured, but it had been bad enough for him to alter his lifestyle, finding his victims at the Kiss and only taking the kill in rare circumstances.

I watched as Shaz walked a slow path around the perimeter of the club. He wasn’t going to be taking care of typical security like the front door. I wanted his eyes and ears everywhere. A few of the human female clientele had approached him several times already in the hopes that he was seeking a play pal. He didn’t let on what he was though I suspected if they saw him sprout claws and fangs bigger than any vampire’s, they’d run shrieking into the night.

I was laughing softly to myself at the visual my mind conjured when something suddenly grasped my attention. The atmosphere shifted ever so slightly, just enough to trigger my senses and set off my internal alarm. Something wasn’t right.

I scanned the vicinity, trying to appear as if I wasn’t. A negative energy felt too harsh and focused on me. I looked at Kale to see if he felt it, too. The way he surveyed those around us told me he did. Everything in me warned of danger. My body reacted defensively. Claws and fangs lengthened, ready for battle. I was confused, unsure of what it was I was preparing to take on. I didn’t like this.

Shaz was on the opposite side of the room talking to a guy sitting alone at a corner table. Arys still hadn’t returned from the back hall. He must have sensed it too because I felt him in my mind, the lightest touch of concern.

Before I could form a telepathic response to Arys, Kale shoved me so hard I stumbled and fell. In the very same breath, a power ball exploded against the wall where I’d been standing, leaving a smoking hole behind. Screams rang out, and people scrambled to get out of the area.

I got to my feet as a vampire seemed to appear out of nowhere. He was dark haired with light eyes. I didn’t recognize him. Kale was between us, his hands glowing with power. I saw him hesitate, as if afraid to lash out with bystanders so close.

Our attacker didn’t have that same caution. He hit Kale with a blast that terrified me before physically throwing him across the dance floor. I bit back a cry when Kale crashed into a pool table, sending the whole thing smashing down in pieces.

Before I could react, the vampire grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the damaged wall. The strength and power that emanated from the mysterious vampire was painful in its intensity. I fought hard, raking his face with my claws and kicking him. He didn’t budge. I gathered my power, prepared to unleash what I had. A sharp pain in my chest stopped me. I was stunned to find a stake pressed between my ribs.

“Go ahead and try it.” The vampire seethed between bared teeth. “By the time you blast me, I’ll already have this stake in your heart.”

“What the fuck do you want from me?” I gasped out with the small amount of breath I was able to draw. My hands burned with the power that sought release. I struggled to hold it back. The stake buried in my flesh just beneath my left breast promised pain and death. I was stricken with fear.

“Something like you can’t exist. You just can’t be. I stake you now, and you won’t be rising again. It’s over for you.”

I saw the flash of white blond hair as Shaz launched himself at the vampire holding me trapped. I winced, expecting to feel the blow of the stake. The vampire didn’t so much as release his hold on me, and he downed Shaz easily with a roiling ball of energy.

“Don’t,” I begged.

“I will never bow down to you, werewolf,” hissed the vampire with raw hatred. “You are unnatural, and your power will never bind me. Your death may also mean my own, but it will be worth it. I’m nobody’s slave.”

I was confused, unable to make sense of his rambling. His eyes were crazed, and the pressure on the stake increased substantially. I felt it bite through my flesh, and I tried to scream. His hand on my throat made it near impossible.

When Arys appeared, it was as if he’d come from mist. I didn’t sense his approach nor did I see it. The snap when he grabbed my attacker’s wrist was audible despite the loud music that still played. Realizing he was in trouble, the vampire attempted to plunge the stake deeper, but Arys had already ripped him away from me.

I slumped to the floor, gasping for air and holding my wound. Blood oozed between my fingers. I watched as the two vampires struggled. Arys’s eyes were wilder than I’d ever seen them. He wasn’t just pissed. He was on a mission to destroy.

I pulled the stake from my body, horrified by its bloody tip. I’d never been on this end of the stake before. It was terrifying, and I had a whole new respect for all of the vampires that had met their final death this way.

I couldn’t tell how bad the wound was, and I was afraid to find out. Each breath hurt, and my vision began to grow dim. I fought to keep a clear head, refusing to pass out. The two vampires were a blur before me, but with a blast of power that I felt in my core, Arys gained the upper hand and soon my attacker was nothing more than dust and bone on the floor of the club.

A voice was trying desperately to get my attention. I tried to focus on Shaz kneeling at my side, but it was difficult. I was glad to see he was ok after the hit he’d taken. I searched for Kale, relieved when I spotted him pulling himself from the rubble of the pool table. When Shaz pulled my hands away from the bleeding puncture in my chest, I was too weak to resist. The power I’d been holding fell away, causing the atmosphere around us to hum with a high-frequency squeal.

“Lex? Are you ok? You’ve got to speak to me, baby. Come on!” Shaz was shaking me lightly. Turning away, he shouted, “Arys! We need you. This isn’t looking good.”

My head swam, and my tongue was thick and dry when I tried to speak. I wanted to tell them that I’d be fine, but nothing came out. Those I cared about surrounded me. Arys was quick to respond to Shaz’s plea. He joined the white wolf at my side while Kale hovered nearby, ensuring that those left in the club went on about their business.

“Let’s get her into the back where we can take a better look.” Arys lifted me in his arms, and I yelped from the sudden shooting pain. “It’s ok, my love,” he whispered to me. “It’ll be ok.”

I faded in and out of consciousness. At some point, I realized I was lying on a bed, Harley’s bed. That had to be a bad omen.

“It didn’t hit her heart,” I heard Arys say, though he wasn’t speaking to me. “But, she’s losing a lot of blood, fast. I think I can slow it.”

The room grew deathly quiet. The ceiling above me was blurred and seemed to grow farther away. A warm sensation started within the wound itself and expanded to fill my entire body. I recognized Arys’s energy, flowing through me with a healing touch. There was a sharp pang in my chest, which was quickly replaced by a soothing sensation.

It got easier to breathe as Arys pushed his energy into me. Closing my eyes, I could feel my body knitting itself back together under his influence. I was fatigued from the blood loss, but my strength was returning. My mind was beginning to form thoughts again.

“What the fuck was that all about?” My voice cracked, but I got the words out. “Did you know that bastard?”

Arys shook his head, his expression grim. “No. I hate to say it but I’m not surprised this happened. I knew something like this was coming. It was inevitable.”

“He said things to me,” I said, struggling to sit upright. “They didn’t make any sense. Something about refusing to be a slave to a werewolf.” I shook my head and frowned. “I don’t know. It means nothing to me.”

Kale stepped forward from his place in the doorway. “You’re unique, Alexa. And powerful, you’ll be even more powerful when you do rise as a vampire. Perhaps some see you as too powerful. A threat.”

I looked from him to Arys, finding matching expressions on their faces. Shaz sat heavily on the bed beside me and reached for my hand. He shook his head but remained silent. I was sure he was cursing the fact that I ever met Arys. Being the wonderful man that he was, he didn’t give voice to those thoughts.

I stared at the burn mark on the carpet, the spot where Harley had perished. It was never going to get easier no matter what I did. Blood bonds, gaining control and skill or wiping out a master vampire up to no good, none of it was going to save my ass.

I couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like if I’d remained a good little werewolf, minding my own business and hiding the natural power I’d been born with. I didn’t share the stream of questions running through my mind. I simply mulled them over, knowing it wasn’t about what might have been but rather, what was.

“I don’t think you should be here anymore.” Arys’s jaw was clenched, and he paced the length of the room.

“What difference does it make? I can’t sit at home watching TV every night just to avoid the occasional shithead vampire. Be realistic, Arys.”

Kale sighed and shrugged. “Girl’s got a point.”

Arys shot him a dark glare, and I ignored them both, lifting my shirt to check out my injury. They could argue all they wanted. I wasn’t going to be controlled by anyone.

The stake puncture still hurt, but it had almost closed completely. My bra and shirt were bloodstained, as was my skin. I reached a tentative finger to touch the pink scar tissue lightly. Arys was a miracle worker.

It was too quiet. I glanced up to find all three of them watching me. I was immediately self-conscious. Tugging my shirt back into place, I swung my legs over the side of the bed and got up. A wave of dizziness hit me, and I wobbled unsteadily. Shaz steadied me with a hand on my arm.

“You need to rest, Lex,” he said. “We should go home.”

“She needs blood,” Arys stated with a pointed look at Shaz.

“Fine. She can take mine.”

I met Kale’s eyes while Shaz and Arys were giving each other telltale looks. He and I shared a thought. He seemed to know what I was feeling as I sat there with my two over protective lovers.

He gave me a slight nod, and I smiled. Much as I loved both Arys and Shaz, there was a side of me that just didn’t come out with either of them. It came out when I was hunting and killing with Kale and Jez.

“Just get me home and into a warm bath, please?” My hand went to my sore ribs, and I allowed Shaz to support my weight with an arm around my waist.

I paused to give Kale a friendly hug before slowly making my way out of the room. I made a mental note on the way to have Harley’s room completely renovated. As it was, it gave me the creeps.

Kale returned to the main part of the club to try to maintain a semblance of normalcy. I could just imagine what the patrons were thinking.

The sound of moans, laughter and even shrieks from the back rooms accompanied us as we left through the rear hall exit. The Wicked Kiss … hell of a place. It was part of my life now. And, I’d be back.

Epilogue

The air smelled like spring. It wasn’t far off now. I was happy to say goodbye to the snow for another season. Traces of ice and snow remained here and there in the shaded spots beneath the trees, but most of it had melted away.

The grass beneath my paws was still dead and faded, but it would soon be glorious green. I could feel the earth beneath my feet, the way it hummed with life and vitality despite what took place on its surface. It was immense in its power, a giant web of energy that connected us all together. It was beautiful.

I’d been spending more time in the forest recently. I’d missed it. It wasn’t easy having so many sides to me. Human, wolf … vampire. Sometimes I felt like I lost the true me in the mess of the rest. Where did I, Alexa, fit into those labels? I wasn’t sure anymore.

My runs in the forest had been solo more often than not lately. I was desperate to hear myself think, to feel my limbs move and to be caught up in the whirlwind sensation of being part of nature. There was something about being alone there that made me feel … real.

The sun hadn’t been down long. The sound of birds singing hadn’t yet faded, and I trotted along in bliss. Like so many times before, I was tempted never to leave, to stay amidst the forest forever. If only.

I glanced up at the darkening sky, watching as the last hint of day slipped away. I was struck with sudden fear that the day would come when I would never lay eyes on the sun again. I was nocturnal by nature but to have it taken away from me, completely forbidden, I couldn’t bear the thought of that.

I felt the eyes that watched me before I saw the black wolf in the distance. My first thought was Zoey but no, that wasn’t possible. She was at Kylarai’s, in human form, the form she would probably remain in for the rest of her life. Besides, the eyes that followed me were not crystalline blue but a deep coal black.

My heart increased to a dangerous tempo. I froze in my tracks, unable to tear my gaze away from the black wolf. It couldn’t be. It was impossible, but I’d know Raoul anywhere. No doubt in my mind, I was staring into the eyes of my Alpha, my first true love.

How? The one word echoed inside my head. This couldn’t be. He was dead. A dream, it had to be a dream. I wanted to wake up. Will he ever go away?

As I watched, the black wolf approached me. His steps were slow but determined. I had the urge to run, but my feet were rooted to the ground, so I waited pensively.

As he drew closer, the shape of the wolf wavered and began to fade until mist took its place. When the mist cleared, Raoul stood naked before me with a perfectly neutral expression on his rugged face. He knelt in front of me and took my face in his hands. When he brought his lips to mine, I realized I was no longer in wolf form.

He kissed me tenderly, the softest touch. His hands on my face were warm and alive. My eyes filled with hot tears that didn’t fall. I expected to feel many things like fear and confusion. Instead, I just felt solemn.

I was afraid to touch him. As real as he felt, I knew he wasn’t, and I feared my hands would go right through him and cause the illusion to fall to pieces. Raoul’s musky wolf scent filled me, teasing my beast. An ache deep inside reminded me that I missed him, desperately.

He pulled back and peered into my eyes as if searching for my soul. Several questions danced on the tip of my tongue, but I was unable to give voice to them. I could only sit there while he pushed my hair back from my face in a gentle gesture.

“Alexa.” His voice was strong and smooth, and I felt like I’d heard it just yesterday rather than so many long months ago. “You know who you are. Never forget it.”

A few unshed tears did spill down my cheeks then, crystal clear, not the bloody vampire tears I’d grown accustomed to. I shook my head as I tried to comprehend what he was saying. I attempted again to speak, and this time I managed to squeak out a small, “I don’t understand.”

“You will,” he whispered. “And please, be careful.”

Raoul pressed another kiss to my lips, quick but affectionate, then another to my forehead. I forced myself to move, reaching for him. I slowly slid my fingers through his hair, reveling in the silken texture of it. I moved down his face to his shoulders, astonished at how realistic this dream was. It was as if he were really there with me.

I wanted him to tell me more. I was happy just to be there with him in the moment, whether it was genuine or not. He gently pulled away without saying another word. I watched him turn away, fading from sight until all that remained was the outline of a black wolf disappearing with the mist.

My heart broke, and I hugged myself, shivering in the cool night air. I replayed his words in my mind, curious and a little afraid. Sure, I’d dreamt about Raoul since his death. Yet, it hadn’t been anything like this.

The mist grew until a white fog surrounded me. I could no longer see Raoul. I couldn’t see anything. I blinked a few times as if it would clear my vision. The next thing I knew, I was waking up, curled in the fetal position shivering. I knew it had been a dream, though I hadn’t felt like I was asleep. Just a damn stupid dream.

I sat up and stretched. And, felt something woven in between my fingers. Holding my hand up in the glow of the moonlight, I was struck breathless at the sight of a few long, silky black hairs. It couldn’t be. But, it was.

A quick perusal of the vicinity revealed that I was alone. I sensed nobody and nothing other than the creatures of the forest. Needless to say, I felt like I’d just been mind fucked. I stared at Raoul’s hair wound around my fingers, and I was numb.

The urge to go home was strong, and I got to my knees, ready to embrace the change. I shook the hair from my hand, watching it fall from my fingertips. For some reason, I hated to part with it. I felt like letting it go would take our strange encounter away, and it would cease to exist.

I shifted to wolf with the ease of allowing it to happen. In just a matter of seconds, the change swept over me, and in a blink, I was wolf and heading for home.

After fetching my clothes and car from Kylarai’s where I’d left them, I made my way home. My mind was working overtime as I replayed the events of the evening. I didn’t know what to make of it, but it wouldn’t be far from my thoughts.

When I pulled up in front of Raoul’s house, my house, I had to take a moment to gather myself before getting out of the car. Strolling up the step, I felt like I was leaving one phase of my life and entering another. It was eerie. Things were changing whether I liked it or not. All I could do was be ready.

I opened the front door, and I was instantly greeted by the sound of two male voices raised in protest, shouting over the television. A sports announcer yelled something about a penalty, and I had to smile to myself at the normalcy of it all. This kind of normal just didn’t happen here often. It was nice. Comforting.

So, my world was ever changing. That wasn’t entirely new. I’d find a way to roll with the punches as I had been all along, somehow. The Wicked Kiss may hold more for me than I even realized, but I refused to live in fear after everything I’d faced so far. I could only deal with each day as it came and focus on what it meant to be part of this earth.

After kicking my shoes off, I went to the kitchen for a glass of water, waving in response to Shaz and Arys’s combined calls of, “Hello.” I stood there for a long time, watching as they enjoyed a hockey game. It came as no surprise that they were cheering for opposing teams. I shook my head and grinned. It was good to be home.

Blonde & Blue

Alexa O’Brien Huntress Book Four

By Trina M. Lee

Blonde & Blue

Trina M. Lee

Copyright  2011 by Trina M. Lee

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Editor

B. Leigh Hogan

Cover Artist

Michael Hart

Published by

Dark Mountain Books

This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

Chapter One

I watched them flock to the dance floor with drinks in hand, a sea of bodies crushed together in a swarm of sexual heat and forbidden desire. The majority of the patrons were human, like usual. But, The Wicked Kiss wouldn’t be what it was without the regular turnover of vampire clientele, not to mention whatever else wandered in.

Cymbals crashed as the music came to a crescendo, drawing my gaze to the stage and the burlesque dancers that seduced the crowd. Live entertainment was a relatively new addition to the club, which had recently undergone a bit of a makeover. After killing Harley Kayson, my vampire lover’s sire, and taking over the club, I’d been forced to look around and accept the cold hard fact that I ran a whorehouse for vampires. There was no way to sugar-coat it. Just call me, “Madam.”

Of course, that didn’t mean I had to run a blood whorehouse that looked tacky and cheap. The first chance I got, I made changes, a much-needed therapy. The décor, the entertainment, the security, I’d overhauled everything in my attempt to wipe out any trace of the former owner. To take The Kiss from trashy to classy, hardwood replaced the carpet. A delicious blend of dark colors replaced the garish mix-and-match disaster. Replacing the DJ with a live band and adding the dancers two nights a week had been a key factor in changing the atmosphere of the place. Re-launching The Wicked Kiss had taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears, literally. But, this was worth it, sorta.

“Easy pickings,” Jez observed between sips of her bright pink cocktail. “I can see why this appeals to some vampires. Seems like it would take a lot of the fun out of it, though. No thrill of the hunt.”

I agreed completely. The rush of the hunt was almost better than the kill itself.

Jez and I weren’t vampires. Well, Jez wasn’t. I had more than my share of vampire power, thanks to Arys, but I wasn’t one, at least not until I died. As Weres, a leopard and wolf respectively, Jez and I desired the hunt. While some vampires shared that need, the bloodlust ruled them.

A few people came through the front entry, and I automatically looked up in scrutiny. I thoroughly trusted everyone working security, especially my mate, Shaz. However, a vampire tried to stake me a couple of months back, and I was a little leery of the patrons.

That had been an odd twist. I’d never been as scared as I was with that stake piercing the flesh just over my heart. The vampire had been pretty clear on his intentions. He believed that someone like me shouldn’t exist. I had power that included that of both the wolf and the vampire. It made me more than each of them. Clearly, some people were threatened by that. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder a little more than I used to.

“So where’s Kale?” Jez sucked the last of her drink through a cocktail straw, making a slurping sound worse than nails on a chalkboard. “Isn’t he usually here, partaking of the goods?”

“Yes, usually. I don’t know where he is. It’s been a few days since I’ve seen him.”

Kale legally owned The Wicked Kiss due to some string pulling on my end. He’d been a regular patron of the club longer than I cared to think about. When I’d killed Harley, I’d arranged for Kale to take over ownership with me as a silent partner.

“Strange. I haven’t seen him lately, either. I wonder what he’s been up to.” Jez mused, suspicion in her eyes.

Thankfully, Kale’s absence didn’t affect The Wicked Kiss too drastically. Like a living, breathing entity, it would continue to operate regardless of who was present.

A flash of platinum blond hair moving through the crowd caught my eye, Shaz; every other man in the building paled in comparison to him. With blue jeans and a black staff t-shirt that showed off his delicious build, he was casual but damn sexy.

“Lex, a vampire that Shawn doesn’t recognize is trying to get in. He seems sketchy. I don’t like him.” Shaz awaited my decision, looking down at me with jade green eyes that sparkled with the wolf within. Just twenty-four, he was still so youthful, but he held wisdom far beyond his years.

“Kale’s not here to check him out. Tell him to come back another time. Let me know if he makes trouble.”

“Yes,” Jez added with a sly smile. “I have a pointy little friend that I’d love to use tonight. It’s been a while.”

Shaz smirked at her. “I hope that means what I think it means.”

“That depends on what you think, I guess.” Jez winked and waved over a passing waitress for another drink.

Shaz gave her a friendly shove before heading back to the lobby. I was anxious and resisted the urge to follow him. I didn’t want to act as if I didn’t trust him to take care of an obnoxious vampire. Shaz was an Alpha wolf. He could hold his own. I’m just a control freak by nature.

I gave Jez a quick once over, wondering where the hell she was hiding a stake in tight leather pants and a midriff baring halter top. I was betting on those calf-high, kick-ass boots.

I turned a keen eye to the dance floor. Vampires didn’t give a shit about dancing. But, their alcohol-driven donors sure did. The writhing human bodies, most of them scantily clad, were more than some weak-willed blood suckers could take.

I’d seen a lot of crazy shit in this place. Sex and bloodshed were simply the more common occurrences. When Kale and I took over The Wicked Kiss, I had assumed I could change things, make it a place that spawned less death and fewer new vampires. So far, I’d been wrong.

The waitress brought Jez’s drink and asked me if I’d like one. I wanted to keep a clear head since Kale wasn’t here. Although I could have definitely gone for a Jack Daniels on the rocks, I shook my head. Jez dropped a healthy tip on the tray, receiving a broad smile before the waitress sauntered off to the next table.

“I love that you guys own this place. Free drinks are almost enough to make me a regular here.” Jez raised her drink as if toasting the air before taking a large swallow.

“Oh yeah? You stick around long enough, and you’ll have vampires crawling all over you, begging for that supreme Were blood.”

“I was propositioned the moment I walked in the door. I almost punched the guy in the throat. Now, if he’d been a smoking hot vampiress instead … I might have considered it.”

I opened my mouth to make a smart ass remark but was quickly silenced by a woman who threw herself through the entryway, shrieking bloody murder. Blood poured from a ragged wound in her neck and covered her hands. Her words came in a rush, most of them incomprehensible.

It took a moment for me to react. I was stunned by what I saw. Only when Shaz rushed in behind her did I snap into action.

“She just came screaming past me,” he shouted over the music. “I don’t know what the hell happened.”

Many vampires nearby noticed the strong scent of her blood. I reached her quickly, grasping her by the shoulders. She was hysterical, barely focusing her eyes on me. It was obviously a vampire bite, a serious one at that. The blood was pumping fast, and her hysterics were only encouraging the flow.

“Go see if you can find who did this,” I told Shaz as I tried to get the woman to look into my eyes. “He’s got to be close by.”

“Can you speak? You’ve got to calm down,” I said to her, shaking her slightly to get her to look at me.

Instead, her eyes started to roll back in her head, and she said something that sounded like, “I didn’t know.” I could feel the hungry energy of a few younger vampires that lacked strength and control. This was not looking good.

Everything happened so fast. I sensed the vampire’s attack a split second before it happened. He lunged at the bleeding woman in a blur of speed, knocking me aside in his haste to get to her. She didn’t make a sound when he bit her, causing another gush of blood to flow.

Jez was suddenly there with stake in hand, trying to find a clear shot. The vampire drank greedily from the gushing fount. A few cries rang out from the onlookers, the human ones. A few weaker vampires backed away from the scene, but the older, more powerful ones merely watched with mild interest.

I grabbed the vampire by the shoulders, but he wouldn’t be budged without tearing a nasty hole in his victim. Shifting to an alternate method of attack, I focused on forcing metaphysical power into him, burning him from the inside out. He responded by back handing me hard enough to take me off my feet. Bloodlust empowered vampires the way nothing else could.

Jez took a shot at him next, landing a solid punch to his temple, but he never released his fanged hold on the woman. Jez didn’t let up, hitting him again and again. When that didn’t work, she plunged the stake into his back, aiming for his heart. She missed. Cursing, she reached for him with fierce leopard claws. Jez grabbed him by the back of the neck, sinking those razor-sharp claws deep into his flesh.

He finally whirled to face her. Blood dripped from his mouth to stain his chin. His eyes were wild, and his pupils were enormous. He moved with inhuman speed, grabbing Jez with both hands. The bleeding woman swayed on her feet. Her eyes rolled up in her head, and she hit the floor.

Instinct said I should help Jez tear apart the crazed vampire, but I couldn’t just leave that woman laid out on the floor. As soon as I touched her, I knew she was dead. I was too late. Fuck. This was exactly what I was trying to prevent in this damn place.

Arys was going to love this. He was my biggest skeptic; he doubted I could control my patrons.

I turned back to Jez in time to see her slash those vicious claws across the throat of the snarling vampire. The force took his head right off, and it came straight at me. Without thinking, I ducked, but it burst into ash with the rest of his body. A shower of dust rained down all around me, and I cringed.

The crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed then. Some of them didn’t want to end up like our dusty friend, and others just lost interest that fast. The humans were staring at Jez with wide eyes. Bloody claws and wild cat eyes, she was a hell of a vision. She looked far more frightening than the vampires in The Kiss.

I brushed at the dust and ash on my clothes and gave my hair a shake. Well, this was just fucking great.

Then, Shaz appeared in the doorway. His eyes were pure wolf, and blood stained his clothing. And, standing behind Shaz with crossed arms and a smirk was Arys. Fabulous.

I surveyed the mess of vampire remains. That wasn’t much of a cleanup. A good vacuum would get the job done. However, that was the least of my concerns. A woman lay dead on the floor of the nightclub I’d sworn to change. So far, things were not going my way. Now, I had to listen to Arys gloat about being right.

He sauntered over to me with a grace possessed only by vampires that had lived for centuries. His sexy, bedroom-messy, raven black hair shone deep blue beneath the dim lighting. The fang-revealing grin he wore irritated me as much as it enticed.

“Go ahead and say it.” I threw both hands in the air and glared. “I know you want to. Have at it.”

His chuckle stroked me deep inside, and our power sparked when he grasped my upraised hands in his, lacing our fingers together. Leaning close enough to brush his lips against mine, he murmured, “I told you so.”

I couldn’t help the way my power instantly mingled with his. We were bound by blood, so it would always be this way. Though I’d recently gained more control over my abilities, Arys could always strip me of it with the right touch, look or careful whisper.

“Since you’re enjoying this so much, you can clean up the body.” I flashed him a smirk of my own and pulled away before the flame burning between us could grow into a blazing inferno.

“I got him.” Shaz stepped up beside me with a bleeding gash below his eye. I hadn’t noticed it in the chaos. “Pretty easy take down.”

I gently touched his face, trying to get a better look at his superficial wound. It looked worse than it was. I couldn’t resist letting my pinky finger slide through the blood that ran in a single rivulet down his cheek. He watched as I brought it close, smelling his powerful werewolf blood. I would have tasted it, but Arys intercepted the motion.

Gripping my wrist tightly, he brought my hand to his mouth and slowly licked Shaz’s blood from my little finger. His tongue was warm and inviting as he stroked it along my flesh. My breath caught, and I was flush with unbidden desire. Arys’s gaze was intent on Shaz, watching for his reaction.

“You are such a dick.” Shaz shoved past us, purposely shouldering Arys as he went.

Arys just laughed. He liked to get under Shaz’s skin, and Shaz made it far too easy for him.

“Don’t start with him tonight,” I warned. “If you haven’t noticed, I have enough to deal with here without you playing with him. One of these days, he’s going to lose it on you, and then you’re on your own.”

Arys’s smile vanished, but the mischievous glint in his eyes remained. “I wish he would.”

“Oh, you do not.” I shook my head, exasperated.

Arys’s fun with Shaz stemmed from their intense dislike for one another.

They’d gone from fist fights to stubborn acceptance. A ménage à trois that resulted in a bite and even a kiss between the two of them had reminded Shaz of what he hated about Arys: everything. Of course, that had a lot to do with Shaz’s resentment that he’d enjoyed the bite of the vampire he despised.

“Look, just leave Shaz alone.  Help me clean up, and you can rub my total failure in my face later.”

I turned away from Arys. People packed the dance floor as if nothing had disrupted them. Newcomers made their way through the lobby into the main part of the club. I had to get this body moved.

Arys swept past me, lifting her easily in his arms and retreating through the rear exit. I caught his eye and nodded my thanks. Ok, so things weren’t going as planned, but they could be worse. Right?

Chapter Two

Voicemail … again. I didn’t bother leaving a message. I wondered if Kale wasn’t actively avoiding my calls. Foreboding gripped my insides and left me ice-cold. I didn’t generally worry about him – if anyone could take care of himself, it was Kale – but something was different this time, all wrong.

Taking a deep breath, I kicked a rock across the parking lot. It was the only sound other than the muffled noise from inside. I needed some air. Escaping outside alone did little to restore my sanity. The Wicked Kiss was one hell of a pain in my ass.

I stared at the back entrance, a plain metal door that led into the back hall where the creepy little rooms were. Vampires brought their meals, er, willing victims in there for a little frisky fun, and Lord knows what else, during a feed. Too many victims had entered those rooms as humans but left as vampires. Taking over The Kiss stopped that, but it hadn’t done much to curb the rest of the mindless chaos.

I didn’t want to go back in there. Couldn’t someone else do it? That someone was refusing to answer his damn phone. With a snarl and a few choice curse words, I yanked the door open and re-entered the nightclub from hell.

I hurried down the back hall, resisting the urge to break into a full-out run. The hall was heavy with the energy oozing from the occupied rooms. The delicious sexual energy, occasionally tinged with fear, drew me like a moth to a flame. Months ago, I would have drooled like a starved dog scenting fresh meat. I had more control than that now, but it still teased my hunger.

A pained whimper caught my attention. It wasn’t unusual to hear cries and shrieks back here. Still, I checked it out. I listened closely, and when I heard a man’s voice moan, “More,” I was out of there. Clearly, he wasn’t fighting for his life.

I jerked back from the door, wishing I would shudder or feel disgust. But, I’d known the intoxicating and powerful bite of a vampire or two, so all I felt was an unbidden rush of pleasure as my pulse raced.

My hate for the place resurfaced, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. Re-emerging into the club area, that feeling only grew. For the most part, things were back to normal. The dead body was gone, and patrons were drinking and dancing as if nothing had happened.

Arys leaned against the bar, grinning from ear to ear. A woman with bright pink hair sipped a beer and smiled up at him. Oh please. For a vampire that frowned upon the willing victim scenario, he sure was eating up his wannabe victim’s attention.

With a scowl, I bypassed the line at the bar and tapped my fingernails on the counter. “Jack Daniels on the rocks.”

Without a word the bartender, Josh, slid a glass to me with more than one shot. I thanked him and moved where I could watch everyone. A long swig of the strong whiskey was heavenly. I tried to abstain from booze at The Kiss, but tonight had pushed me past the point of caring. I needed this drink.

I was done. Whatever else happened tonight wasn’t my concern, and I wasn’t going to do a damn thing about it. The whole damned place could burn down for all I cared.

Jez sidled up to me with a knowing look. “Not worth the trouble, is it?”

“Not even close.”

The whiskey burned its way down my throat. A warm tingle started in my stomach and grew to encompass my whole body. That’s the stuff.

I glanced in Arys’s direction, annoyed at myself for the ugly envy that picked at me. It didn’t bother me that he flirted shamelessly with some random human female. It bothered me that he was letting her throw herself at him, knowing she was hoping to end up in one of those back rooms with him.

“She’s just food.” Jez followed my gaze to where Arys and his new fan were chatting up a storm. “You know that’s all he’s thinking. She’s drooling over his damn fine body, and he’s thinking about bleeding her.”

“I know. I think that’s the problem. I know how Arys works. I just don’t want to see him in action. Not in here.”

Everything about Arys screamed sex, so I didn’t blame any woman for drooling over him. I couldn’t even blame him for taking advantage of it. The man literally fed off it. Now, because of our bond, so did I. Still, I was a little raw from seeing Arys and his sire with a victim.

“I tried Kale again.” I steered the conversation in a new direction. I didn’t want to focus on Arys being … well … Arys. “He isn’t answering. I’m starting to think he’s avoiding me.”

“He hasn’t been answering my calls, either.” Jez shrugged. “I don’t want to over-analyze this, but I have a sick feeling in my gut.”

“You’re not the only one.”

“I’m going to take off. I think I’ll stop by the office and see if he’s there. Try not to lose your mind. In fact, maybe you should take off, too. You look like you’re ready to snap.”

I mustered a smile. “Thanks. I might just do that. Let me know if you talk to Kale.”

I watched Jez’s leopard-golden head disappear out the door. She was right. Why did I bother keeping watch here? It obviously didn’t stop people from getting killed, and it drove me crazy. There were other things I could be doing, should be doing, like hunting down the scum that were slaughtering innocents in cold blood.

I could feel Arys’s eyes on me. The sudden heavy weight that made me feel like I was in the spotlight. Stubbornly, I wanted to resist the urge to turn and meet his midnight gaze, but I couldn’t. I turned to find him standing near the bar alone. The girl with the pink hair was in the lineup for a drink, talking on her cell phone.

Arys crooked his finger and beckoned me over. The sly smile and sexy wink that accompanied the gesture made me weak in the knees. Damn him. Arrogant, deadly and oh so fine, I hated that I couldn’t resist him.

I sauntered over to him, ditching my empty glass at a nearby table on the way. “Being here makes me want to hurt people.”

“You’re speaking my language.” Arys slid an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “What about her?” He indicated the pink haired woman. “Me and you. She could be ours. Do you want her?”

I wasn’t surprised that he wanted her, but I was surprised that he wanted me to join him. Both vampire and werewolf power flowed through my veins, so tearing her throat out was in my nature.

Instead, I swallowed hard and shook my head.

“No. She’s all yours. I can’t stop you from killing, but I can’t let you do it here.”

He raised a dark brow as if he wasn’t sure if I was serious. “No problem. No killing here. Just as well. This place is for amateurs.” He reached to grasp a strand of my black-tipped blonde hair, twirling it around his finger. “Hey, are you okay?”

I found genuine concern in his eyes, and I stroked a finger down the side of his face. “I’m fine, just ready for this night to be over.”

A soft kiss had me melting in his embrace. The silver ring in his bottom lip was cold against my tongue. His cologne teased me. Everything about him set me on fire. After being involved for almost a year, every touch gave me butterflies as if it were the very first.

Dipping his finger below the waist of my jeans, Arys tugged on my g-string and murmured, “Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to tag team that one with me? Last chance.”

I laughed and slapped him playfully. “Cut it out.”

“But, she’s totally asking for it. How can you resist? How can you expect me to resist?”

“I don’t expect you to. Just use a little … discretion.”

His chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. He grabbed me tightly and nuzzled my neck, grazing my skin with his fangs. The jolt of energy that shot straight to my groin caused me to gasp.

“I can feel it inside you.” His whispered words came hot against my skin. “The pent-up aggression. The need to unleash and feed that hunger. Your wolf is frustrated.”

I sighed and leaned into him. He wasn’t wrong. I should know better than to let the wolf get frisky. It could affect Arys in a pretty ugly way due to our bond. “I’ll be fine. I just need to go home and relax.”

“You need to stop living in denial. This place is no good for you. You should let Kale deal with it. This isn’t your world.”

“It is now.” I studied Arys closely, curious. “This isn’t your world either. You hate it here. So, what’s with all the recent visits?”

Arys shrugged and let his gaze wander around the bar. “Well, you’re here. Where else would I be?”

“No, really. I know you, Arys. You’ve been in here a lot lately. That’s not like you. What’s up?” This was the fourth night in a row that he’d appeared in The Kiss, and I was getting suspicious.

I felt the shift in him as his energy grew defensive. His eyes were still scanning the building, and I began to grow uneasy. What the hell was he hiding from me?

I glanced around, nervous at what I was sensing from Arys. The crowd was starting to thin as most of the vampires lured victims to a more secluded place. Two vampires in a corner booth had a young woman between them. One of them fed from her wrist while the other kissed her deeply. A lone witch at a different table oozed black energy that made my skin crawl. Otherwise, nothing struck me as out-of-place.

Arys pressed a quick kiss to my lips. “I don’t want to talk about it here. Later. I promise. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be right back.”

I was dying to know what had Arys so worried, and patience was not a virtue that I possessed. However, if I could just get through the rest of the night without any further incident, I’d consider it a successful evening.

No sooner had I formed that thought than a loud crash drew my attention to a fight on the dance floor. I couldn’t even pretend to be surprised. Since taking over The Kiss, I’d seen just about everything.

Two women were throwing punches at each other. I had to roll my eyes. What could possibly be worth fighting about here? Shaz cast a glance my way. He seemed reluctant to get involved. With a sigh, I waved a hand in their direction and flung them apart. Jerking my thumb towards the door, I made it clear to Shaz that I’d like them tossed out. I wasn’t in the mood for this crap.

I’d wanted control of the notorious nightclub because it had such a shady reputation. Paranormal creatures and the stupid humans who sought to be close to them filled The Kiss. I’d assumed I could change the place, but really, it was changing me and not in a good way.

Josh was busy behind the bar so I headed back and helped myself. I caught myself looking between the whiskey bottle and a glass, wondering if the glass was worth the bother. The Kiss was going to turn me into a raging drunk in no time. I considered drinking from the bottle but poured the glass a little too full instead.

Time seemed to crawl by as I found an empty table and waited for Arys to return. Despite the hard liquor in my hand, my current reality was very sobering.

I sensed a strange vampire’s approach before he touched me. I sat up a little straighter in my chair, ready for him to reach for me. Without looking behind me, I grabbed his wrist before his hand could fall on my shoulder. My maneuver soon had him flat on his back blinking up at me in shock.

“What the hell do you want?” I glared down at him. The last thing I needed tonight was another vampire who felt he had something to prove.

His face contorted with pain as I twisted his arm. “Just looking for a playmate. Fuck! Let go of me!”

“Are you new or something? I don’t play here. I’m off-limits. All the time.” I released him, ready to kick his ass if he tried anything.

I analyzed his energy and decided he wasn’t a threat, just a ballsy vampire that thought I was on the menu. It didn’t happen so often now that most of them knew me.

“Alright, I got it.” He held his hands up in surrender as he backed away. “A simple ‘no thanks’ would have sufficed, you know.”

With a shrug, I waved him off. I had nothing more to say. I was anxious about what was up with Arys. Sitting still was almost impossible. I was restless. After finishing my drink, I took a slow walk around the inside of the building.

Shaz was in the front lobby with Arys. They were speaking quietly to one another, their heads close together. That set off a red flag for me. Arys caught me watching them. He held up a finger in that universal ‘one moment’ gesture before disappearing outside. I looked expectantly at Shaz, but he revealed nothing.

Now that I was tuned into it, something didn’t feel right. It wasn’t just the strange way Arys was loitering around The Kiss. The atmosphere within the nightclub felt off-balance, as if something were out of place. My senses honed in on that wariness, focusing until I could feel that vibration that didn’t fit in.

I hadn’t noticed it before. The metaphysical mojo in the building amounted to psychic noise. Something about the vibe was familiar, and I needed to pinpoint where or who it was. I followed the sensation.

It grew stronger as I drew closer to the doorway that led to the back rooms. It was probably coming from a vampire blood party that would give me the creeps, but I had to know for sure.

The vibe came from the room that Kale claimed as his own. I recognized Kale’s energy, but it felt residual as if he were no longer present. I didn’t want to acknowledge my suspicions, but I had to see.

Slowly, I approached the door. As I passed other rooms along the way, I shuddered when my senses picked up creepy, vampiric sounds, smells and sensations. A scream rang out, causing me to jump. Thankfully, it dissolved into a series of pleasurable moans.

My senses were on fire. I fought back the intrigue that surfaced within me. I couldn’t allow someone else’s blood- and sex-fest to distract me.

I stared at Kale’s door, knowing he wasn’t in there but certain that something was.

I moved fast, before I could chicken out. Trying the handle, I found it unlocked. I gave the door a shove and watched it swing open while I remained in the hallway. The strange mix of Kale’s high-strung energy and death greeted me with a slap in the face.

The bedside lamp was on, illuminating two bodies sprawled on the bed, a blonde and a brunette. Each was clad in next to nothing, and both had bloodied throats.

They hadn’t been dead long.

My stomach dropped, and I felt sick. Reality crushed the breath from me. Kale had been here recently. And, he was killing again.

Chapter Three

“Don’t look for Kale.” I barely let Jez get a word out. My hand shook as I gripped my cell phone tightly. “If you see him, you might want to be on your guard.”

“What’s going on?”

I leaned heavily against the door-frame of Kale’s room, staring at the corner of the bloodstained sheets. I couldn’t bring myself to look at the faces of Kale’s victims again.

“I’m not sure. All I know is that I’m staring at two dead women in his bed right now. He isn’t here.”

Jez’s voice held a note of fear. “Kale’s been killing? Oh … that’s not good.”

“That’s putting it lightly.”

“I’ll stay alert, but it’ll be sunrise in a few hours. I imagine wherever he is, he’ll be heading home soon.”

I swallowed hard and glanced up and down the empty hallway. “Unless he comes back here.”

“Maybe you should leave, Lex. You know how he gets around you. If he’s all fucked up, he’ll be unpredictable and dangerous.”

“Call me if you see him. Otherwise, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

I turned quickly when I felt Arys approach. He wore a frown and hummed with an anxious energy. His attention was immediately drawn to Kale’s room, and I cringed.

“You must be so impressed.” He grinned. “Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing you told me I couldn’t do here?”

“Laugh it up.” I gave him my best fake, bitter laugh.

Arys surveyed the interior of the room with a nonchalance that only increased my discomfort. “So Kale’s acting like a vampire again. It’s about time. But, you should tell him not to leave his dead whores lying around like this. It’s bad for business.”

“I know how much you must love this, but please, let me deal with it before you rub it in my face. I get it, ok? I made a huge mistake thinking I could change anything around here. Ha fucking ha!”

“Lighten up, Alexa. Don’t be so uptight about this place. It is what it is.” His voice dropped, and he pulled me close. “Look, I want you to take off right away. Go home. Shaz, too. I’ll meet you there in an hour or so.”

The sudden change in his tone and mood scared me. “Why? Where are you going to be?”

“I will explain everything when I get to your place. Just go. And, please don’t decide to be stubborn right now.” The worry in his eyes was the only thing that kept me from protesting.

“Alright. I’ll head home right away. But, you’d better have a damn good reason for pulling the stubborn card.”

“I do.” Emotion filled his tender kiss. With a gentle touch, he stroked a hand down the side of my face, and I knew from that gesture more than any other that something awful was happening.

I watched him retreat back down the hall and through the doorway into the front of the club. I hated having to wait for answers. But, I trusted Arys so I’d do my best to be patient. In the meantime, I would head on home.

I was contemplating what to do about Kale’s leftovers when the rear entry at the far end of the hall opened and in strode the vampire himself. I turned to face him with a glare, hoping it didn’t waver when a wave of his dark energy washed over me. Worse than touching a live-wire, the jolt that went through me felt like I’d just been hit by lightning.

As Kale drew closer I could see that his eyes were solid black. His pupils were so enlarged it was impossible to see that his eyes were really two different colors from heterochromia iridium. He was soaring high alright; no doubt about that. The rush of the kill had many effects. I wasn’t eager to see it on a vampire who had kept himself on a short leash until now.

I was relieved when Kale stopped several feet away. I had a feeling he did it more for his benefit than mine. I tried to shield against the pull I sensed from him, but my nature yearned to respond to it. I wanted to taste it, to feel it glide over me like a metaphysical second skin. Kale and I shared the same weakness: each other. My power always wanted him.

“Does ‘What in the fuck?’ cover it?” I stared into his dark, glassy eyes, hoping to see some semblance of sanity in them. “I can’t believe you did this.”

“You can’t?” Kale tilted his head to the side and looked me up and down. “I’m not an amateur. I was going to get rid of the mess.”

Dressed all in black with his leather duster cloaking him, Kale looked as good as he always did, but I was more lured by the flow of power surrounding him. I knew how good it would feel.

“When did you start killing again?” I focused on my irritation, ignoring the honey sweet, coercive vibe that called my power to him.

“Does it matter?” Crossing his arms, he leaned back, against the wall opposite me. The weight of his gaze unnerved me.

“There’s no point in talking to you right now, is there? I have to get going anyway. I’m going home.”

“Already? But, I just got here.” His smile was more than a little evil. The last time he’d looked at me like that, the bastard had bit me.

I regarded him warily. “I’ve tried calling your phone for hours. Now I see why you were ignoring me. What you do is your business, Kale. I can’t stop you. But, this stuff shouldn’t be happening in here. You’re fucking looped, and you know it. We should talk when you come down off this high. Not now.”

“I can tell you right now those two dead hookers are likely among the tamest things you’d find in here tonight if you could see behind every closed door.”

I wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Hey, it’s your club. You own it, and you can do whatever the hell you want here. I’m sure you want to deal with this before sunrise so I’ll just leave you to it.”

“What’s the rush?” Kale stepped away from the wall, blocking my way past him. “You know I won’t hurt you.”

“I know you want to. Have you forgotten that I’ve heard this before?”

He reached a hand out towards me as he pulled on my nervous energy. “I won’t hurt you. Not unless you beg me to.”

The memory his words conjured up brought a flaming hot blush to my cheeks. Not so long ago, the intoxicating allure of power had led me and Kale into an unplanned intimate encounter. He’d taken my blood, and I’d all but begged him to bang me on the desk in my office. It hadn’t happened, thanks to Jez’s interruption, but it had come damn close.

He chuckled and took a step that brought him into my personal space. “You’re adorable when you blush.”

I refused to let him intimidate me. The heady wave of energy that surrounded him like an intoxicating perfume teased my senses. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was doing it on purpose, trying to force me to react to him. That wasn’t going to happen. To react would be dangerous, and he knew it as well as I did.

I was tongue-tied as I tried to muster a response. “I got nothin’.”

He was quiet for a minute, regarding me with that dark gaze. His power called to me, reminding me of why Kale and I were rarely alone together anymore. It was dangerous. Forbidden fruit always was so much sweeter. I hated how I reacted to him. Our uninhibited impulses exploded as my sensuality made me weak.

Nope. Not happening. If I gave in to the luscious way our power felt, even for a moment, I’d find myself begging Kale to bleed me … and Lord knows what else.

“You don’t trust me, Alexa?”

Might as well be honest. “I guess that depends what you mean exactly. You’re a cold-blooded killer that’s had himself on a tight leash for many years. You’re about as unpredictable as they come.”

“Yeah there’s that. But, you think I might try to kill you, don’t you?” He took that extra step. My skin grew hot at his proximity, and I drew in a deep breath. Stepping away would only provoke him.

“Can you really blame me for that?”

“Yes. I can.” Kale ran a hand through his hair. “Are you going to hold that one time against me forever? It was once. Yeah, you’re mortal. You smell and taste so damn good. But honestly, I’d rather make love to you than kill you.”

Oh hell. My lungs deflated, and I struggled for air. Stunned didn’t begin to cover it. “Oh don’t go there, Kale. I don’t even know what to say to that.” I’d almost prefer it if he wanted to kill me, at least I’d know how to react.

“Stop with the awkward tension. We should be beyond this.” In a bold gesture, Kale danced a hand down my body, careful to never actually touch me.

I could feel the waves of energy as they pulsed under his manipulation. A shiver ran down my spine, and I had to resist the urge to scratch an itch that wasn’t physical. He wasn’t wrong. I was the one that made things weird with us. I was still carrying around some personal shame for offering myself to him during a moment of extreme weakness.

“How can I not feel awkward? You’re practically fucking me with your mind.”

His chuckle didn’t put me at ease. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“You’re going to regret saying that after you come down from this little high you’re on. It can’t last forever you know.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“You’re impossible.”

I had to admit, Kale was enchanting when influenced by the power of the kill. It brought out the true nature in every vampire, the killer that always dwelled within each of them. It was delightfully powerful and seductive, and because of that, it was also deadly.

I felt immediately when the atmosphere began to pulse. He was influencing it, trying to coerce a response from me. His expression was carefully neutral, but his eyes were watchful and mischievous.

“I never missed the rush of the kill much until recently. Besides, you got me thinking about what I was starving myself of.” Kale’s voice dropped in tone. He continued to trail his fingers through the energy surrounding me. It gave me chills.

“Yay me.” I pushed back against him, creating resistance, like two opposing magnets. “Can’t say I’m proud to be credited for your return to murder and mayhem.”

Kale held the resistance between us until I visibly shook from the effort it took to push against him. I almost fell forward when he dropped it suddenly. Taking advantage of my drop in control, he drew on my aura. Pulling my energy to him, he was able to manipulate what I was feeling.

I knew what he was doing. A careful push and pull that created a growing, heady wave that surrounded us. It called to the core of my being, enticing my hunger for his power. Kale knew damn well how strong my desire to consume him could become. He was playing off that, trying to stoke the flames of my hunger in an attempt to lose us both in the fire. Bad vampire.

“It’s more than that though.” His whispered words were laced with longing. “You made me feel alive again after decades of self-imposed confinement. You set me free.”

“Don’t forget who you are, Kale. I like that person.” The air seemed to grow thick, making it hard to breathe. He was seriously testing my control. All but offering himself to me, Kale was making it difficult to convince myself that I didn’t want his blood and everything he offered with it.

He still wasn’t touching me, but he might as well have been. As much as I’d mastered control over my power in recent months, it didn’t take much to test that. Kale was doing a fine job of it.

“When was the last time you had a really satisfying hunt? Tell me, Alexa. How long has it been since you held down a struggling victim, feeding off the fear, spilling the blood? You know how the power grips you, how it holds you. You know how good it feels when that first drop of blood spills, and there is no turning back.” Kale clenched a hand into a tight fist, opening it suddenly to reveal a spiraling silver psi ball that spun several times before dissipating. “It’s better than an orgasm.”

He was right. What I felt when I killed was very sexual but also very deep and dark, a power that I possessed but never truly commanded. Lost in that power, we became little more than conduits for something bigger, something that wouldn’t be denied.

“It certainly is.” I dropped my gaze to the floor in a vain attempt to escape his effect. My hunger stirred for the thrill he spoke of, and I groaned inwardly.

“We would be beautiful together, you and I.” Kale slipped a finger beneath my chin and lifted my gaze to his. His touch was warm.

I pulled away and in one smooth motion grabbed hold of the pulsating mass of power he had stirred to life. I drew it close, binding it so that it reacted to my manipulations. Absorbing Kale’s power into me along with my own and bending it to my will was something I’d learned not so long ago. It worked quite nicely with the right focus.

Kale looked pleased with himself. “So, you do want to play.”

“You, my friend, are asking for trouble.” I was caught in the intoxicating lure of dizzying energy.

“You know you want to. How long do you think we can keep pretending there isn’t something between us?”

“You play dirty, Kale.” I shook a finger at him, refusing to answer.

Kale’s eyes narrowed when I automatically reached for my keys. “You’re going to bail out of here like a bat out of hell now, aren’t you?”

“You’re dangerous when you’re like this. I’m not sure I like it.”

“You know that you do.” He smirked, and I flipped him off.

“What it means is that I’m going home to pour a glass of wine and slip into a hot bath. We’ll talk when being face to face doesn’t result in a power play.”

“Leaving me with thoughts of killing and you naked in the bath. You’re evil, Alexa.”

“What can I say? I do my best.” I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I didn’t trust the darkness in his eyes. Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed to be growing.

“So um, killing and me in the bath, try not to think about those things at the same time. Ok?” It wasn’t easy to slip by him and down the hall without turning my back on him. I must have been incredibly obvious.

He didn’t laugh like I’d hoped. His serious gaze followed me. I was painfully relieved when he didn’t move. I still had the urge to run. Dammit.

I waved when I was a safe distance away. “Goodnight, Kale. Try not to be the monster beneath anybody’s bed for the rest of the night, hmm?”

His jaw clenched, and he forced a smile. “I’ll see what I can do.”

* * * *

An old Joan Jett song played quietly on the radio. It was approaching three in the morning, and I was starting to burn out. I could feel the approach of dawn just a few hours away. Once I was on the highway headed for home, the effects of Kale’s power games and Arys’s fierce insistence began to ebb.

I really was looking forward to that bath.

Shaz had insisted on staying behind a bit longer when I left. We didn’t carpool due to our unpredictable schedules.

I was waiting expectantly for him to call so that I knew he was safe.

My phone rang as expected, but it wasn’t Shaz calling. It was my best friend Kylarai, a divorce lawyer that kept more frequent daytime hours than I did. She usually didn’t call at this time of night.

I hit the hands-free button and was about to say ‘hello’ when the sound of sobbing filled my car. “Kylarai?”

“Fucking son of a bitch! You were right, Alexa. Julian is nothing but a piece of shit.” Her words broke as she spoke through tears. A few more sob-filled curses followed, but I got the gist of it.

“What happened, sweetie? Are you ok?”

She sniffed and took a long, shuddery breath. “I’m not sure. I just caught him with another woman in his apartment. I’m just heading home now. I think I broke my hand punching the bastard out.”

“Shit. I’ll meet you at your place. Just try to calm down. I’m sorry, Ky.”

It was bittersweet news. Julian was a jerk. Kylarai could do better than him. But, the last thing I wanted was to see my dear friend hurt. I shook my head, knowing how protective Shaz was of Ky. Not to mention Kale, Kylarai’s ex. He’d sworn to make Julian sorry if he ever hurt Ky.

Stony Plain lay just a few minutes down the highway from the city. It didn’t take long to reach the small town we called home. I went straight to Kylarai’s, bracing myself. I would be there for her no matter what, regardless of whether I’d approved of her relationship or not.

She was sitting outside on the front step when I got there. Cradling one arm tightly to her body, she sat beneath the glow of the porch light with her head in her good hand. She looked up when I came up the walk. Her face was tear-stained, and her grey eyes were red-rimmed. My heart broke for her.

“I feel like such an idiot. There must have been so many signs. How could I fall for that shit? I’m a fucking divorce lawyer for God’s sake. I know all about the cheating type. Fuck!” A fresh wash of tears streamed down her face, and I felt guilty.

I’d known Julian was cheating on her. Shaz and I had caught him with another woman while out one night. I gave Julian the chance to tell her first. He didn’t. I’d asked him about it recently, and he’d had little to say. I should have told her, but she knew I hated him. I didn’t want to be the one to split them up. It wasn’t my place.

“Aw, Ky. I know there’s nothing I can say. This is one of the worst kinds of hurt. I wish you didn’t have to go through it.”

“You all hated him so much, even Shaz. And, I didn’t have a clue. Maybe I’m just desperate and willing to settle.” She winced in pain.

“You are not desperate. Don’t talk like that. He’s the bad guy here. Not you.”

I reached gently to take her arm, and she surrendered it to me. Her hand was bloody and bruised black. It looked incredibly swollen. I assumed several small bones were broken.

“I should get Arys to heal this, if that’s ok with you.” I reached for my phone and hit the speed dial for Arys. “That’s going to start healing soon. The bones could set wrong.”

We had a connection in the city for stuff like this. Werewolves just can’t go to human doctors. Our rate of healing and our often extensive injuries would be enough to draw the wrong kind of attention.

“Can’t you do it?” Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible.

I glanced at the blood staining her knuckles. It smelled strong. Pure werewolf. “I wish I could, Ky. I think Arys is the safer bet on this one.” With remnants of Kale’s influence clinging to the inside of my head like cobwebs, I didn’t want to take any chances. Healing wasn’t quite my forte, either. It was one area where I lacked confidence.

I kept the call to Arys short and to the point. He was just as clipped when promising to be there soon before hanging up without another word. Strange.

The front door opened, and Ky’s roommate, Zoey, stood there looking down at us where we sat on the step. “I thought I heard you out here. What’s going on?”

Zoey and I shared a knowing look. She hadn’t been Julian’s biggest fan either. Kylarai recited the events of her night to Zoey and me. Though she continued to sniff and swear, the tears were slowing.

“Do you want me to separate that boy’s balls from his body?” Zoey offered hopefully. “I swear, I wouldn’t mind.”

Kylarai attempted a halfhearted smile and shook her head. “No. If anyone gets to do that, it’s going to be me.”

“How’s his face?” I asked, wishing I could see it for myself.

“I’m pretty sure I broke his nose. Still, it’s not enough.”

I shook my head thoughtfully. No, it wasn’t enough. To this day I regretted that I’d never been able to make Raoul, the first man to break my heart, suffer the way I had for what he’d done. And now, he was dead.

The three of us sat huddled together with Kylarai in the middle. She leaned into me, and I stroked a hand through her chestnut-brown locks. Her scent was flowery with an underlying hint of wolf. She smelled like home.

It didn’t take long for Arys to arrive. I was mildly surprised to see that Shaz was with him. Ky groaned when she saw Shaz. I couldn’t say I blamed her. The only reason Shaz hadn’t run Julian out of town by now was because Ky had asked him not to.

I gave Shaz a look, warning him not to say anything now that could wait until later. Other than the quiet, knowing fury burning in his jade eyes, he was calm. I moved so that Arys could take my spot on the step. He and Kylarai didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries. It wasn’t required, and they had a somewhat strained acquaintanceship as it was.

“It’ll be easier if I can touch you.” Arys was gentle as he held Kylarai’s damaged hand.

Zoey sat stiffly, her discomfort with Arys plain, but she watched him with curiosity. Ky wiped at the remains of her tears with her free hand. I could feel the tension in Shaz’s stiff posture. I followed his gaze to Kylarai. He wasn’t happy. I loved him for caring as much as he did.

“Shaz, please. Don’t do anything to Julian.” Kylarai pleaded. “He’s not worth it.”

I felt it when Arys pushed healing energy into Ky. She gasped but remained still. Arys’s fingers lightly brushed the surface of her bruised skin. She would be pain-free within minutes. Arys was a master at healing.

“You know what, Ky?” Shaz paced on the neatly cut lawn. “I won’t do anything to him yet, though God only knows why you care. Guys like him deserve a lot more than an ass-kicking. He’s definitely getting at least that much.”

“I just don’t want to think about it now. I need to get some sleep.” Her eyes widened, and she looked at Arys. “What in the hell?”

Arys’s power had a sensual quality.  I hid a smile, knowing she was reacting to him against her will. Kylarai didn’t like the power that Arys and I had. It made her uneasy, but right now, it was for her own good.

“Take it easy for a few hours. You’ll be fine.” Arys released Kylarai’s hand, and she stared at it in wonder.

“Thank you, Arys.”

He rose and came to me. I noted how he “casually” scanned the street, and it gave me a shock. What did he think was out there?

“We need to go. I don’t think anyone followed you, but I don’t want to chance leading the wrong person to Ky’s house. She has nothing to do with this. Better to keep it that way.”

I stared at him in silence, unsure how to respond. He was freaking me out. The darkness suddenly seemed threatening, and I wanted to go home.

Zoey’s slight rasp broke the quiet. “Are you guys in some kind of trouble?”

“Nothing that can’t be dealt with.” Arys sounded confident.

Kylarai met my eyes, and I knew what she was thinking. Just as I had kept my mouth shut about being right about Julian, she did the same. She didn’t trust Arys and knew our bond made me a target for power seekers. I couldn’t hold it against her, but I hoped like hell she wouldn’t get a reason to feel justified in that distrust.

“Call me tomorrow, Ky. Get some rest and try to feel better.” I paused to give her a hug before waving to Zoey as Arys ushered me down the driveway.

I paused when we reached my car, but he wouldn’t give me a chance to speak. “Get in your car. Drive home. We’ll follow you.”

I looked past him to Shaz’s Chevy parked on the street. Shaz lingered nearby, waiting to leave. Swallowing hard, I opened my car door and dropped into the driver’s seat. I’d find out everything in a matter of minutes. The five-minute drive home would be just enough time to work myself into a nice state of panic.

Chapter Four

My hands shook despite the coffee cup I clutched. I took a deep breath, trying to stay rational. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt like I’d stumbled into someone else’s life. Surely, this couldn’t be mine.

“This is more than I think I can handle tonight. How long have you known about this?” I stared into the mug of creamy coffee, wishing I could find comfort in it like I used to.

Arys sat across from me, his posture stiff despite his attempt at casual. He wasn’t fooling me. “A few weeks. I didn’t want to say anything to you two until I knew for sure. I should have stayed in Vegas long enough to tie up loose ends.”

“You said that you’d taken care of everything there. Didn’t you leave someone in charge?” I was grasping at straws, and I knew it.

“He’s dead.” Arys ran a hand through his hair and dropped his gaze to the floor. “By getting involved in Harley’s Vegas business, I fucked with his involvement in a blood ring. I was too caught up in everything surrounding his death and the conflict here. I knew about this. I just didn’t think these guys would take it this far.”

Shaz paced around the room, clenching his jaw. He hadn’t said much since we got to my place. “So what it really boils down to is that the power you’re packing can’t protect you from everything. You put Alexa in danger.”

“Harley’s death put Alexa in danger. And you too, pup.” Arys’s gaze followed Shaz’s motions. “Do you understand what I’m really telling you here? Yes, I was the one who went to Vegas and messed with his business, but you two took him out. And, that left a hole in this blood ring. These guys lost a partner and a supplier, not to mention the most powerful vampire in Vegas. They’ll be looking for payback.”

I tensed when I felt Shaz’s wolf rise to the surface. This was a serious situation. We were all in deep shit. Losing it on each other wasn’t going to solve anything though.

“A supplier? How bad is it?” Shaz stopped mere feet from Arys and stared down at the vampire.

“It’s bad.” Arys met Shaz’s eyes evenly. “These guys deal in serious fetish kills. Children, virgins, pregnant women … you name it, they have it. It ain’t pretty.”

My stomach turned as revolting images flooded my thoughts. “God, that’s so friggin’ disgusting.”

“So now what?” Shaz glanced from Arys to me, worry heavy in his gaze. “What exactly do they want?”

I had to admit, some naive part of me had never entertained the idea of the kinds of fetish kills Arys had described. I didn’t want it to exist. I knew I lived in a world of blood and death. But this? This was beyond what I knew. It was vile.

Arys was surprisingly calm. “Retribution, I guess.”

“What does that mean?” I forced the question out, afraid to hear the answer.

“They took my guy apart piece by piece before they killed him. They spent all night doing it. This is a dead serious business, one I’ve managed to stay the hell away from. Until now.” The troubled shadows in Arys’s midnight blue eyes were chilling. “They’ll want Harley’s killers to take his place in their circle. Or, they might just want an excuse to stir up shit in our city. It’s hard to say really.”

“Piece by piece?” I sputtered around a sip of coffee.

“With Harley missing and his Vegas businesses shut down, I can imagine it had a big impact on them. It’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do.”

Shaz resumed his slow pacing. I wanted to tell him to sit down already because it was driving me crazy, but it seemed to be keeping him from jumping all over Arys. He was angry though. I could feel it rolling off him.

“So all this power you and Alexa have, enough that she killed Harley … none of this means anything to them? It doesn’t protect you or make you a threat to these people?” Shaz’s tone was accusing, and his clenched fists shook. “If not, then what the fuck is it good for? It has just  put all of us in danger.”

Arys made a frustrated noise that sounded a little too close to a growl for my liking. “Look, wolf,” he snapped. “Nobody has power like what I share with Alexa, but power comes in many forms. There are others that possess enough to make them a serious force to be reckoned with, and there are a lot of them. The vampires that benefit from a blood ring like this are nothing like the bottom feeders you see at The Wicked Kiss. This is a whole different kind of vampire, my friend, and they are not fucking around.”

“Oh  yeah?” Shaz snarled with a viciousness that had me up off my chair. “Where do you fit in, Arys? What kind of vampire are you?”

“Ok guys, that’s enough.” I didn’t give Arys a chance to snap back at Shaz. Arys had done some horrific things to his victims in the past. That wasn’t the point right now. “Let’s try to keep our heads here. This is obviously stressful enough without taking shots at each other.”

They both continued to glare darkly at one another though they remained silent. Shaz sat down in the chair I’d just vacated, a major relief. He was quiet when he spoke next.

“So what do we do then? Wait around for these bastards to show their faces?”

“I wish I could tell you.” Arys didn’t look at him when he replied. “I don’t know what they intend to do. All I know is that if they want something, they’ll come for it.”

I had to resist the urge to take up pacing where Shaz left off. I felt restless and trapped. “So, this is like the vampire mob or something? I don’t want any part of it.”

Arys actually chuckled at that, and I frowned. “Oh, Alexa. Sometimes I forget how new to this world you still are. These creatures are killers and nothing less. They want the pain and the agony of their victim more than they want the actual death. Dragging out every moment until that final breath, for days even, that’s what they enjoy. They are not vampires consuming blood to survive. They are true killers that make death an art form.”

“Ok,” I murmured more to myself than to either of them. “No reassurance there.”

“What is it that makes you so different?” Shaz’s question rang with challenge. “You’re a killer, Arys.”

I tensed, fearing what Arys might say to that. He was a killer, there was no disputing that. But, I’d killed too without reason and would have done so again if Kale hadn’t stopped me. Could Shaz judge Arys as a killer without including me in that?

Arys rose and headed for the short flight of stairs that led up to the main level from the sunken living room. He paused at the bottom and looked thoughtfully at Shaz. “Even I know that you’re not truly that narrow-minded, pup. You were right there by Alexa’s side when she killed Harley. You tore his throat out, did you not? Like it or not, we’re in this together. Better get used to it.”

I followed Arys to the front door, exhaustion setting in. Sunrise couldn’t come fast enough. All I wanted to do was drop into bed. So much for that bath I’d planned.

“This will all blow over. Right?” I could hear the uncertainty in my voice, and it made me cringe.

Arys drew me into his embrace, hugging me close. He deeply inhaled my scent, and I snuggled in closer.

“Of course,” he whispered. “We’ll deal with it. In the meantime, stay alert. Make sure you’re not followed, and try not to be out alone too often until this is settled. Shaz, too.”

His kiss was loving and tender. I melted when he slipped his tongue into my mouth. I would have had much more appreciation for it if we hadn’t just been discussing fetish kills for vampires.

The pre-dawn sky was beginning to show signs of the coming sunrise. Reluctantly, Arys pulled away and opened the door. I watched him disappear into what remained of the night. I was coming to realize that there was no such thing as a normal life. Not for me. At least, not anymore.

Chapter Five

I didn’t expect to see Kale’s car in the parking lot when I got to the office. Good. I had a few things to say to him after I was through speaking with Veryl. It had been a while since the bossman had wanted to see me. Our relationship was strained. I had little to say to him these days.

I’m not sure what made me do it, but I cloaked my presence before exiting the car. Neither of them would be able to detect me. Another advantage of being other than human was how easy it was to slip inside unheard. The front door made the slightest squeak, causing me to swear beneath my breath.

Pausing in the entryway, I listened to the sounds of the office. My sensitive ears picked up the low tones of two male voices. The sound of the clock ticking in the kitchen was especially loud as I concentrated. Whatever Veryl and Kale were discussing, it was heated.

I really hadn’t intended to eavesdrop when I snuck inside. I was simply curious, and lately, I’d been incredibly suspicious. I was in the dark on too many of the things going on around here. That had to stop.

I slowly made my way down the hall. Veryl’s door was at the very end. It was closed. Their voices carried, and I was surprised to hear the absolute venom in Kale’s tone. It was a far cry from his usual calm, cool and collected. Interesting.

“She’s never going to do it, you know. You need to tell her what’s really going on around here. And when you do, shit is going to hit the fan.”

There was silence, and I held my breath, waiting for Veryl’s response. I had a sick feeling in my stomach that the “her” in their conversation was me. We worked with a few other women. It could be any of them, right? Yeah, not likely.

“It’s not that simple. You should know that. I didn’t expect her to have as much power as she does. It makes her better for this than I could have imagined. They want her on the big jobs now, but how do I say that to her without getting my head torn off?” Veryl sounded desperate.

“I know that she doesn’t take lightly to deception. Can you blame her? Either lay it on the line and let her choose or don’t, but I’m not keeping anything from her anymore.” Kale’s tone was low and deadly.

My pulse began to race. I didn’t like what I was hearing. I swallowed hard. Should I keep listening or show myself? I didn’t think I needed to hear anymore. I dropped my hold on the power enforcing my shields and waited.

Instant silence. As I’d expected. A full minute passed before the door opened. Veryl stood in its frame, a frown marring his sharp features. “Alexa. Funny. I didn’t sense your arrival.”

“Good. You weren’t supposed to.” My wolf stared out at him through my eyes. He appeared unnerved.

“We were just discussing something. Why don’t you come in and join us?”

I stepped into the room and took the chair next to Kale. I gave him a pointed look which he ignored. Despite his poker face, I could see the truth in his mismatched eyes: they had definitely been talking about me.

Veryl took his place behind the desk. He turned off his computer monitor before turning his attention to me. “I suppose we should talk. How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know that I was right to be suspicious. Just cut the crap and tell it like it is. Please, don’t screw with me anymore.”

I’d worked with Veryl for years. He was a former paranormal investigator turned vampire. He had people like Kale, Jez and me work for him, along with a few others. We were pretty much hired guns. We killed other supernaturals, and for the most part, we weren’t given a lot of reason for it. I’d always assumed there was a reason to wipe them out, the main one being that some of them risked drawing unnecessary attention to the rest of us. I had known for a while that there were things going on behind the scenes that Veryl kept from us. I had a feeling I was about to discover one of them.

“I’m going to level with you, Alexa.” Veryl leaned forward on his desk to pin me with his gaze. “You’re a smart lady. You know by now that things aren’t exactly what they seem here. I am only one man in a very large and powerful organization.”

That verified some of my suspicions. I’d suspected Veryl’s orders came from somewhere else. However, having it confirmed did nothing to ease the sick feeling growing in the pit of my stomach.

“How much of it is human government?”

“The question really is, how much of the government is human? Anyway, that’s an entirely different topic. The government has their own agenda.”

That was reassuring. “I knew there was more going on than you’d ever say. But go ahead, tell me what it really has to do with me. And, why wait until now to tell me about it?”

Kale remained too quiet for my liking. I wanted to kick him but resisted the urge. I didn’t dare take my eyes from Veryl. Whether I could make him squirm or not, I wanted him to feel the weight of my gaze.

“Isn’t it obvious? We recruit those with serious power. You have it. You always have. But naturally, we started you out small. Simple vampire kills, something to help hone your skills while reducing the number of vermin on the streets. But now, you’re big time.”

He let that last sentence hang between us, allowing its true meaning to sink in. Fury crashed over me like a wave on the beach. I was suddenly soaked in it. Deep breaths did little to help.

“And, someone wants to take advantage of that. Right?”

I glared daggers into him. Things had been strained between us since I’d found out that Veryl had taken advantage of a personal situation that had hurt me deeply. He’d kept Raoul’s secret from me, hiding the truth about the attack that turned me. The reason why was painfully clear: to gain access to my power.

“Nobody has taken advantage of you, Alexa. Lord knows Kale would never have allowed that.” Veryl flashed Kale a dark look. “I assume you heard enough to know he was arguing on your behalf. He believes you will refuse the position you’re being offered, and I don’t disagree with him.”

I glanced between the two of them. Something unsettling lurked in Kale’s brown and blue eyes. “And, this would be?”

“Not the pathetic newborn vamps you’ve dealt with before. There are real powerhouses out there. Like you. Some of them know things they shouldn’t. Some of them are spies. And, others are traitors.” Veryl gave a dismissive wave, as if the reason didn’t really matter. “And, a great many of them are human.”

I let that sink in for a moment. This week was really starting to look bad in terms of news and revelations that I’d much rather live without.

Kale shifted uneasily in his chair. “I didn’t think that hunting humans was something you would agree to.”

As I received more information, I had more questions. “Why are the people on your hit lists chosen? Really. Because I’d been under the impression there was a damn good reason. And now, I’m starting to reconsider that.”

“Does it matter?” Veryl asked with a tone that one might use when dealing with a stubborn child. “I’m not at liberty to tell you more than required. In fact, I’m not always given that kind of information, for obvious reasons. In some cases, the less people know, the safer they are.”

“I don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to like it, Alexa. You just have to do it. Liking it is just a bonus.”

He fixed me with a steely glare that would have intimidated me once. Now, it had me smirking like a rebellious teenager. In recent months Veryl had avoided me. At least, he wouldn’t stay in a room with me a moment longer than he had to. He no longer tried to test my power by invasively brushing up against me metaphysically. Instead, he shielded hard when around me so he wouldn’t feel my power at all. I still hadn’t decided if I was relieved or insulted by that.

“Just be honest with me for once. Why is getting any information out of you like banging my head against a brick wall?” Vampires horde information like its toilet paper in a natural disaster. It’s ridiculous.

Veryl fixed me with a look that he meant to be scary. “There are people who don’t want to waste your abilities on bullshit kills. What you have is valuable, and it makes you valuable. Do you understand?”

This was interesting. “I do. Please, go on. I’d like to hear more about these mystery people.”

“There’s nothing more to know. Information is given on a need to know basis.” He shrugged as if there was nothing more to it.

“Well, I need to know why I’ve gone from killing idiot vampires to humans with power. I smell a rat. Can a human really have enough power to make the big, bad monsters afraid?”

“Yes.” Kale spoke up, drawing my attention to him. “You were one once. There are more out there, Alexa, and some of them won’t think twice about using that power against us.”

I shook my head and frowned in confusion. “Food and foe? Seriously?”

“It’s not quite that simple, Alexa.” Veryl’s expression was bored, as if he couldn’t bear to bother with me. “If you really want to push the subject, there are other people you can talk to. Although, I wouldn’t recommend it. Not if you want to avoid having them take more interest in you than they have already.”

The way he said it chilled me. It set off warning bells in my head, and I wondered what I was really involved in. And more importantly, could I get out if I wanted to? This was something I needed to know more about. Not from Veryl though, clearly.

“Alright. So what’s the bottom line here? What is it you want me to do?”

Veryl eyed me like he couldn’t tell if I was fucking with him or not. “There’s a woman. A traitor. She was one of ours, and now she’s working to expose us. All of us.”

“So? What are her reasons? Did anybody bother to find that out before issuing a kill order?” I was being a pain in the ass, I knew, but it was impossible to resist.

“She’s a double agent working for a government agency, Alexa!” Veryl suddenly oozed menace. “She knows magic that can drop a vampire with little more than the right words. Do you really want someone walking around with the ability to do that? Someone who believes we should all be hunted down one by one?”

“I won’t kill innocents, Veryl. That’s my only stipulation. I’m serious.”

“I can guarantee you that you’ve never killed an innocent. No such thing.” He sounded pretty much like every vampire I knew. It didn’t come as a surprise to hear him speak that way. “Kale will be with you. I wouldn’t send you alone, human target or otherwise.”

Kale killing humans? Oh, that was terrific. It also explained a lot.

“Fine.” I stood up and looked down at Veryl where he sat behind the desk. “I’ll do it. But now you’ve made me suspicious. I don’t like that. You’d better not be feeding me another line of bullshit. You haven’t quite always had my best interests in mind over the years.”

“You see it that way because you refuse to realize that I have withheld some things from you for a reason. For your own good. You’re bull-headed, Alexa. That’s one of the things I like about you. It keeps you hard enough to do your job, but it will get you into trouble if you aren’t careful.”

I gaped at him, momentarily flustered. “My own good? How was keeping Raoul’s secret for my own good? Seems to me that it was so that you’d have some control over me. Kiss those days goodbye.”

Veryl waved a dismissive hand at me. “Whatever. You should go. Call me when it’s done.”

That was it. He turned his attention to his computer and went about his business as if I wasn’t even there. Normally, that would have been enough to push me past the boiling point. My temper was short enough with Veryl that I considered laying into him, again. He was purposely trying to avoid further discussion about hiding Raoul’s true role in slaughtering my parents and infecting me. I couldn’t blame Veryl. That fight was over, and I’d had a lot of time to say my piece. However, that wasn’t what kept my mouth shut right then. No, it was the slightest trickle of apprehension rolling off him.

Spinning on my heel, I left his office with a self-satisfied smile and Kale hot on my heels. Veryl wasn’t comfortable with me anymore, and I knew why. My power had grown in the last year, along with my connections. I wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking higher of myself than was accurate. I knew I wasn’t the big bad that some were. Still, something about me scared Veryl, and that was reassuring. Of course, something about him scared me, too. I didn’t trust him, and I didn’t know who his, our, employers really were. Something told me I didn’t want to know.

I stormed out of the building with one goal in mind: to get out of the place before I blew it off its foundation. Kale didn’t let me get more than a few steps ahead of him. I slammed the door open and strode outside, aching to throw a few punches.

“Alexa, wait. I know you’re pissed, and you probably have a lot to-,”

I turned on him with a speed and precision that was alarming. Kale might have been taller than me, but my four-inch heeled boots gave me enough leverage to get into his face.

“How many of them were innocent?” I hadn’t meant for it to be the first thing out of my mouth. “How many people did I kill with you at my side that didn’t really deserve it?”

“Alexa, I-,”

“It’s clearly not about good and evil or what someone is. Somebody else is deciding who lives and dies. How could you sit by and let me get drawn into this, knowing how hard it is for me to deal with just being me? And, then you sit there in silence while I’m told that I’m a fucking pawn to some paranormal government! How can you be ok with being a part of all this?”

I clenched my fists so hard my nails cut into my palms. I felt the warmth of the blood trickling between my fingers. Kale’s gaze flicked to the blood dripping on the gravel parking lot then back to me. He paused, waiting to be sure I was going to let him speak.

“First of all, I signed on to this for my own reasons. I assumed that you had yours. I have no problem killing anyone who uses their power to abuse others or threaten me. That includes humans.” Kale didn’t back off. Instead he glared down into my face. “You have no idea how many times I’ve gone head to head with Veryl because of you. Did I know that he saw you as a fascinating addition to his team? Yes. But, I also happen to know you can take care of yourself.”

“Tell me then Kale, how can I do that when I don’t even know who I’m working for? The boss I have is a scumbag that has pulled strings in my life since I was a teenager. I thought I was killing the bad guys, you know? The ones that exist only to prey on the helpless, to kill without thought. Now, I’m not so sure.”

I had to put some distance between us. Emotion and adrenaline had me vibrating. Taking a few steps back, I pushed my hair out of my face and focused on taking deep breaths.

“You do kill the bad guys, Alexa. You just also happen to work for them.”

Those words sunk deep into me, and I swallowed hard. I stared at the empty street, wishing a car would go by to break up the quiet. “The dead women at The Wicked Kiss? Veryl’s orders?”

I realized I was hoping he would say something to take the blame from himself, even if it was a lie. Kale wouldn’t disrespect me with an outright lie though. That was just wishful thinking.

“No. That was all me.”

I knew it but I had to ask. He was a vampire. I would be wasting my time to try to pick apart why Kale did what he did. His past was so horrific that he’d stopped killing and started feeding from willing victims at The Kiss.

I’d known since meeting Kale that this day would come. If it were anyone else, I could have accepted it. But, killing made him unpredictable and dangerous. Sure, he was standing here now, the same normal Kale I’d always known. Yet, the feisty, high-strung killer he’d revealed the other night was always there inside. Only now, I was painfully aware of it.

“How long?”

“A while now.”

“... Give me the address. I’ll meet you there.” After the incident at The Wicked Kiss, I wasn’t getting into the closed confines of a car with him.

He studied me with that eerie, dual-colored gaze. I knew he wanted to say something about killing those prostitutes, but I was glad when he didn’t bother.

“Look, I don’t know all the details, ok? Stick around long enough to find out for yourself how dangerous this woman is. If you’re not cool with it, you can take off and I’ll handle it. We’ll go tomorrow night.”

He was trying to smooth things over. As much as I wanted to smack Kale, Veryl was my real problem.

“Fine. I’ll be there.”

Chapter Six

“Seriously. What do you want for your birthday? There’s got to be something.”

Sliding a hand through Shaz’s soft platinum hair, I smiled and shook my head. “No, there’s nothing. I don’t want anything. I don’t even want to think about my birthday.”

“What?” Shaz sat up straighter in the bed, propping himself against the headboard. “We’re definitely celebrating your birthday. You’re not getting out of it. I don’t care what you say.”

I groaned and buried my face in my pillow, making a dramatic show of feigned crying. Shaz gave my head a playful shove and laughed. Why did everyone always have to make a big deal out of birthdays? I always had fun celebrating the birthdays of my friends, but I hated being the center of attention on mine.

“I’m boycotting my birthday this year. It’s just like any other day. No big deal.”

“We’re having a party. End of discussion.” Shaz pressed a finger to my lips before I could protest. “We can have it at Lucy’s Lounge. It’s been a while since we’ve been there.”

I could see that it meant more to him than it did to me. With a nod, I sighed and nipped lightly at his finger. “Fine. But no gifts!”

“You know me better than that. You’ll get a gift whether you like it or not.” Shaz rolled so that he was looking down at me from his raised position.  “But, I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.”

I slipped my arms around his neck as he leaned in to kiss me. The soft sheets slid along our naked skin. Shaz pressed his body close to mine, and I drank in his scent, all male and all wolf. Heavenly.

I welcomed it when he slid his tongue between my lips. Slow and deep, Shaz kissed me with the kind of passion that sent a hot tingle to the tips of my toes. I enjoyed nothing more than waking up beside this man. Pent-up desire filled me, and I looked forward to releasing it with Shaz.

He pulled back and gazed down at me thoughtfully. “I had a dream about Raoul.”

“Um … ok. Not quite what I was expecting to hear.” I’d had a dream about Raoul myself not so long ago. One that was extremely vivid. I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone.

“He was here, in this house.” Shaz went on, glancing around the bedroom as if he expected to see our former Alpha there with us. “He told me to protect you from yourself.”

I frowned, confused and irritated by Raoul’s message. That bastard never did give me enough credit.

“Is that it? That’s all he said?”

“Yep. That’s it.” Shaz ran a warm hand along my side. “What do you think that means?”

“I think it means that Raoul still thinks he can control me from beyond the grave.” I sat up and turned so that I faced Shaz directly. The sheets fell to my lap, exposing my breasts. “Or, it means that you really need to get more sleep.”

“Geez, Lex. The guy is dead, and he still can’t catch a break from you.” Shaz’s words said one thing but he reacted the way I wanted him to. Reaching for me, his voice lost that edge of seriousness. “I’d say it’s time to let go of your grudge.”

I got to my knees and pushed him back against the headboard. Tossing the sheets off, I straddled him with a smile. “And, I’d say it’s time for some wake up sex.”

Shaz chuckled and ran his hands down my body to grip my hips. “You don’t want to talk about Raoul. Fine then. Whatever you want.”

I had been ready for this since I’d got home several hours earlier. Rubbing myself against him, I was pleased to find Shaz already hard. Foreplay was nice, but our sense of urgency made it unnecessary. I just needed him inside me.

I kissed Shaz hungrily, preventing him from any further talk. With one hand I gripped the headboard to steady myself, while with the other I held his shaft firmly. I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth before pulling back so I could look into his eyes.

I watched his face intently, loving how his expression changed as I buried him completely within me. When he hit that sweet spot deep inside, I let out a sigh of contentment. Shaz’s gaze dropped to our groins, and he watched as I rode him with slow and deliberate strokes.

He guided my movements by holding my hips, but I wouldn’t give up total control to him. Empowered, I controlled our pleasure while he watched with a look of anguished delight on his gorgeous face. I ran my hands through his blond locks, holding tightly when he thrust up into me as I came down. The impact forced a cry from me.

Shaz slid a hand up my back, pressing me close against him so that he could nuzzle my neck. I shuddered when I felt his fierce fangs graze my throat. We clung to one another, moving in unison. He moaned softly, his breath hot against my skin.

I felt a slight sting in my lower back as Shaz’s claws pierced my flesh. A growl rumbled low in his throat. He was getting frustrated with the lack of control. Wanting to drive him just a bit crazy, I slowed my pace to almost a stop. I laughed when he snarled in my ear.

In one smooth motion he flipped us so that I was beneath him. I stared up into brilliant green wolf eyes. He was wild and demanding when he thrust into me with total domination.

I was thrilled to have my mate possess my body and make it his. Out of the bedroom I wasn’t one for being controlled. In the bedroom, everything was different. Shaz’s dominant side came out in full force when we made love, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

A cool wave passed through me. It was Arys. He was close. Shaz bit at my neck as he drove me toward the brink of climax, and I lost myself in the throes of passion. I struggled to catch my breath while pushing the tousled hair back from my face.

That’s when I noticed Arys. Leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed casually, he watched us with a mischievous smile. It startled me, and I tried to sit up quickly despite Shaz’s weight atop me.

“What the fuck, Arys?” I tried to be mad, but the shock of seeing him standing there was too overwhelming. “Sneaking up on people is not cool. Especially at a time like this.”

“You two really should be more aware of your surroundings. Someone could have come in here and killed the both of you while you’re banging your brains out.” Arys laughed, and I wanted to hit him.

Shaz rolled off me and pulled the sheets up to his waist. “I knew you were there.”

“You did?” I studied him for a long moment. That was interesting. Arys always brought out a different side of Shaz, a stubborn, headstrong one. It never failed.

“Yeah. He hasn’t been there long. A few minutes or so.” Shaz lay back on the pillows with his hands folded beneath his head.

“I felt you.” I gave Arys a dirty look. “But, I didn’t realize you were here.”

Arys gave a fang baring grin and winked. “You were preoccupied. Must have been good.”

“Don’t even doubt it.” Shaz was quick with his reply. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at both of them before getting out of bed.

I strode to the closet, fully aware of the two gazes that followed me. Ignoring them both, I picked through my clothes, looking for something to wear out for the evening. I settled on slim fitting blue jeans and a tight black V-neck t-shirt. I draped a red bra and matching thong over my arm and turned to face my men.

They were watching me in silence. I raised an eyebrow as I crossed the room to the door.

“So that’s it, huh?” Arys blocked my path when I attempted to slip by him. “All played out?”

A teasing glint lit Arys’s eyes. The look he gave me was almost enough to make me toss my clothes and get back into bed. A glance at the bedside clock nixed that idea.

“Sweetie, I’d love to play with you. But, Kale will be expecting me in an hour, and I need to hit the shower and get ready.” I gave each of them a pointed look and smirked. “You guys feel free to play without me though.”

Arys kept a perfectly straight face when he turned to Shaz. “Works for me. What do you say, wolf? Up for a little slap and tickle?”

I couldn’t contain my laughter when Shaz promptly flipped Arys off. He gave his blond head a shake and tried to muster a glare that fell flat. “I’m definitely up for slapping you, vampire. Not sure about the tickle though. Maybe another time.”

I left the two of them to throw verbal shots at each other. My stomach flipped nervously at the thought of hunting down a human with Kale. I wasn’t nervous because this hunt sounded especially awful but because I almost couldn’t wait.

* * * *

I was anxious as I parked down the block from the address Kale had given me. I didn’t know what to expect once we got inside the house. It could be some harmless old lady that knew how to cast love spells for all I knew. How dangerous could a human be? I didn’t really want an answer to that. I’d been a human with power, and though it had been minimal then compared to what I had now, it had been the beginning.

“Why are you so tense?” Kale’s voice was low as he strolled up beside me. “You’ve done this before.”

“Are you serious? That’s like me asking why you’re excited.”

I followed him down a nearby alley to the back side of the house where no one could see us. There had damn well better be a deadly woman inside this house. I’d killed my share of humans, but it wasn’t like this. I didn’t do it for somebody else. Not yet anyway.

Abigail Irving. The name meant nothing to me. Putting a name to the woman I was about to kill wasn’t making it easier. I didn’t know what to expect from her.

Lights were on inside, but I could see nothing through the heavily draped windows. My heart began to race in anticipation. My fangs and claws lengthened as my wolf rose up within me. I wanted this. And God, how I hated that.

With a silent motion, Kale pulled the screen door open. I tensed, expecting him to force his way inside. I was surprised when he knocked instead. I braced when I sensed her sudden fear. I guess she wasn’t expecting company at this time of night.

“Why are we both here?” I hissed beneath my breath when I heard footsteps inside. “Is it really going to take two of us to kill one human?”

“Why not? It’s fun to share.”

I pinned Kale with a wide-eyed stare. The sound of the deadbolt turning was deafening compared to the silence. I sucked in my breath, waiting like a kid on Christmas as the door cracked open an inch. She peered out at us through that tiny space, her brown eyes narrowing. I had to hold myself back, let the moment play out. The scent of candles and incense wafted out to greet us. I wrinkled my nose in distaste as my wolf recoiled against the assault on my senses.

Before either of us could make a move, she blasted me with enough juice to throw me backwards, skidding on my ass. It hurt and I cursed myself for not being ready for an attack. Kale forced his way into the house, and I scrambled to follow him.

The door vibrated on its hinges. I was drawn to her sudden panic. Nothing smelled quite the way fear did. It teased my control, taunting not only my wolf but also the vampire hunger that I now possessed. When I hunted, I was all about the kill. Hunting a human brought out another side, the vampiric one I didn’t trust. Bloodlust stirred in me like the forbidden, unnatural hunger that it was.

Abigail didn’t act like a victim for a moment. She rushed at Kale with a kitchen knife raised above her head. I reacted without thought. Instinct guided me as I grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. The knife hit the floor with a clatter. Abigail let out a howl and swung at me with her free hand.

Kale was careful not to touch her, and it took me a moment to realize why. She mumbled a series of words in a language I didn’t understand. She smacked me in the forehead, saying one final word. The pain that spread through my head was instant. I went down on my knees hard with an anguished cry.

Abigail shrieked as Kale threw a blast her way. She was alarmingly skilled in black magic. I had to give Kale a little credit, Abigail Irving had proven to be anything but a helpless victim.

“I’ll kill you, bloodsuckers!” Abigail’s high-pitched shriek hurt my ears.

Seconds later I felt the atmosphere in the room grow hot as she attempted a metaphysical attack. I felt something burn low inside me, and I tensed, waiting for the pain. Whatever she was trying, it fizzled. She turned to me with eyes wide with horror. She head-butted me right in the face; my own damn fault, I’d hesitated.

I stumbled back a few feet, dazed from the blow. Blood trickled from my nose, and my eyes watered in response. It didn’t matter how fast it would heal, a hit in the nose always hurt like a mother fucker. A snarl erupted from me, and I lashed out in anger. My backhand took her off her feet, and she hit the floor hard.

“Not a vampire,” she muttered repeatedly as she struggled to get up. “What are you?”

I stood over her, placing a boot on her chest so she remained on the floor. I was shaking with the need to kill her. My eyes strayed to her throat as my wolf encouraged me to tear it out. She was prey. What was I waiting for?

I looked to Kale for some kind of support. I was close to losing control.

Abigail tried again to use her magic. I felt it low inside, trying to take hold of me. I pushed back against her with my own power, forcing hers away from me. She was impressively strong, able to really make me have to work to hold off her attack.

“You were warned, Abigail. What did you think was going to happen?” Kale asked, gazing down at her.

“I did what I had to do. You’re filthy, nasty creatures from the bowels of hell!” Abigail stared up at me, venom in her gaze and a litany of curse words poured from her lips. “And whatever you are, you’re as tainted as he is.”

“Lady, I’m not so different a creature than you are. I think the pot’s calling the kettle black here.” I tried to get a read on her power, but I couldn’t determine if it was more than incredibly strong witch magic. I was sure it had to be.

She was seething. Her fear had faded quickly once the adrenaline kicked in. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be able to take on both of us.

“You’re nothing like me. Hurry up and kill me, you heathen! God has a special place for whores like you.”

Nothing like being called a whore by a mad woman. The vacancy deep in her eyes screamed ‘crazy.’ It wasn’t worth letting her get under my skin. Regardless, I struggled not to tear her head from her shoulders.

“Alexa? Do you want her?”

I met Kale’s eyes, finding my bloodlust mirrored in his gaze. Conflict tore at me, taunting me. If I hadn’t been turned by Raoul, if I hadn’t become a werewolf, would I have believed my natural abilities to be a tool against the supernatural? Would I have been so different from Abigail Irving?

I shook my head ‘no,’ but it was a lie.

The bloodlust clawed at my insides. The two predatory natures inside me embraced in an unlikely pairing, sending me spiraling into the black abyss where I always went when I killed.

I stepped back, releasing my hold on the screeching woman on the floor. Kale didn’t hesitate. He dragged her to her feet, fighting to bare her throat. She fought hard as I watched, frozen in place. The hum of their power in combat was loud, almost deafening in my ears.

My heart raced in eager anticipation. I waited for that moment when Kale’s fangs would pierce her flesh and spill her blood.  I could feel her scrambling to re-focus her power, but it was too late. Kale bit deep into her, and I groaned.

I was flushed with excitement. Blood spilled from beneath Kale’s lips as he fed, and I stared, transfixed. A frustrated growl spilled from me. I felt myself slipping during that last moment of clarity before the bloodlust claimed me. I moved without thought, crossing the space between me and Kale. I needed to taste her.

Kale surrendered her to me, anticipation gleaming in his eerie gaze. The fight had gone out of Abigail. Kale had drained her quickly. She hung limp in my grasp. Her heart was slowing. Without hesitation, I ran my tongue over the bleeding punctures in her throat. A roar of thunder echoed inside my head, and fireworks danced in my vision. Blood coated my lips and tongue, but it wasn’t enough.

I bit deep, my top fangs slid through her flesh with an ease that made me groan. The wound was ragged, and the blood pumped faster. My wolf fangs didn’t pierce as neat and clean as vampire fangs. Right then, all I cared about was the intoxicating crimson nectar and taking everything our victim had left to give.

I could feel Kale’s eyes on me. He lingered, close without crossing into my personal space. I knew he wanted to touch me.

Abigail was lifeless when I let her slide to the floor. The urge to howl and drop to all fours was strong. My body vibrated with the rush of the power and the pleasure of the kill. There was nothing like that final moment, when my victim became mine.

“If you kiss me, I’ll knock your ass out.” I uttered the warning through fangs.

Kale regarded me with a neutral expression. I couldn’t read his face, but I didn’t need to.  I knew what he was thinking because I was thinking it, too. Every time we were in a situation like this, we pushed the limits. How many times could I dance this close to the flames before I set myself ablaze?

“Alexa, just go. I’ll deal with this.”

“What?” I was flustered, trying to see clearly through the haze in my head.

“You heard me. Take off. It’s probably best if you do anyway.” Kale gave me a long, lingering look. “Unless you really want to stay.”

“Why do you give up so easy?” I snarled. “You don’t even pretend to resist anymore! If I lost control, nothing would keep us from doing something we’d regret. Why should I have to always be the one saying no for the both of us?”

Kale stepped in close, forcing me to look up to meet his eyes. “Then say yes, and end the hunger that torments us both.”

Staring at the blood that stained his lower lip, wanting desperately to run my tongue over it, logic quickly failed me. It physically hurt to resist the urge. I had to get out of the house. It brimmed with too much power, which exerted far too much influence.

“You know it’s not that simple.”

I hurried outside to gulp in the fresh night air. The energy that had built up in my core burned like a fire just getting started. But, escaping the strange concoction of power inside the house instantly lifted a weight from me.

“It is that simple.” Kale followed me outside but kept a safe distance. “I have done nothing but hold back for months. It’s liberating to finally have you know how I feel. You can hide behind the power and blame that if you want to, but you want me, too. It’s not always about the power. Eventually, you’re going to have to admit it.”

I cringed inwardly. Did it show on my face? God, I hoped not. “I’m not ready to do that.”

He nodded knowingly, but something remained unsettled in his eyes. It unnerved me. “Go home, Alexa.”

It bothered me that he was trying to get rid of me though I knew why. “We’ll talk tomorrow?”

He gave me a tight-lipped smile and a brief nod, then turned to re-enter the house. I stood there in the backyard for a minute, wrestling with myself. Conflicted and wired on my kill, I abandoned the notion of picking apart what had just transpired and headed for my car.

Chapter Seven

It was starting to feel like I’d never left The Wicked Kiss. The moment I walked through the door, I asked myself why I bothered. Would things be any different whether I was there or not? Judging by Kale’s dead whores the other night, the answer to that was ‘no.’

I could feel Arys’s presence. I hated that he’d been hanging around so much. It made me think he knew something that I didn’t. Knowing him, he did. I assumed he was there because of the Vegas vampires, but I still wasn’t sure how concerned I should be about them. Everything Arys had to say about them scared the shit out of me. However, I’d been hit with a lot in recent days, and I could only handle one thing at a time, as it occurred.

It was early yet, barely midnight. The club was busy but not yet crowded. I could still make my way through without having to toss people out of my path. Nothing was amiss, yet. My senses were blazing as I tried to take in everything and everyone. The overwhelming sensation was incredibly uncomfortable at times, but it was better than being caught off guard by the wrong person.

I headed for the back hall with unabashed intentions. The hallway was deadly quiet. I hated that. The silence was unnerving because I knew several of those rooms were occupied. Kale’s however, was not. I didn’t know where he was, but he wasn’t at The Kiss, and that was a good enough excuse for me to snoop around. The door was locked. Just as well. I didn’t need or want to go inside. I could sense that nobody was inside, corpses included. That was all I needed to know.

The sound of metal grinding on metal drew my gaze to the parking lot exit at the end of the hall. Arys strolled through the door looking pleased with himself. His energy was running hot, and I gasped when it mingled with mine, merging together the way two separate bodies of water become one.

“I told you not to hunt here, Arys.” My glare was wasted on him.

“You told me not to kill here. I followed the rules. Although nobody else seems to have to.” With a smirk, he pulled me close for a bruising kiss.

The taste of blood was fresh and strong when he slipped his tongue between my lips. A series of images flashed through my mind, ending with the lifeless body of Abigail Irving. The bloodlust was sharp and sudden. I jerked away from Arys, fighting to clear my head.

“Please tell me you’re not feeding from the willing victims here.”

He frowned as if I’d suggested something vile. “Hell no. I grabbed a guy in the alley out back. It was just a taste. I didn’t kill anybody.”

I did my best to roll my eyes, but I ended up giving him a pained look instead. “Kill whoever you want to. Just don’t do it in here, and I don’t care.” As an afterthought I added, “Ok, well not whoever you want to. You know what I mean.”

“Are you alright, love?” The humor fled from his expression as he regarded my discomfort. “That’s what happens when you feed the bloodlust at first. Rather than feel satisfied, you just want more.”

“You knew?” Of course he knew, the same way I’d known the moment he walked in. Hiding it from Arys was impossible.

“Well yeah. You and Sinclair bagged yourselves a human. Nice change. Can’t say I mind. Although I’m not too keen on him being your tag team partner.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” I flashed him a vicious warning look, one that he didn’t ignore.

Arys held his hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, if you and Kale want to use a job as your excuse to kill shit without a guilty conscience, feel free. But, I can see where this is going even if you choose not to.”

“No, you can’t. It was one human kill. One.” I argued for the sake of refusing to allow Arys to be right. It was useless.

“Just one? Come on, Alexa. You’re not that naive, just incredibly stubborn. It’s never just one. Not for us.” He reached to stroke a lock of my hair back from my face, and I leaned into his touch. “Already it’s burning inside you, the hunger for more. I can feel it.”

I shook my head vehemently. “I’m not going to be a slave to the bloodlust, not while I still live and breathe.”

I knew he was thinking that I was living in denial. Thankfully, he was sweet enough not to say so. It had been a while since I’d killed a human, almost a year, and it felt better than I remembered. I had to shake myself out of that frame of thought. Remembering was not going to help crush the hunger taking root in my core.

I turned to head back into the heart of the club. The Kiss was already busier than it had been just minutes before. Damn blood junkies.

Arys gave the club interior an intense once over. “Do you get a lot of demons in here?”

“What? No. Never.” I followed Arys’s gaze to the front entry.

“Well, there’s one.”

I’d had little experience with demons, and all of it was bad. I didn’t know why one would come to The Wicked Kiss, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.

It hit me all at once. The sinister power that crept towards us was stifling. For a moment I couldn’t breathe. It was strong, like cold bitter coffee. Black. It was just so black. I had no better word for it.

The humans were none the wiser, but the vampires in the club quickly withdrew to the farthest corners of the building when the demon entered. Like all of the demons I’d seen, he looked human, Japanese to be precise. Average height with shining blue-black hair, he was quite attractive. I found that most demons presented a handsome façade, but it wasn’t their true face.

Even from where I stood I could make out how inhuman his intense red eyes were. That gaze landed on me, and he smiled. Adrenaline crashed through me. Oh, shit. He made his way across the room, and I watched him, my mouth as dry as cotton.

Arys stood calmly next to me. His expression revealed that he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with this demon.

The demon stopped a few feet away. I was relieved that he stayed out of my personal space. His power was so unbearably strong that I fought to shield against it.

“Alexa O’Brien.” He greeted me with a nod.  “I believe we have a mutual acquaintance, Veryl Armstrong.” His voice was like a dark, somber melody, immediately mesmerizing. He didn’t offer me a hand so much as he helped himself to mine. “My name is Shya. I’d like a few minutes of your time if that’s alright.”

We all knew the uber polite act was for show. He fully expected me to cooperate. He was one of the people Veryl had said I didn’t want to deal with. So much for that. I had no intention of pissing the guy off if I could help it.

His hand on mine was warm as his power slithered up my arm like a snake. I wanted to jerk my hand from his but resisted. “Sure. There are a few tables behind the bar where it’s a bit quieter.”

Shya shocked me by holding up a hand before Arys. “Sorry, Mr. Knight. I’m afraid this is a private matter. And, since you’ve turned down our offer, you’ll have to sit this one out.”

I held my breath and waited for Arys’s response. He never told me that demons had asked him to work with them. Why would he choose not to mention that?

Shya never gave him the opportunity to reply. He turned his back on Arys without a second glance and indicated that I should lead the way. I hesitated just long enough to see the fury flash through Arys’s midnight blue eyes. Hoping to avoid trouble, I quickly led the way to an empty table behind the bar. I almost laughed with relief when Arys stayed put. It wasn’t like him, which told me more about Shya than I wanted to know.

I sat down across from the demon, uncomfortable with the way he looked me over with those creepy red eyes. The snake-like pupils betrayed the lie that his human form projected. I met his gaze directly and concentrated on staying calm but alert. As far as eyes go, this guy had the eeriest I’d seen, including Kale’s and my own. I fought hard to keep from falling into their crimson depths.

“I apologize, Alexa. This meeting is long overdue.” Shya beamed a pearly white smile at me. “I think it’s time we get acquainted.”

“Alright.” I smiled, hoping it didn’t look as wary as it felt.

“I’m going to cut to the chase. I’d like to give you the chance to rise up in the ranks of our organization.” He spoke with authority, easily holding my attention with his charming manner. “What we do isn’t about good and evil, human or otherwise. It’s about power and maintaining an order that was established over thousands of years. I’m sure you understand why a mass public exposure of the supernatural world would be horrific. However, you must know that many beings out there are dedicated to just that: full exposure.” He paused, giving me the opportunity to form a response.

My tongue felt like a useless slab of meat. He’d just thrown a lot at me. It took me a moment to put a response together. “I’m very aware of how ugly things could get. The last thing I want is to end up on the wrong end of a worldwide witch hunt. I can’t imagine why any supernaturals would willingly expose themselves.”

“Some believe that by exposing us all, we’ll in turn have more control over the human race. I don’t agree with this philosophy. We maintain influence over humans when they believe most of us to be a myth. That’s where our power lies, especially for creatures like you.”

I mulled over what he’d said. Existing in the guise of myth and folklore was necessary. Going public was a suicide mission. “I completely agree.”

“It’s all so much bigger than what you see with Veryl and his pitiful office.” Shya continued, a smile of approval on his handsome face. “There is also much more to it than the risk of exposure. Our world is filled with power hungry types. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“I have. So someone like Abigail Irving, could just one woman like her really be a threat?” I was already afraid of him. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose by asking what was really on my mind.

“She was a feisty one, wasn’t she?” He chuckled, and I immediately went cold. “That one knew things. She was also a traitor. Killing her was the safest way to make sure that what she knew never got out.”

“What kind of things?” My eyes were dry. I hadn’t blinked in a while because I couldn’t pull myself away from his entrancing stare that long.

Shya studied me closely, a simple perusal. He made no attempt to test or touch my power the way so many others had upon a first meeting. He didn’t have to. He already knew far more about me than I did about him. Of that, I was certain.

“She knew how to access powers rooted in the pits of hell. I hope her zealous talk didn’t convince you otherwise. She was a disaster waiting to happen.”

“I’m always going to be in the dark, aren’t I? Never really knowing who I’m hunting or why.”

“Oh, you will know. You already do. You know as much as you need to know.” The smile suddenly vanished from Shya’s face causing his sharp features to seem more pronounced. “You have immense power over vampires and werewolves. You are both and yet somehow neither, all at the same time. The creatures of the underworld are constantly in conflict. The battle for control of both the human and the supernatural world never ceases. You have an opportunity to play an important role here.”

I swallowed hard. He really did know an awful lot about me, maybe more than I did.

When I failed to respond, Shya continued. “I like you already. You’ve proven yourself to be professional and discreet. And, from what Veryl tells me, you have no qualms about speaking your mind.” The serpentine smile returned.

“I don’t appreciate being lied to or having information withheld from me when it directly involves my personal life and business.” I didn’t mean to come across as bitchy, but demon or not, he needed to know where I stood.

Shya’s expression didn’t change. He seemed completely unmoved by anything I’d said so far.

“Understood. You’ve outgrown working with Veryl. You’re capable of so much more. All I want from you is the same loyalty I expect from anyone who works with me. I’m prepared to offer you much more than money.” He gave the rest of the club a cursory glance, and I could almost see what he was thinking. He didn’t seem to think any better of it than I did.

A waitress dumped her drink tray on a customer with a crash. The tirade she followed up with indicated he had it coming. I shrugged and did my best to tune it out.

“Look, Shya. I can just imagine what Veryl has told you about me, let alone whatever else you might know. You want a fair kill, I’m your girl. All I ask is that you don’t ask me to hunt any innocents.” I was dealing with a demon. I had to amend that. “What I consider innocent.”

He leaned forward, a brow raised. “Tell me, Alexa. What do you consider to be innocent?”

I had no easy answer to that. I didn’t need someone like Arys or Shya to convince me that the inhabitants of the earth, both human and otherwise, were far from innocent. That still didn’t make them all worthy of slaughter.

“I know that’s a trick question. There’s no way to answer it without contradicting myself somehow.” I paused, trying to form my words in a manner that he wouldn’t be able to twist on me. I wasn’t a demon expert, but I wasn’t born yesterday. “Prove to me a target is dangerous, a threat, anything like that, that’s all I ask. Just don’t send me in blind. I can’t live with a guilty conscience.”

Shya didn’t miss a beat. “Dangerous? But, even you are dangerous. Some would consider you a threat. It is never so simple.”

Dammit. So much for not contradicting myself. “Alright. Point for you.”

“I don’t claim to understand where your hesitance comes from. You are a killer. It’s in everything you are. However, you won’t be forced into anything.”

“Understood.” I knew what he meant. I could refuse a kill, but that wouldn’t stop someone else from doing the job.

The weight of Shya’s gaze made me fidget. I struggled hard just to sit still. His wicked power was deep and murky, like a bottomless pit that sought to draw me in.

“If you choose to accept the opportunity to advance from hunter to personal assassin, I think you will find there are many perks to having power like yours. That being said, I would like to propose something to you.”

The glint of anticipation in his blood-red eyes had me chewing my lower lip anxiously. I wasn’t going to like what I was about to hear. He enjoyed that. Fucking demons.

I gestured for him to continue. The noisy din of the nightclub seemed to fade away as I waited to hear his proposal. My heart began to pound. I feared the worst.

Demons were true evil. Despite his professional and almost friendly demeanor, I didn’t forget that. I wasn’t surprised that pure amusement shone on Shya’s face when he said, “I want you to kill Veryl Armstrong.”

I took a few moments to let the echo of that request play in my ears. My reaction was delayed. I was conflicted. Part of me was immediately ready to refuse though something deeper down was intrigued.

“Why?” I deserved to know that much at least. I’d known Veryl for years and this demon for all of a matter of minutes. Did he really expect me to say yes?

Shya pursed his lips and regarded me with a curious expression. “He’s taken to meddling in the affairs of others, you included. Of course, I don’t have to tell you that. Once it came to my attention that he was blackmailing one of my own, his days were numbered.”

Blackmail huh? That didn’t come as a surprise. I wouldn’t put anything past Veryl. But, did I want to kill him?

“I need to think about it.”

“By all means. There are many who would love this opportunity. I offered it to you first. I assumed you would appreciate it after everything he has done to you.”

I wasn’t an easy enough target to fall for that line, but I knew what he was trying to do. He thought he could get inside my head by going for my personal feelings. I was starting to feel that for everything Shya said, there was something he wasn’t saying.

“I might not be the right fit for this. It feels a little too close to home. But like I said, I’ll consider it.” That’s the best he was going to get out of me right then. It became hard to meet his eyes; a magnetic pull seemed to grow and pulse if I didn’t look away. It was hypnotizing and intimidating. I wanted him to leave so I could think clearly.

“The wolf’s loyalty, it’s a lovely attribute.” He winked, and though he hadn’t done or said anything else, I knew there was a veiled threat in those words. Shya stood abruptly, offering a hand. “We’ll speak soon. If you wish to reach me, speak with Lilah.”

I didn’t want to touch his hand. It almost pained me to do so. I felt the reptilian touch of a snake against my flesh, and I visibly shuddered. Shya was gone before I could fight my way out of the cloak of darkness swirling around him. I watched him disappear through the exit and gradually the suffocating sensation fell away.

Arys was right where I’d left him. With his arms crossed over his chest and a beautiful glare etched on his handsome face, he oozed fury. Shaz stood next to him, a worried frown creasing his brow.

“Got something you want to say to me?” I asked Arys, my tone accusatory.

In the same breath he said, “Please tell me you didn’t make any deals with him.”

“Of course not. Why didn’t you tell me you knew more about who I work for than I do? A little heads up on the big CIA-style demon action would have been nice.”

“How could you not have known? Sometimes I think you prefer to be in the dark.”

“Why did you turn them down?”

Shaz looked from me to Arys. Curiosity lurked in his jade gaze. As much as I loved Arys, sometimes he really drove me nuts with the secret keeping. It seemed to be a vampire trait, which I could understand to a degree. After several centuries I’d be set in my ways, too. But this was different.

“They approached me about six months ago, after you and I forged our bond. Anything that demon can promise isn’t worth what he’ll ask for in return, and personally, I want nothing to do with him.”

“I wish you had told me.”

“Be careful with the demons, Alexa, and you will be fine. You can hold your own. But, think things through before you do anything he asks. Maybe even reconsider what you do. Maybe it’s time to get out.”

I glanced around for the closest waitress. When I caught her eye, I held up two fingers. A double shot of whiskey couldn’t possibly arrive fast enough.

Shaz took the chance to jump in. “What’s the point of all this, the whole organized supernatural hit squad? Seems like there’s little rhyme or reason to their hit list.”

“I’ve always been under the impression that we avoid exposure by wiping out the bottom feeders and rabid newborns.” I shrugged and gave my hair a toss. “It’s becoming painfully clear that everything I think I know is something else entirely.”

Arys reached for my hand, and electricity crackled when our fingers touched. Shaz winced like he’d felt it, and I looked hard at him.

“The point is maintaining control of humanity by keeping them in the dark.” Arys said it with a casual tone that didn’t fit the subject. “The Western world prefers to turn a blind eye to most unsavory things. It’s easier here to keep a low profile than it is in many older countries where they won’t think twice about launching a witch hunt for anything and everything nonhuman. The real risk isn’t the newborn vamps and Weres on killing sprees. It’s the ones with serious power. Those are the ones that have the potential to blow the world as we know it wide open.”

Shaz beat me to it. Clearly we were thinking the same thing. He pinned Arys with a knowing look. “You and Alexa included. Right? You’re talking about those with the power to call demons, do magic, manipulate all forms of power. All of it.”

“Yes. Alexa and I included.” Arys wore that expression he got when Shaz or I came across as exceptionally naive and human.

“Powerful beings controlling others and destroying those that don’t play by the rules.” Shaz turned that over for a moment. “No different than human government. It makes sense though. I assume you’re talking big-time shit.”

“From witches who can read minds and vampires who glamour humans to demons and angels that know secrets pertaining to the end of the world itself.”

The waitress arrived with my whiskey, and I was so stunned by what Arys had just said that I almost forgot to tip her. I ordered two more. This was as good a time as any to enjoy the free drinks perk.

“Angels?” Shaz and I spoke in unison after the waitress left.

Arys looked amused. “This probably isn’t the best place to talk about it.”

That was too much for one night. I shot back the whiskey and waited for the satisfying burn that followed. No amount of alcohol could numb out my unease, but I was willing to try.

Shaz leaned in to press a warm kiss to my temple. “I’ll see you later. Let me know if you plan on hugging a bottle all night. I’ll drive you home.”

“Wait.” I grabbed his arm, and my wolf was instantly soothed by the contact. “Run with me later?”

His wolf responded strongly to me, making the jade green of his eyes start to bleed across the whites. “Definitely.”

He gave me a quick kiss and turned to head back to the front entry. I was almost itchy with the need to shed my skin and be wolf. Arys was watching me with a hungry expression.

“What?” I flashed him a playful smile.

“I want you. Right now. Here.” Fire smoldered in his eyes. Nobody could ever say Arys was predictable.

“You’re kidding.” The waitress interrupted me. I noticed she had brought me double what I’d ordered, in a glass on the rocks. Was I gaining a bad reputation here or something?

No sooner had she left than Arys pulled me into the dark corner behind the bar. I protested, shrieking when he made me spill whiskey down my cleavage.

“Arys!” My protest turned into a laugh when he pulled me against him and kissed my neck. He tugged at the hem of my skirt, and I slapped his hands away.

“Nobody can see us here. Even if they could, I wouldn’t care.” He sucked hard at the vein in my neck, and my knees went weak. “I need to mark you.”

Heat rushed to my groin. His sudden need sparked my own, and I didn’t protest when he pulled my skirt up from behind and jerked my panties to the side. A chair at an empty table was the only thing I could hold for stability. I almost dropped my drink in my attempt to set it down.

I expected my inhibitions to surface when he bent me over the chair. The soft touch of Arys at my entrance stole my breath. He thrust into me forcefully, and I gasped. It hurt a little, and I loved it. With one hand on my hip he held tight to me. His thrusts were achingly slow but rough so that I felt the impact deep within. Every slick stroke left me more hungry than sated.

Surreally, the rest of the club operated as normal while we united in violent, physical passion in the shadows. Arys leaned down over me to whisper in my ear.

“It didn’t take much to convince you, did it little wolf?”

Finding that sweet spot on my neck, Arys bit deep. My cry was swallowed up by the loud music. I came almost immediately. Electricity surged in my veins as Arys pounded harder into me. Every delicious wave of bliss was just as good as the last. He sucked at the bloody punctures, and my stomach clenched.

His release was sudden and intense inside me. His soft moans in my ear sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t resist him, obviously. It was impossible to say no to him.

The touch of his tongue felt hot against my wounded flesh. He groaned and pulled away. It had all happened so fast. I was left feeling faint from the head spinning rush.

I tugged my skirt back into place and turned to face Arys. He easily concealed himself back inside his ass-hugging blue jeans. I stared at him, dumbfounded.

“What the hell was that?” It wasn’t a complaint. My hand shook when I retrieved my drink from the table. That had been an intense encounter.

“It was a spontaneous urge that I couldn’t ignore.” He grinned and licked my blood from his fangs and lips. “That was pretty hot for a quickie.”

Considering how badly my legs trembled, I had to agree. “That was a little tongue tying. But, let’s not make a habit of it. This is not the place for that.”

“What’s wrong? Don’t want the customers to catch you enjoying the place as much as they do?” Arys slipped his tongue into my mouth. Tasting my own blood on him was strangely intoxicating.

“How do I let you talk me into this stuff?” It had been so easy to give in to Arys’s whims. The man was the epitome of sex. The rush of having public sex, in The Wicked Kiss of all places, was dizzying and also more than a little risky. The wrong person could have caught us and created an awkward situation. To Arys, that was half the fun.

“There was no talking you into anything. It’s not like you protested.” He buried his face in my hair and inhaled my scent.

It stung when he ran his tongue over the bite mark. I sighed. “Why the mark? It’ll heal by morning.”

“Let’s call it a vampire thing. It’s this place. Too many vampires and any one of them could be one of our uninvited guests.”

“I’m pretty sure that every vampire here, welcome or not, knows I’m yours.”

Arys scanned the interior of the club, his gaze watchful and deadly. “Let’s hope so.”

“I hate that you’re expecting something to happen. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder all the time.” I emptied my whiskey glass, savoring the warmth that spread through my limbs.

“Better get used to it, sweetheart, especially now that you’re on a first name basis with your demon bossman.”

“That’s reassuring, Arys. Thanks.” I ignored his smirk. “I’m going to the restroom. Keep an eye on things, will you?”

Every step I took felt light and floaty, like I walked on a cloud. The energy riding me was intense. It felt like I could have spread my arms and taken flight. What a rush!

After retrieving my purse from behind the bar, I headed to the ladies’ room. I got halfway there before realizing I’d left my cell phone in the car. Instantly I felt naked. I continued to the restroom, a growing sense of technological addiction eating at me.

A petite brunette stood at the sink, holding a bloody paper towel to her neck. Panic shone in her eyes when she saw me.

“Are you alright?” I asked as the scent of her blood hit me like a slap in the face.

She met my gaze in the mirror and shook her head. “I don’t know. There’s a lot of blood.”

“Can I see?” She was right about the blood. It quickly soaked through the paper towel. I drew her hand away from the wound and cursed inwardly. It was an ugly bite. It looked like the vampire who had bit her didn’t know what the hell he was doing. If he was killing on the streets that wouldn’t matter much. Here in my club, it was unacceptable.

“I don’t feel so good.” She was pale and unsteady on her feet. “I’m scared.”

The bloodlust didn’t sneak up inside me - it burst forth with a ravenous hunger that had me all claws and fangs. She took one look at my eyes, all wolf, paired with my four massive fangs, and she started to shriek. I didn’t mean to snarl and snap at her. The scent of fear mingled with blood, and my control slipped.

“Help! Oh my God, somebody help me!” She fought hard, but her strength had already been sapped. Nobody would hear her cries.

“I don’t want to hurt you! Please, you’ve got to calm down!” Blood gushed from the ragged wound in her throat. My every instinct screamed for me to take her down and bury my face in the crimson nectar. I was restraining myself so hard my entire body shook. I couldn’t take the temptation. The need was bringing me to my knees.

She threw herself toward the door in a vain attempt to escape me. I reacted without thought, blocking her exit. The growl that echoed through the washroom sounded like someone else.

The struggle was brief. She didn’t have the strength. Loss of blood was her undoing, and she fell in a dead faint at my feet. My original intent had been to help her. Now all I wanted to do was taste her. I lost all sense of time and reality. Like a drunken blackout, I was going through the motions without conscious awareness. Her blood was on my hands and in my mouth. I would have killed her if Arys hadn’t felt me snap.

Everything was a blur as he intruded upon the scene. The breath was crushed from me when he threw me against the far wall. I slid to the floor but was quickly on my feet. I was stunned by the energy wall he put between us.

“I knew this would happen. It always takes you. There is no fighting the bloodlust once it’s in you.” He crouched beside the woman, but his eyes were on me.

“Think you can hold me?” I taunted, testing the resistance of his barrier. Sharing power didn’t mean we couldn’t turn that power on each other. Our bond was a double-edged sword. In a true face off, Arys would be my greatest foe simply because he was a part of me.

“I shouldn’t have to, Alexa. I’m intervening because I know if you were in your right mind, that’s what you’d want.” He concentrated on the unconscious woman, and the room filled with warm, healing energy. “You’re no different than any vampire now.”

I ran my hands along the energy wall blocking my path. When I focused hard, I could see it shimmering with flecks of gold and blue, the colors of our two auras. Arys was using my own power against me, and it was working. If I hadn’t been high as a kite on sex, blood and power, that would have frightened me.

The palms of my hands tingled. I was sure I could manipulate his barrier and bend it to my will, but my concentration was scattered. Arys picked the woman up and, with an exasperated eye roll directed at me, carried her from the washroom. Moments later, the barrier dropped.

A look in the mirror had me shrinking back in horror. Blood stained my hands and face. Scarlet smears ran around my mouth, up the side of my face and even in my hair. Even as I stood there staring into my unnaturally blue eyes, I licked the blood from my fingers. Seeing my brown eyes all wolf had taken years to adjust to. I doubted that I’d ever get used to seeing Arys’s midnight blue eyes on me.

I understood completely why Shaz had such a hard time looking at me like this. I looked like something straight out of a horror movie. My ash blonde hair was a wild, blood-flecked mess. I sobered as I stared at my reflection. After what felt like a long time, I turned on the tap and washed the blood from my face and hands.

Arys was right. I couldn’t keep fighting this. I needed to hunt, to feast and to kill. The hunger haunted me all the time now. Try as I might to fight the urge, it wasn’t going away.

An eerie giggle spilled from between my lips. It echoed in the silence of the washroom. I felt amazing even after just a taste of her. I wanted to run through the forest so fast that my paws barely touched the ground. I suddenly couldn’t wait to be wolf. At least in the confines of the forest, I couldn’t hurt anybody.

Chapter Eight

I didn’t see Arys when I left the bathroom. I kept my eyes on the front exit and forced my feet to keep moving. Shaz was having a heated exchange with a vampire I didn’t recognize. He was right up in Shaz’s face, demanding entry to the club.

I didn’t know or care what reason Shaz had for refusing. That was good enough for me. I held up a hand on my way past and blasted the vampire in the chest with a shot of the tightly wound energy burning its way through me.

“Beat it!” The blow threw him back out into the parking lot. I didn’t bother to glance his way. If he made any more trouble, I would kill him.

I needed a few moments alone in the night air to get a grip on myself. I walked quickly through the parking lot to my car, passing Kale’s along the way. I did a double take. When did Kale arrive? Thank God he hadn’t seen me and Arys getting it on inside.

My hand went to the bite on my neck and Arys’s ‘Let’s hope so’ comment rang in my ears. He’d bitten me for Kale’s benefit. That was a whole new jealous low for Arys. He’d never admit any such thing though.

Kale hadn’t been in the club, which meant he was in the back, in his personal room. I could just imagine what he was up to, probably with some woman. No imagining! Whatever Kale was up to, I didn’t need to think about it, and I didn’t want to know.

As I drew closer to my car, I got the feeling that I was being watched. I didn’t feel a close presence though. Whoever it was, they were a good distance away. I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone or anything else tonight. Just to be safe, I cast a power circle around me. Nobody would get close without walking into it and ending up on their ass.

I unlocked my car with the key remote and glanced inside before opening the door, a habit I’d started when I first got my license. Too many late night movies featuring a creep waiting in the backseat had permanently instilled that caution in the back of my mind. The car was clear. Nobody was around. Still, something felt all wrong.

I opened the driver’s door, and the white envelope sitting on the seat affirmed my unease. Both my name and Arys’s was scrawled on the front in handwriting that was barely legible. I reached for my cell phone first, finding it untouched. Knowing that I was being watched from a distance, I grabbed the envelope, relocked the car and turned to go back into the club. Whatever was inside that envelope, I wasn’t looking at it with an unseen audience.

“Take a break?” I whispered to Shaz upon re-entering the building. After a few words to Shawn, another security guy, Shaz followed me through the lobby. I searched for Arys, spotting him near the dance floor enjoying the attention of two women fawning over him. He looked my way almost as if I’d called his name. I gestured for him to join me and continued on to the back hall.

I didn’t believe there was anything truly dangerous inside the envelope. I sensed nothing unnatural inside. Still, better safe than sorry. I’d rather open it in a private, quiet area. No matter what it was, it wasn’t good. I knew that without a doubt.

Stepping through the door into the back hall made me uneasy. I automatically shielded my presence so that the vampires consorting with their blood whores back there wouldn’t sense me, Kale included. Shaz was right behind me, concern etched on his face.

“What’s going on, Lex?”

I turned the envelope over in my hands. “Someone was in my car. No damage or any sign of a break in. It was just sitting there on the driver’s seat.”

His gaze swept over me, and he wrinkled his nose. “Why is there human blood in your hair?”

“I had a little incident in the washroom with a bleeding woman. Nothing to worry about.” I was relieved when Arys joined us, preventing me from having to explain further. I held up the envelope for him to see. “Someone left this in my car. They were watching me.”

Folding his arms across his chest, Arys nodded. “Open it.”

My hands shook slightly when I tore it open. A photo was inside and nothing more. I pulled it out and felt the blood rush from my face. It was a surveillance photo of Lena, the older human witch that Kale and I worked with. I considered her a close friend, family even.

The picture showed her crossing the parking lot of her apartment building, completely unaware that she was being watched. An address and a time were written on the back of the photo. I didn’t need it spelled out any more clearly.

“Is this how they get your attention? By threatening innocent people before they’ve even spoken to you?” Shaz looked disgusted.

Arys shrugged and took the picture from me for a closer look. “I’m actually a little surprised that’s all they did. Makes sense that they would use one of your human friends as a way of making sure we’ll show up.”

Shaz was quickly going from disgusted to livid. “You’re not going without me.”

“What about Lena?” I looked to Arys for answers. “Will they hurt her?”

A shadow passed behind his eyes, and my stomach dropped. “Not right away. They just want you to know that they can and will if you don’t play along.”

A scream rang out from down the hall, causing me to jump. It was quickly followed by a high-pitched giggle, and I shuddered. Good Lord, don’t let that have come from Kale’s room. Shaz frowned, but Arys was completely unaffected.

“What I find interesting is that they want you to meet them in a public place.” A small smile played about Arys’s lips. “They chose neutral ground because all they want to do is talk. This time. I have a feeling they are looking for ways to deal with us without it becoming a power struggle. Which is why they targeted Lena. They weaken you because of an emotional tie. They don’t need to have more power than us to do that.”

“Can’t argue with that logic.” Shaz ran a hand through his platinum hair. “I’d do the same thing.”

I nodded and paced a few feet away then back again. “So would I. But, Lena has nothing to do with this. It’s not fair.”

“Anything to make you squirm, my dear. The biggest mistake you can make right now is to show fear. And, don’t even think of rushing over to Lena’s. I guarantee they have someone watching her in case you do.” Arys glanced at the address on the photo. “We’ll meet them and settle this. Don’t worry about Lena.”

“Shit! That’s three days away still.” I wanted to punch something. The wall wouldn’t be satisfying enough. I couldn’t hurt it.

Arys was utterly calm, the polar opposite of the storm of panic and rage swirling inside me. “They want to draw it out so you agonize about it. Don’t bother. They won’t do a damn thing yet. We’ll meet them. They’ll toss threats and demands at us, and we’ll kill them. Or, something like that.”

A door creaked open down the hall, and I knew without looking it was Kale’s. Both Arys and Shaz turned toward the sound. I waited, sensing Kale’s approach though he moved in graceful silence. I shielded hard, unwilling to touch the metaphysical fire that warmed me as he drew near.

“What’s going on?”

Arys passed him the photo, and I held my breath, waiting for Kale’s reaction. I was relieved to see that he wasn’t strung out on a blood binge. He peered at both sides of the picture, and a frown furrowed his brow.

“I’m coming with you.” Kale’s tone left no room for argument.

I nodded but said nothing. Instead I called Jez. “Do me a favor Jezzy? Call Lena and make small talk. Just make sure she answers and she’s safe. Don’t let on that you’re checking up on her. I’ll call you back in a bit and fill you in.”

After hanging up, I let my gaze travel over the guys. I found it easiest to make eye contact with Shaz. “Alright. Monday at midnight we meet them.”

“What about Lena?” Shaz asked with a growing fire burning in his jade eyes. “Someone should stake out her place.”

“They’ll have someone watching her, to make sure you show.” Arys was looking particularly smug. I shook my head so that my hair fell over the bite on my neck.

I felt the weight of Kale’s gaze upon me. His expression revealed nothing when he said, “I’ll go to Lena’s.”

That thought didn’t sit well with me. I cut the conversation short. “We’ll talk about it later. I have to call Jez back, and if I don’t go for a run soon, I’m going to lose my mind.”

With a curt nod, Kale handed me the photo and retreated to his room. I knew he had someone waiting for him in there, and I wanted to vacate the hall right away. The smirk pasted on Arys’s face didn’t fade as he and Shaz followed me back into the club.

Shaz headed back to the lobby, calling back to me, “Be careful. I’ll see you at home soon. Or Kylarai’s. Let me know where you’ll be.”

I blew him a kiss and turned to Arys with a sigh. “I need to go home. I assume you have other things in mind.”

“Go run. I feel your wolf pacing inside me.” With a gentle touch, he caressed the side of my face. “I’ll stick around for a bit after you leave. I can’t take much more of this place. It’s painful. So many lovely treats that are to be tasted but never truly feasted upon. It’s a tease is what it is.”

“Yeah, yeah. Willing victims are such a pain in the ass, huh?” I rolled my eyes and gave him a playful shove.

“Willing victim … that’s beyond ridiculous. Takes all the fun out of it. I thrive on the struggle.” He chuckled, and I felt his smooth laughter like the stroke of a finger down my spine. Taking my hand, Arys placed a kiss in the center of my palm. “Come on. I’ll walk you out to your car.”

* * * *

The breeze was cool against my face as I ran through the forest, dodging stray limbs and jumping fallen trees. As a wolf I was able to maneuver through the thick trees and brush with ease. My body moved with a natural flow, instinct guiding my feet with every step. Lupine muscles and senses enabled me to be one with my environment. I savored every moment of such true freedom.

The sky was clear, the perfect backdrop for the curtain of stars overhead. Unlike the city just miles away, the forest was quiet and peaceful. The scent of rich earth and fresh growth tantalized me. The transition of spring to full-blown summer was full of splendor. Everything was new again, thriving in the circle of life. It was earthly and natural, something the rest of my life was not.

These precious moments as wolf reassured me. No matter how deadly my other side was, as long as I had my wolf to ground me, the darkness wouldn’t swallow me whole. As hard as the first few years were after Raoul had attacked me, I couldn’t regret becoming a werewolf. The wolf connected me to life in the same way Arys linked me to death. The wolf kept me sane and alive. I believed it with every part of me.

I raced through the forest, ducking a low hanging branch before it could slap me in the face. My ears twitched constantly, ahead then back, listening as Shaz gained on me from behind. I was hoping to reach the clearing ahead before he leaped on me. Once he got me in his sights, he would roll me.

The sound of his pursuit grew quiet, and I wondered what he was up to. I had a feeling he was going to try to head me off before I reached the clearing. Shaz made one hell of a fine wolf. He was stealthy and intelligent. Though I wanted him to have opportunities to make use of those fine qualities, I hated that it put him in danger.

Hoping to throw him off, I veered off my straight path and zigzagged through the trees. I broke through the trees into the clearing and gave a surprised yelp when Shaz leaped out in front of me. He crashed into me hard enough to knock me off my feet. We tumbled and rolled with limbs flailing.

I was quickly on my feet, circling away from Shaz. He sat back on his haunches with his tongue lolling out. I didn’t give him much time to enjoy his small victory before I jumped on him, biting at his ears. He whined and tried to pull away.

We fought playfully until we’d both had enough. A wolf play-fight still left real cuts and bruises. We lay in the soft grass for a while, watching the sky change color as dawn drew closer. I caught myself drifting off and decided it was time to head back. As much as I loved the forest, when I fell asleep for the day I wanted to be in my own comfy bed.

Shaz and I trotted back at a leisurely pace. The sun was just barely glowing on the horizon when we crossed the small stretch of field that separated the tree line from Kylarai’s backyard. The forest was the one thing I missed the most since I moved out of Ky’s and into Raoul’s house. Living in a small-town suburb outside the big city made it easy enough to get back to Ky’s for a run, but it just wasn’t the same as having this lovely forest outside my own door.

Kylarai was standing on the back deck when we approached. She was wrapped tightly in a long, fuzzy robe, and I envied her coziness.

“You two are out pretty late.” She greeted us with a wave. “It’s four o’clock. Want to come in for coffee since you’re here anyway? I put a pot on when I first noticed you out there.”

To shift, I disappeared beneath the upraised deck where I’d left my clothes. Shaz followed suit, and within minutes we were sipping from steaming mugs of coffee in Kylarai’s kitchen.

“Are you just going to bed or just getting up?” I asked, giving her a serious once over. Her hair was a mess, and she looked as if she hadn’t slept in days. “If we’d known you were up, we would have asked you to join us.”

She shrugged and stared into her coffee cup. “I’ve been buried in work lately. Took on a new case that is pretty sticky. They have a lot of assets to split up, and of course they want to fight over every single one of them.”

Shaz and I exchanged a glance. Kylarai was a known workaholic. She liked to stay busy with her career as a divorce lawyer, but this was more than that. She was working to escape from her break up with Julian.

“You need more time off, Ky. Regular time off.” I didn’t mean to scold. She was a grown woman, but she never hesitated to tell me what I needed to hear. I was willing to do the same. Her energy was low, and if I focused, I could feel the distress of her wolf. “Time as wolf.”

“I know. Zoey has been saying the same thing.” Ky glanced down the hall. The door to Zoey’s room, my old room, was closed. “So I was thinking maybe we could do a girl’s night out tonight. If you’re not busy.”

I looked into her grey eyes and saw the pain that she tried to hide. This Julian incident wasn’t something she was going to get over easily. I wouldn’t have either.

“Yes, definitely. Let’s do a girl’s night. I could use one, too.”

Shaz looked back and forth between us. “What does a girl’s night out consist of exactly?”

“If we told you, we’d have to kill you.” I smiled and winked.

Kylarai laughed and smoothed down her wild hair. “I promise to sleep and shower first though. I won’t make you take me out looking like this.”

“Are you kidding?” Shaz let his gaze slowly sweep over her. “You’re a knockout, Ky. Never doubt it.”

“Nice try, kid. You’re not that good of a liar.” Kylarai threw a sugar cube across the table at him. “So what’s new with you guys? Fill me in on all the latest. Arys worried me with his mysterious danger talk.”

Shaz leaned down to retrieve the sugar cube from the floor. “Arys thrives on drama and trouble. I don’t think he’s happy if there isn’t something going on.”

“It’s nothing we can’t handle. I told you about the blood ring Harley was involved in. Seems there are a few people affiliated with him that are looking for a little restitution.” I shrugged, hoping I came across as unaffected. I didn’t want her to worry.

Kylarai’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “You’ve got balls, Alexa, more than most men I know. I don’t know how you can deal with this stuff and stay so grounded. I’d be a basket case.”

“Well thanks, but I’m hardly as well put together as it might appear. This is the perfect time for a night out. I’ll have to do laundry when I get home so I have something decent to wear.” By that I meant something without bloodstains.

We chatted over another cup of coffee, until the sun was high in the eastern sky. I was stifling yawns like crazy when at last Ky shoved us out the door so she could sleep through the day. I longed for my own bed and my white wolf curled up next to me.

“I’ll pick you up tonight at eight,” Ky called as we made our way down the front walk. “I can’t wait!”

Though I was too tired to show it, I shared her enthusiasm. We didn’t spend as much time together since I’d moved out, and I really missed her. As long as I knew Lena was still safe, I’d be able to let myself go and have a good time. Good times were becoming fewer and farther in between. A relaxing night out with the girls was just what I needed.

Chapter Nine

We started in a relatively nice lounge sipping cocktails. When it became evident that the place was full of older couples out for a quiet evening, we began to reconsider. It was a nice place to enjoy a drink, but we needed a venue with a rocking dance floor and sexy man-flesh wandering around. I didn’t want to push Kylarai back into the dating scene, but she needed to see how much more was out there.

By the time we headed downtown to a trendy dance club, the place was packed with guys on the prowl. Pushing Kylarai into some silly human fling was not my intention. But if it happened, I sure wasn’t going to discourage it.

“Seriously, Alexa?” Ky glanced around the busy club. “Everyone here looks like they’re barely legal.”

“What’s wrong with that? We’re here to have some fun. Go grab a drink. I’ll stay sober and drive home.” I gave her a gentle push toward the bar.

She turned those gentle eyes on me, and I could see the masked pain within them. It hurt me to see that. Maybe this wasn’t the road to healing, but staying home buried in legal paperwork wouldn’t help either.

“Come on, honey.” Jez took Ky by the arm and pulled her along. “Let’s go get a drink and hit the dance floor.”

I followed Zoey when she pointed out an empty booth in the back. We were hit on twice by guys at the tables we passed. I knew a beauty like Ky would get the same attention. It was wasted on the rest of us. I wasn’t interested, and neither Jez nor Zoey were into men. They weren’t quite into each other either. I’d tried to play match maker, but ultimately, neither of them seemed interested.

“She’s been crying. A lot.” Zoey slid into the booth across from me and leaned close so I could hear her over the music. “It’s been so hard not to hunt that fucker down and break his legs myself.”

“I know. Shaz wants to kill him. Ky made him promise to stay out of it. But, I know if he runs into Julian, nothing will stop him.”

“Good. Shaz should kill him. Julian is a waste of fucking space. He hasn’t come around since it all went down. If he does though, I’m not holding back.”

We fell silent when Jez and Kylarai approached with drinks in hand. Jez took the spot beside me. Damn. I’d still hoped she would have sat beside Zoey. I just wanted everyone to be happy. Was that so wrong?

Jez was quick to avoid an awkward moment by launching into one of her many stories of dating failure. She really did meet some of the weirdest chicks out there. When she got Kylarai laughing, I started to relax. I couldn’t help but feel like it would be my fault if Ky had a shitty time out with us.

When a waitress passed by, Jez was quick to grab her and order a tray of shots. That was one way to kick off the evening. Once my companions started on those shots, the mood lightened considerably. We talked up a storm. Girl talk was the perfect remedy for male-inflicted woes. I could see Ky start to shake off the tension that had held her captive. After a few shots, she was visibly relaxed. Ok, so it wasn’t the best medicine for a broken heart, but it was better than nothing.

Zoey wasn’t much of a drinker. However, Jez and Ky had drunk enough for all of us by the time an hour had passed. Weres could safely hold a lot more liquor than humans. Still, Ky and Jez were giggling like drunken lunatics.

I was happy to sit there and let the massive amounts of human energy wash over me. I was so used to shutting it out, but now that I had better control, I was able to filter out any negativity and just enjoy the lively sensation of so much human energy packed into one place. If I focused, I could hear the sound of hundreds of hearts beating. The noise quickly became overwhelming, exceeding the fine line between enough and too much.

“Let’s get this party started. It’s time to shake your sweet bits, ladies.” Jez tossed back another shot and got to her feet. “Come on. That means everyone.”

I exchanged a look with Zoey who rolled her crystalline blue eyes. I shrugged and let Jez drag me out of the booth. Once she got going, there was no stopping her. It was a challenge just to keep up.

We made our way to the dance floor and were quickly intercepted by a group of guys looking for some female company. Jez wasn’t so great at polite rejection, so I kept her moving, leaving Ky and Zoey to deal with the guys. I smiled to myself when Kylarai actually paused to talk to them. I knew it was too much to hope she’d take it further than that, but it was a nice start.

“So what do you think?” Jez leaned in close, casting a glance back at Ky. “Do you think she’s starting to have fun?”

“It looks like it. I wish there was more I could do for her.”

“You’re doing all you can. Being there for her is the most important thing you can do right now. It will get better with time.”

Would it? I thought about Raoul. He broke my heart years ago, and I felt like I would never truly be rid of the heartbreak. I think many people have that one person, the one they can never escape, regardless of time and distance. I prayed Julian wasn’t Kylarai’s. She deserved better than that.

Lost in thought, I forced myself to feel the rhythm of the music and dance with Jez. By the time Kylarai and Zoey joined us, I was fighting the ghosts of my past. Zoey made it that much harder. She was Raoul’s daughter. She had killed him in front of me. Now, almost a year later, here we were, dancing and sharing concern for our friend. It was almost too screwed up to believe.

Seeing a genuine smile on Kylarai’s face made it easy to forget about how fucked up my life was. Tonight was all about her. Everything was going great. At least it was, until a pushy guy decided he wanted to be part of our group, and he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

It started when he approached Zoey. She quickly shot him down with little more than a look. Refusing to take a hint, he made a pathetic attempt to grind with her on the dance floor. She gave him a light shove and a warning glare. It did little to deter the drunken fool.

He laughed her off, as if she couldn’t possibly be serious. I watched the scenario play out, ready to intervene if necessary.

“Look asshole, I’m not fucking interested. Got it?” Zoey went from calm to seething before I could blink. It alarmed me.

Her admirer appeared confused. The rest of us kept dancing as if we weren’t paying attention, but clearly all three of us were taking note of everything. My biggest concern was Zoey throwing a punch and getting us tossed out. She wasn’t a full Were. She was a hybrid. Still, she was stronger than the average human, and I knew she could lay this guy out cold. The woman was a damn murderer. This guy had chosen the wrong girl to harass.

“Come on now, baby. Don’t be so uptight. It’s all good. Let me show you what a real man can do for you.” The idiot just didn’t know when to give up.

I looked to Jez, half expecting her to get up in the guy’s face; she was bad for that. Instead, she seemed to be on the same wavelength as me: avoiding conflict would be best tonight.

Jez motioned to the entry. “I know of a great place to dance a few blocks from here. Let’s just take off.”

It seemed to be the safest bet. It would be useless to interact with this guy any further. I didn’t want that kind of trouble. Now if only trouble felt the same way about me.

We had almost reached Ky’s Escalade when trouble caught up to us. This guy didn’t seem to know his persistence had turned to obstinate ignorance.

“Give me one chance to rock your world,” he slurred as he lumbered toward us.

“Is this guy for fucking real?” Jez laughed at the absurdity of it all.

I had a sick feeling in my gut. Zoey’s energy was hot with rage. I fully expected her to verbally tear him a new one, so I was stunned when she lost it completely.

In a flash Zoey was on top of him. She knocked him to the ground and began to land blows that hurt me to watch. I hesitated for just a moment. When I saw that her eyes had gone wolf, and she snarled down at him with fangs, my heart almost stopped.

“Zoey, don’t!” I grabbed her from behind. Without taking her eyes off her prey, she elbowed me hard enough to knock me on my ass. I gasped for air, winded by the blow.

“What the fuck?” The sight of fangs bared inches from his face had our drunken friend sounding stone cold sober and terrified.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion when Zoey bit into his throat. Kylarai gave a little shriek, and I began to panic. As a hybrid, Zoey’s wolf was trapped inside her. If it got out, she’d be trapped in wolf form again. I’d freed her of it once, but I didn’t know if I could do it again.

The scent of blood was strong and immediate. It hit me hard, teasing me even as I watched in horror. The guy on the ground gave a strangled cry that became a horrible gurgle as blood entered his windpipe. Oh God, this was not good.

Jez grabbed Zoey around the waist and threw her. She skidded across the pavement with an angry cry. Her victim was beyond help. He was bleeding out fast. The scent was tantalizing, stirring my hunger. The urge to taste him was almost impossible to resist. I had no real options left. I moved fast. Grabbing his head tightly, I closed my eyes so that I didn’t have to watch as I snapped his neck.

“Oh my God!” Kylarai was clearly distressed. Her eyes were wide, and she trembled. “Oh my God! What just happened?”

I glanced around the parking lot. Nobody appeared to have heard the commotion. In downtown Edmonton, it likely hadn’t been enough to draw the wrong attention. Regardless, we had to move the body before someone came along.

“We need to throw him in the back of your truck, Ky. We can’t leave him here.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not putting him in my truck.”

Jez held out a hand to Kylarai for the keys. “We have to. Not for long. Just to avoid having anyone find him.”

Zoey stood several yards away, watching us in silence. Blood stained her face and clothing. She didn’t say a word, but when Jez pulled Ky’s Escalade to a stop beside us, she moved quickly to grab the body.

I pulled out my cell phone and hit Kale’s number without thinking. I didn’t know what else to do. I watched as Kylarai paced back and forth beside the vehicle. Come on, Kale. Pick up! Kale’s voice had never sounded so good.

“Please tell me you’re not busy. I really need your help.” I barely let him get a word out. “I’m at a club downtown with the girls. We’ve had a bit of an accident.”

“What kind of accident? Where are you?” The noise in the background indicated that he was at The Wicked Kiss.

“I have a body here that I need to get rid of. You were the first person I thought to call. We’re at a place called Dominoes.”

“Alright. I’m on my way.”

I hung up and took a long look at the situation. Kylarai was swearing at random to nobody in particular. Zoey was silently staring at the bloody spot on the concrete, and Jez was looking at me expectantly. We had a body stuffed in Ky’s truck and a vampire on his way to get rid of it. So much for a normal night out with the girls.

* * * *

The four of us were quiet. There wasn’t much to be said. Zoey had shown me what a liability she was. It had taken very little to make her snap. She was high-strung and dangerous. I knew this already, though. She’d murdered countless people, one being her father. I was conflicted as I stood near the Escalade waiting for Kale.

Not so long ago, I had wanted nothing more than to kill Zoey Roberts. Nobody would let me, not even Shaz. I’d claimed her as my own pack mate out of obligation, hoping for the best. As I stood there questioning that decision, I knew I was being a hypocrite. A killer was a killer, and I was one, too. Hell, I got paid for it.

I recognized the sound of Kale’s ‘73 Camaro before I saw it pull into the parking lot. Good. The sooner this night of fucked up insanity ended, the better.

It didn’t occur to me that things could be more awkward until Kale got out of his car. He and Kylarai had dated for a few months before she’d paired up with Julian. They had developed a genuine affection for one another, but Ky didn’t want any part of the vampire world. They’d quickly called it quits. Ky didn’t know about the strange dynamic that had developed between Kale and me, and I preferred to keep it that way.

“Hello ladies.” Kale nodded to the others as he approached me. His gaze lingered on Kylarai who stood at the opposite end of the Escalade.

She took a few steps toward us but stopped as if uncertain. “Hi, Kale. It’s nice to see you again.”

“It’s nice to see you, too. You’re looking beautiful, as always.” The smile he gave her was endearing. I was relieved to see that he wasn’t all vamped out tonight. I should have confirmed that before calling him over here.

“Thank you.” Kylarai blushed slightly and ran a hand through her hair in a nervous gesture.

Uncomfortable didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I waited while they exchanged pleasantries, doing my best not to let my discomfort show on my face.

Jez was completely unfazed by everything. In fact, she seemed bored with it all. “Where were you tonight, Kale? We didn’t drag you away from anything good, did we?”

“Nothing good enough to make me pass up the opportunity to assist four lovely ladies.”

“Oh, please. Your charm is wasted on us. Might as well save it.” She gave him a playful smack and pointed to the back of the Escalade. “Our friend is in there. What do you think?”

Kale peered into the truck and immediately looked at me as if he assumed that I’d done it. I shook my head and frowned.

“I’m sorry. You were the first person I thought to call.” I shrugged and tried to look apologetic instead of offended. “Things got out of hand here. It happened so fast.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m glad you called. You know I don’t mind.” The look he gave me revealed the fire lurking in the depths of his eyes. I tore my gaze away, hoping nobody else sensed the sudden increase in my heart rate. He pressed his car keys into my hand, and I jerked back as if his touch had burned. “Take my car and go to The Wicked Kiss. I’ll deal with this and meet you there.”

“Really? You’re leaving me with your baby? What did I do to earn that kind of trust? Never mind. Don’t answer that. I’ll try not to get involved in any street races I’m not sure I can win.” I winked and gave him a teasing smile.

“I’m going to assume you’re joking. And if you’re not, I don’t want to know about it.” With a grin, Kale accepted Ky’s keys from Jez and climbed into the driver’s seat of the Escalade.

The four of us piled into Kale’s car. The scent of leather and a cherry air freshener was faint but pleasant. The scent of blood clung to Zoey, and I had to open the window. I readjusted the seat and mirrors, catching a glimpse of Kylarai’s wide-eyed expression in the backseat.

“We’re going to The Wicked Kiss?” She didn’t sound happy. “Haven’t we had enough trouble for one night?”

I wouldn’t worry about Kylarai in a place like The Kiss. I knew she could hold her own without losing her mind. I didn’t want to take Zoey in there.

“Maybe we can just wait for Kale in the parking lot.” I made the suggestion, thinking it would be the safest plan.

“Well if we’re going there anyway, we might as well go in.” Jez was too busy checking her makeup in her compact mirror to see the dirty look I shot her.

Zoey seemed to know what I was thinking. She spoke up from the backseat, her voice low. “I’m sorry about all this. I fucking blew it tonight. I don’t know why I lost it like that.”

Well, I sure did. Because you’re the lunatic hybrid daughter of a man with questionable genes. I kept my mouth shut and thanked God that Zoey couldn’t read minds.

“It’s happened to every one of us at some point.” Jez turned in her seat to give Zoey a reassuring smile, and I cringed. Why was she encouraging this?

Keeping my mouth shut was evidently the best thing I could do right then. I drove to The Wicked Kiss with mounting dread. I didn’t mean to be negative, but experience had taught me that a night like this wasn’t bound to get any better.

“Let’s just go inside, sit and wait for Kale. It will be fine, Ky. I promise.” Who was I to make a stupid promise like that? Kale shouldn’t be long. As soon as he got to the club, I was going home.

“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Jez chimed in. “Just be prepared to chase off several vamps offering you money for a little nip.”

“Are you serious?” Kylarai’s voice rose in pitch. “They’ll pay you for it?”

“Sometimes. They’ll do a lot of things. Of course, some people don’t care about the money. They’ll give it up for free because they get off on the rush.” Jez shrugged like it was no big deal.

Kylarai made a sound of disgust. Her opinion didn’t change any when we arrived. I was nervous about taking Zoey in there. Not only was she unpredictable, she stank like blood. Despite a wet wipe from Jez, she would still be a vampire magnet.

Shawn was working the lobby. He greeted me with the usual smile and ‘hello’ before his gaze fell on Zoey. I knew it. As if four Weres in a vampire bar wasn’t bad enough, she was going to draw too much attention. Hurry up, Kale.

I led the way to the dark corner behind the bar. Only one other table nearby was occupied. I didn’t know whether to scream in frustration or laugh with maniacal exasperation when I noticed the vampiress there openly feeding from the wrist of her male companion. Blood, public feeding and a senseless murder so far for the night. What next? A drunken dance floor sex orgy?

“Oh my.” Kylarai looked at the couple quickly before averting her gaze. If that was too much for her, she’d never be able to handle what really went on here. It wasn’t her world. I resented in many ways that it was mine, but I accepted it.

“This place looks like a riot.” The spark of mischief in Zoey’s eyes was alarming. Curiosity adorned her fine features as she surveyed the surroundings.

I glanced at my phone to check the time. How long did it take to dispose of a body? Too many things could happen here. Anxiety nagged me as I waited for something else to go wrong.

“Alexa?” A hand on my arm drew my attention to Jez. “Who’s the trashy broad hanging all over your man?”

“What?” I followed her gaze, expecting to find Arys with a blood whore again. A shock of platinum hair revealed otherwise.

Shaz was standing in a crowd near the dance floor. A tall, raven haired vampiress was draped all over him. With an arm hooked around his neck, she leaned in close as if whispering in his ear. Her actions weren’t casual or friendly. From where I stood, her intentions were pretty clear.

Adrenaline hit me so hard it took my breath away. I was shocked. I was also dumbfounded with jealousy. My body temperature spiked with my pounding pulse, and I felt faint. What the fuck?

“I don’t know who that is.” I tripped over my tongue as I tried to form words. “I mean, I recognize her from around here, but I don’t know who she is personally. And, I don’t know why she’s so touchy-feely with Shaz.” I knew that I didn’t friggin’ like it though.

“Well if I were you, I’d be doing some finding out. And, I wouldn’t be nice about it.” Jez was just speaking her mind, like always, but I don’t think she knew what an influence she was sometimes.

I wasn’t going to go raging over there like an irrational idiot. At least I wasn’t until I watched the tramp trail her hand down Shaz’s back to his jean-clad behind.

Ky’s hand on my wrist stopped me in my tracks. “Wait! Give him a chance.”

Like the gentleman that I knew him to be, Shaz grabbed her hand and stopped her mid-motion. He shook his head. I could see his lips moving. She looked amused. Maybe he felt the weight of my stare or perhaps he had caught my scent, but he turned abruptly, meeting my eyes. With barely a word to the vampiress, Shaz made his way through the crowd toward me. She was unaffected. Like any vampire, she simply moved on to another potential playmate.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my pounding heart. The territorial urge to cut that bitch’s head off was tough to combat. My wolf raged at the thought of another woman all over my mate. I stopped and considered how much stronger Shaz must be than I am, to put up with Arys.

“I thought you ladies were going out dancing.” Shaz took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “What brings you all here?”

“Didn’t expect me, huh?” I nodded in the general direction he’d just come from. “I can see that.”

“What? No. It’s not like that, Lex. She’s a vampire looking for some action. You know how they are. I told her I wasn’t interested.” Lifting my chin with a soft touch, he kissed me lightly. “Would you have thought the same thing if that had been a male vampire? Because you know those bastards are just as bad.”

I fought back the urge to pout openly. “Don’t tell me you don’t like the attention.”

He laughed and ran a hand through his perfect hair. “Of course I do. I’m a hot-blooded man. I’m not dead.” He grinned and kissed me again.

I changed the subject entirely. I was embarrassed by my reaction. “Actually, we’re meeting Kale here. He’s cleaning up a little mishap for us. Zoey killed a man outside a dance club. I panicked and called Kale.”

Shaz frowned and glanced at Zoey. I could see him thinking something similar to what I had. She was a loose cannon.  “You’re sure nobody saw anything?”

I nodded and sighed. I was ready for the night to end. “Pretty sure. As soon as Kale gets back here with Ky’s truck, I think I’m heading home.”

“Want me to come with you?”

I inclined my head toward the feeding vampire at the next table. “I’ll be fine. Someone has to make sure there isn’t too much of that going on. You know, I’m starting to consider selling this place to Starbucks or something.”

“I doubt that would change a damn thing.” Shaz chuckled and pulled me in for a warm hug. I sank into his embrace, wishing I could block out the sights, sounds and smells of my environment.

He was probably right. This place was never going to be anything but a vampire den of sex and blood. Thinking I could change it had been ridiculous. At this point I felt like I was merely trying to survive it. That belief was confirmed when a scream rang out and a loud crash followed. I scowled and closed my eyes, counting backwards from ten.

“That’s my cue. Come say goodbye before you leave.” Shaz was gone, a blur of blond hair and black attire.

“Is it always like this?” Kylarai was incredulous. “How do you put up with it? It’s so … skeevy.”

“It really is,” Jez chimed in. “If you’re not here for fangs or fucking, then it really has little to offer.”

It shouldn’t have surprised me when Zoey shrugged and said, “It doesn’t seem so bad to me.”

If she thought for one minute that she was going to delve deeper into the strange world of The Wicked Kiss, she had another thing coming. That would be enough for me to break out the ass-kicking all over her.

“Well, as long as I’m here I’m going to check this place out.” Zoey abandoned her chair and perused the crowd eagerly.

I opened my mouth to argue when Jez fell into step beside her. She waved off my protest. “I’ll go with her. It’s all good.”

As I watched the two of them disappear into the mass of people, I officially gave up. Fuck it. Zoey was a grown woman. If she wanted to play with vampires, who was I to stop her? However, the next time she lost her mind and slaughtered someone, I wasn’t doing a damn thing to help her.

I took a seat at the table with Kylarai and focused on conversation with her rather than the circus going on around us. I could only imagine what she was thinking. By the time Kale arrived about twenty minutes later, I’d worked myself into a nice frenzy. I couldn’t recall ever being so ecstatic to see him.

He too was accosted by women as he passed through the throngs of humans trotting back and forth to the bar. The difference was that his women were human. Kylarai watched the blood whores with their bitten necks and barely-there outfits, and I could see her grow cold. I don’t think she ever realized what Kale was really up to when he was here. Now she was seeing it with her own eyes, and I felt like she was judging all of us. She definitely didn’t need to know he was killing again.

After shaking off more than a few admirers, Kale reached our table. My, wasn’t he a popular choice among the ladies? I flushed hot at the memory of his bite. I knew one reason why they liked him so much.

He hesitated before taking a seat next to me. I had to quell the instinctive urge to lean away from him.

Placing Ky’s car keys in the center of the table, he greeted us both with a smile. “No worries. It’s dealt with. But, there is an ugly bloodstain on the floor in the back that’s going to need new carpet.”

“I guess Zoey can pay for that.” Ky’s voice was laced with bitterness. “But thank you, Kale. It was nice of you to help.”

“I owe you one,” I added, flashing him a look that I hoped portrayed my gratitude.

“I’ll put it on your tab.” With a wink, he nudged me playfully. “Now give me the keys to my baby. I trust you took good care of her.”

I had to laugh because I knew him too well. “I’d bet a thousand dollars you examined every inch of her before you even came in here.”

“You’ll never know for certain.”

I passed him the keys quickly, trying to avoid having our hands touch. It didn’t work. His fingers grazed mine, and I gasped as his power called to me. His slightest touch had awakened my hunger for him. Sitting there with Kylarai made it hard to deny how right she’d been when she’d told me that I was as power-hungry as any vampire.

I jerked my hand back and busied myself by checking the missed calls on my phone. One from Veryl. No big deal. He could wait. When I looked up again, Kylarai was watching us intently.

Kale stood up, looking flustered. “I’m going to take off. I have something to take care of before sunrise.” Kale turned to Kylarai, forcing a smile though he had to feel the tension. “Goodnight, Kylarai. I hope the rest of your night is better.”

I was relieved when he bailed out of the club incredibly fast. Before my nerves could settle, Kylarai fixed me with a pensive look and tapped her nails on the table top.

“So, what’s going on with you and Kale?”

My heart plummeted like a stone to my stomach. “Nothing. Why do you ask?”

She didn’t believe me. “You’re all twitchy around him. Like you used to get with Arys before you could admit you were attracted to him. I’m not a vampire, and even I can sense the energy running high between you two. Are you sleeping with him?”

“No!” That was a little too forceful. “No. I’m not. He’s my friend. We work together.”

Her gaze dropped to the table, and she pursed her lips. “But, you want him. Don’t you?”

My mouth went dry, and I struggled to swallow. I didn’t know how to answer that without telling a lie. I wouldn’t sit there and lie to my best friend. I was many things, some of them pretty awful, but a liar was not one of them.

“Sometimes,” I heard myself say. “But it’s complicated, Ky. It’s bigger than physical attraction. It’s deeper than that.”

“Power stuff, right?” She looked skeptical.

“Yeah. Something like that.” I couldn’t make her understand something I had yet to understand.

“It’s ok, Alexa. I’m not mad. I just wanted to know. It’s not like he and I were a serious item anyway. You’re part of his world. I’m not. And honestly, I’m glad for that.” She gave the interior of the club a once over before grimacing. “Really glad.”

Chapter Ten

I was so lost in myself that it was hard to feel anything but numb. Fear had given way to readiness. I just wanted to get this over with.

My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel. The car wasn’t even moving. Arys watched me from the passenger seat, and I could almost hear him wondering how precarious my control was. I needed to remain calm and do whatever it took to keep Lena safe.

After a lengthy argument, Jez and Kale had decided that he would stake out Lena’s apartment, and she would join Shaz, Arys and me. Shaz sat in the back with her, the two of them silently watching anyone and everyone who went in or out of the restaurant and lounge that marked the address we were given.

“Ready?” I asked, receiving silent head nods in response. The clock on the dash read five minutes until midnight. Taking a deep breath, I shoved my door open and prepared to face the scum that could threaten someone as innocent and sweet as Lena.

The breeze caught my hair, tossing it in my face. I was dressed for a fight, in jeans and a tank top. I didn’t have any weapons other than my own personal arsenal. I felt naked without a little something extra, like a good sturdy stake for a security blanket.

My senses were blazing, running on high alert. I could feel them inside: two vampires. I had a feeling there were more than that. I thought of Kale, alone at Lena’s. I worried that we’d left him outnumbered.

At such a late hour, the restaurant was near empty. The real party was happening in the attached lounge. Occupying one large table at the far end of the restaurant were our two vampires. Neither of them were what I’d been expecting.

They sat together facing us, on one side of the table, a man and woman. He was middle-aged in appearance but felt like he’d been a vampire for a very long time. Long, straight dark hair and dark eyes, he was formally dressed. He regarded us with a cool, calculating expression that filled me with ice-cold trepidation.

The woman at his side was tall and thin, a model’s body. Her auburn hair was piled on her head and pinned with several gold clips. Her brown eyes fell upon me like I was the main course at a feast. Her off-kilter gaze reminded me of the vacant stare of a serial killer, the look of one truly unstable.

She merely gave me a passing look, though. Arys held her attention. The way she looked him over before licking her lips told me enough. I didn’t get the feeling this was their first meeting.

“Arys Knight … how long has it been? I remember like it was yesterday.” She turned a smug smile on the rest of us, but her gaze was locked on Arys.

“Not nearly long enough, Claire. Don’t waste time with phony chit-chat. What the hell are you doing in my city?” Arys’s tone dripped venom, and when he refused to take a seat, I followed his lead.

“Come now.” Claire gestured to the chairs across from her. “We can sit and discuss this rationally, can’t we? The faster you cooperate, the faster we can be on our way.”

The fury flowing from Arys was palpable. Gripping the back of the chair in front of him, he squeezed so hard that the metal groaned. “Start talking or we walk.”

The grin faded from Claire’s face, and she became stone. “And, kill your human friend so fast? As much fun as I recall you were to play with Arys, this is business. Don’t disrespect me.”

Jez and Shaz shadowed Arys and I. They remained quiet, but I felt their tension. They were ready for anything. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The vibes I got from the two vampires made my skin crawl.

“Then get to the fucking point.” Arys glared down at her with such hate in his eyes. “If you don’t want to play, start talking.”

Claire’s brilliant smile was suddenly pasted back in place. She was genuinely enjoying this whole ordeal. “You let your dog kill Harley. That put a little damper on business. A blood ring doesn’t operate quite so smoothly when one of its founding members and suppliers is suddenly murdered. Maxwell and I are here to give you the chance to make things right.”

Did that bitch call me a dog? Or did she mean Shaz? It didn’t matter. We’d both killed Harley, and this skank was going to shit talk us like we were common animals. I bristled as anger flooded me.

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Arys was flippant. “Harley’s business is none of mine. I want nothing to do with it.”

Maxwell was especially quiet. A tiny smile pulled at his thin lips. Something about him just wasn’t right. He hadn’t done a thing or exerted any power, but I was sure he was the real threat of the two of them. My discomfort grew as a sick sensation crept through me.

“Arys, honey. We just want what’s rightfully ours. You’d want the same, would you not?”

“Money?” I asked, struggling not to address the dog comment.

Claire looked at me like I was a child asking a stupid question. “Money is useless to us. We want only one thing.” She paused for dramatic effect, and it took all my strength not to roll my eyes at her. Looking from me to Arys, she looked far too happy. “Harley’s killers, of course.”

Arys laughed bitterly. “Come on, Claire. Be realistic.”

“Oh, but I am.” She peered at him, wide-eyed and sickly sweet. Leaning in close to Maxwell, she pressed her lips to his cheek and purred, “Isn’t that right, baby?”

“Wait,” Shaz spoke up, a growl lacing his words. “This is some vengeance scheme because of a dirtbag like Harley? You’d threaten an innocent life over that?”

Claire let her gaze wander over Shaz, but she dismissed him almost instantly. Her eyes found Jez, the only naturally born shifter among us. “Give us the leopard instead, and we’ll consider it a fair trade.”

I was all fangs. The bitch was crossing the line already. I felt Arys’s touch, light on my mind. He wanted me to stay calm. I was trying. Instinct told me that these two were far more dangerous than they appeared. The more of my friends that they threatened, the greater my need to fight back.

Arys leaned down over the table, getting in Claire’s personal space. “The leopard is not a bargaining chip. You know damn well that I won’t hand my wolves over to you. So get the hell out of my city.”

Claire leaned forward on the table, her face a mask of malevolence. “You have something, and I want it.”

“Why? Because of Harley? Is this really just business? Because I know there are many people who would love to fill his role. I know you Claire, you’ll take any opportunity to buy your way to the top.”

She met Arys’s challenging glare with one equally furious. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty, Arys, because love has turned you into an idiot.”

The tension in the room became unbearable. It was stifling, making each breath a struggle. I couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody was going to snap soon, quite possibly me.

Arys nodded knowingly. “This is about Harley’s power in Vegas. You think handing his killers over to the rest of the blood ring will work in your favor. The two of you aren’t fit to fill his shoes. You’re delusional to think that will work.”

Claire laughed openly at Arys, and I felt uneasy. This wasn’t going well at all. Something inside me insisted that this was all wrong. Why would these two leave Lena unwatched if she was the only pull they had over us? Even if they had someone else watching her, it just didn’t make sense. She was their leverage. Why not bring her? Something wasn’t adding up.

“Arys, you have no power here. Our intent is none of your concern.” Maxwell spoke for the first time, drawing everyone’s attention to him. His voice was low and even, holding the same sense of mystery as the rest of him. He was packing serious power. It scared me.

Maxwell seemed to stare right through Arys. His pupils dilated ever so slightly, and he flashed fang when he spoke. “You seem to be under the assumption that you have room to negotiate. We’re not here to bargain, merely to state the terms. Hand over the wolves.” To me he said, “Give yourself up willingly, and we don’t kill the people you care about.”

I couldn’t speak. I could barely breathe. This wasn’t what I’d expected to hear.

Claire looked spitefully at Arys, but she gestured to me. “Be grateful we’re only demanding something you already have in your possession. We could have come demanding virgins and children. You remember how much I like virgins.”

A twisted grin crossed her face. With one brow raised, she smirked at Arys. A sudden flash of images moved behind my eyes like a strobe light as Arys’s memories swam up from my subconscious. I was battered with visuals of his past, the torturous virgin deaths Claire spoke of. The two of them together … and so much blood. I fought back a shriek, one hand going to my head. It disappeared as fast as it had come on, leaving me shaky and confused. For a moment I thought I might be sick.

Jez’s hand was warm against my back as she steadied me. Claire chuckled wickedly, but Maxwell just watched me in eerie silence.

If Arys was aware of what I’d just seen, he gave no indication. “Go back to Vegas and earn your place, you worthless pieces of shit.”

“I was hoping you’d say something like that.” Maxwell stood, and power rose up quickly to engulf us.

I was on my knees before I realized what was happening. A shrill, high-pitched sound pierced my skull, and I screamed as pain tore through me. Arys was on the floor next to me.

Shaz grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, but I slumped against him. He was unharmed by Maxwell’s psychic attack. It had been meant for Arys and me. Jez was by the exit, looking out onto the street. Claire and Maxwell were gone. The searing pain in my head began to subside, but still I gasped for breath like I’d been kicked in the stomach.

Shaz did his best to brush off the staff as they converged on us. Shoving me toward Jez, he hauled Arys to his feet and pushed us all out the door. I tried so hard to get the words out, but they wouldn’t come. Lena. God, no.

“Are you alright, Alexa?” Jez forced me to look at her as she dragged me along to the car.

I shook my head. It felt like I’d been scorched from the inside out. I coughed, and my lungs ached when I spat blood. Collapsing in the back seat of my car, I was joined by Arys while Shaz and Jez climbed in the front. I handed the keys over the seat to Shaz, though it took far more effort than it should have.

“Lena’s,” I gasped. “We have to go to Lena’s.” She and Kale were in trouble. I knew it. It was too late. We’d fucked up.

“What the hell happened?” Shaz was in Alpha wolf mode. He spoke calmly, but the way he maneuvered the Charger into traffic revealed the urgency driving him. “What did he do to you two?”

Arys sat up in his seat, his hands on his head. Blood trickled from his nose, evidence that he’d taken a serious power hit. “Power push. He shoved more into us than we could channel. Forced overload.”

“Did you know he could do that? I mean, why would you walk into that?” Jez glanced back at us, her face a mask of worry.

Arys and I exchanged a glance. Of course he’d known Maxwell could do it. I could do it, too. I’d done it to Harley.

“Not everyone can do what he did.” Arys offered nothing else in the way of explanation.

Adrenaline did little to ease the pain. Even as the initial blast slowly faded, the burning sensation remained. I grabbed the tissue box from the back window, taking a few and passing the rest to Arys. Another painful cough brought up more blood, and I groaned in agony.

“This is not looking good.” Jez eyed me uncertainly, but I waved a hand dismissively.

“I’ll be fine. It’s Lena we need to worry about.”

“She’s as good as dead.” Self-blame shone in Arys’s eyes. “I should have done something, tried to bargain somehow.”

“How? By handing Alexa and Shaz over to be used in a blood ring?” Jez shook her head and swore when Shaz cut off another driver. “They never gave you room to compromise.”

Shaz sped through an amber light seconds before it turned red. Under any other circumstance, I would have had a fit over the way he drove my car. With Lena’s life on the line, I didn’t give a damn as long as he got us there.

Arys slumped against the door and stared out the window. “They demanded something they knew I wouldn’t provide. This was their intent all along. Lena was just a pawn to them, a way to make us show up.”

“What were we supposed to do? They would’ve taken Jez as a peace-offering. How fucked is that?” The sound of my own voice made my head throb.

“Julian.” Shaz’s voice was low, but I heard him clearly. “We should have arranged to give them Julian.”

“I can’t believe you just said that.” I stared at him in horror. “When did you become so ruthless?”

Shaz met my gaze in the rearview mirror. The ice in his jade eyes scared me. “About five minutes ago, when I watched my mate take a hit that dropped her like a corpse. I’d gladly hand Julian over if that’s what it took to make this situation go away.”

“You heard them,” Arys interjected. “They won’t be happy with one inferior werewolf. They want something valuable enough to buy their way into a position of power.”

An exasperated sigh came from Jez. “Yep, woke up this evening and asked myself, what’s missing from my life? Oh, I know, a run-in with vampires that would love to use me as part of their blood fetish games. Now my life is complete.”

The rest of the drive to Lena’s was suffered in strained silence. I tried to focus on pulling natural energy into me. From the breeze through my open window to the tree-filled park we passed, it wasn’t enough. The moon was washed out by the city. It offered me nothing.

Arys reached across the seat to take my hand. The power of the undead washed over me, and I fell back against the seat with relief.

Power like ours had a few drawbacks, including my mortal body. Arys was able to take more than I could. I was grateful that even as he recovered from the attack, he was able to breathe that healing energy into me.

My apprehension grew when we turned on to Lena’s street. No amount of preparation would be enough for what we were about to see.

“Nobody’s here,” Arys announced as we turned into the parking lot. “They were though.”

Kale’s car sat in the visitor parking. I almost fell out of the car in my haste. On unsteady legs, I ran as fast as my weakened body would carry me to the lobby door.

It was open, the lock broken. I abandoned the notion of using the elevator and took the stairs two at a time. Shaz and Jez easily overtook me, and I was forced to accept how badly I’d been injured. When Arys and I reached Lena’s suite, Shaz was standing in the doorway. I could hear Jez inside, her voice high and panicked.

The look on Shaz’s face said it all. “It’s bad, Lex.”

Though I’d expected that, his confirmation made my heart sink. I had to see for myself. The air inside the small apartment was stuffy and smelled of blood and death. Immediately, the harsh negativity of the energy inside crawled along my flesh as if seeking a way in. It hurt and my shield was weak against it. I was raw in places that had no physical location. The pain echoed like a scream inside my mind.

Rounding the corner from the kitchen to the living room, I jerked to a halt when I took in the scene before me. Kale was on his knees on the floor, his head in his hands. Jez knelt beside him, but her emerald eyes were transfixed on Lena’s crumpled form across the room.

She was dead. They’d torn her throat out after slowly bleeding her from every limb. It hadn’t been a quick death or even a recent one. She’d clearly been dead for a day already, long before tonight. A pool of old, black blood stained the carpet beneath her. Her limbs were bound. A gag in her mouth had muffled her screams. Her eyes were wide open, frozen in terror.

I thought back to all the times I’d come here for guidance or a visit while she forced tea and baked goods on me. How could I have let this happen?

Tears stung my eyes, crimson drops that blurred my vision. “I shouldn’t have left her alone. I should have been here.”

“Lex, this isn’t your fault.” Shaz spoke softly.

I shook my head, unable to speak. I never would have guessed that killing Harley would lead to this. It wasn’t fair. Lena had nothing to do with any of it. She was innocent, endangered by association with me. That knowledge weighed heavily, like the weight of the world on my shoulders.

“They pulled one over on you. They killed her long before tonight.” Kale looked up at me with pain etched in the depths of his eyes. “One of us should have been here. I should have known.”

He looked at Lena’s still form, and I saw my own self-blame reflected in his gaze. Kale thought this was his fault. He was wrong.

“We didn’t know.” I was afraid to speak too loud. The faded essence of witch power lingered in the atmosphere, as if she should still be here.

We could do nothing more. I stared into the living room for a long time, wishing I could do something. I couldn’t even close her eyes or cover her up. It was best to touch nothing.

Only my loved ones presence kept me standing. I wanted to sink to my knees beside Lena and sob like a little girl. I felt like a worm on a hook. Sooner or later, we would have another confrontation with Maxwell and Claire. How many more people were going to die because of my actions?

Jez pulled Kale to his feet. Misery clung to him, bitter in its intensity. I didn’t want to leave. It felt like I was abandoning Lena, leaving her there alone. I had no choice.

When everyone had left the apartment, I used a dish towel to pick up the phone and punch in 911. The operator’s voice came on the line, asking what the emergency was. It wouldn’t take them long to dispatch when no response came. I left without looking back. Burying the pain deep inside, I concentrated on what I was going to do to Maxwell and his crew when I got the chance.

“The cops are on their way,” I announced when I joined them in the lobby. “We should head back to The Kiss for now.”

“I’ll go with Kale,” Jez swiped a hand through her tears.

Arys was unusually quiet during the ride back to The Wicked Kiss. The vampire that never apologized for his actions was sitting in silence, lost in regret. I stared out the passenger window, watching in the side mirror as Kale’s black car navigated the city streets behind us, until a changing light left the others behind.

It ate at me, the knowledge that Lena had been dead before I’d ever laid eyes on Maxwell and Claire. It made me sick. “We can’t let them get away with this, Arys. They have to suffer for what they did to Lena.”

His voice was low and menacing. “They’ll be kissing sunrise when we’re done with them.”

* * * *

Sunrise was quickly approaching. I stood behind the bar, a bottle of whiskey raised to my lips. It did nothing to fill the hole I felt inside.

The club was empty. Last call had been an hour ago. It had taken me that long to convince Jez, Shaz and Arys to go home after Kale disappeared into the night. I wasn’t ready to leave yet.

I was in a dangerous frame of mind. I didn’t want to think or feel. I just wanted to be numb. The blood hunger carving out my insides promised relief if I would just give in. My weakened state made me an easy target, and I felt myself slipping.

Just let go. The thought whispered through me. I had no strength to resist, not after what Maxwell had done to me. On every level, I was defeated. The emotional distress of Lena’s death lurked behind the wall I’d built around it. It too would crash down and swallow me.

I don’t remember abandoning the liquor or leaving the bar. I moved automatically, following the deep-rooted vampire instinct that guided me to the back hall. Like every time the bloodlust took hold, I became a rabid mess, moving and acting but not thinking.

I spun in a slow circle, feeling the energy in each of the occupied rooms. A noise drew me down the hall, the sound of a vampire and his blood whore lost in the throes of sexual gratification. Their heady tantric energy was sweet like candy as it rolled over me. A smile tugged at my lips.

The door exploded off its hinges as I entered. Everything moved in choppy scenes, like it all happened too fast for me to follow. Blood was a thick, seductive aroma in the room. Ravenous and wild, I was on them before they could react.

Dragging the vampire off his partner, I flung him aside. Without glancing his way, I held out a hand and drew the energy from him. With the other hand, I grabbed his human lover around the throat and pulled her close. She stank like prey, having been bitten previously. I tore into her viciously so that flesh tore and blood sprayed. She never even got a scream out first.

The vampire tried to fight me off, but it was too late. I had a strong hold on him, and I pulled hard on it. As I sucked him dry of his power, I delighted in the hot crimson fount that ran over my tongue. Blood and power poured into me, and I fell into a state of euphoria. Nothing felt like this.

Letting go and giving in to the bloodlust released me from the chains I’d inflicted upon myself. I drank down the scarlet nectar, delighting in the way it scratched the eternal itch inside me. The rush of blood and power, dancing together around and within me, was thrilling and more importantly, comforting.

It wasn’t borrowed hunger anymore. I needed this. As much as I tried to deny that, to escape it, in that moment it was painfully and irrefutably clear. I wanted to savor the magic of falling headlong into the abyss of dark bliss, to feel like this always, free of pain, spiritual and physical … free from the emotional agony of Lena’s blood on my hands. None of that existed as long as that warm human blood passed my lips.

The vampire fell to the floor, drained of everything he had to give. His body burst into dust before it hit the carpet. My victim’s heart had slowed, beating its last. I was breathless and exhilarated when I let her drop to the bed.

There was a lot of blood. Such a waste. My fangs had torn a gaping wound in her throat, causing blood to spray and splatter. I licked a smear off the back of my hand and surveyed the mess. I was detached, unable to feel anything about it other than mild acceptance. It was what it was. I stared around at the mess I’d made, and I was at peace.

Drunk on blood and power, I lost my balance and fell on my ass beside the bed. I giggled like a lunatic as I scrambled to my feet. I was on sensory overload, keenly aware of everything. The lights in the hall hummed with an irritating high-pitched squeal. Anxiety rolled off the other vampires in the building as they wondered if I’d come for them next. The scarce traffic far beyond the back exit sounded much too close and far too loud.

I was a disaster. I crashed into the wall on my way out of the room, catching myself before I went down again. Draining a human and a vampire simultaneously had overdosed me. Though I laughed to myself like it was the world’s best joke, I was going to have to come down sometime and face reality. But not yet.

I returned to the bar, stopping to stare at the dark, empty interior. It felt so much bigger without the throngs of people littering every square foot. The remnants of their energy still hung on the air, though it was faint now. Catching a glimpse of my reflection in the mirror behind the bar, my jaw dropped.

I was all fangs and bright blue eyes. Arys’s eyes. The spatters of blood that decorated my face and hair were deep scarlet in the dim lighting. I was drawn closer to my image, as horrified by what I saw as I was intrigued. I couldn’t keep seeing myself like this.

Nothing human remained behind my eyes. The wicked light that glinted in my unnatural orbs was pure predator. Both the wolf and the vampire were present together, something I didn’t like to see. It scared me, usually. Intoxicated laughter spilled from me, and I turned away from the mirror before it could become manic sobs. My emotions were all over the place, several hitting me at once.

With the damp bar towel I gave my face a halfhearted wipe. The scent of human blood clung to me. I felt Kale enter the building, and I jerked into action, frantically scrubbing at my face as if it would remove the evidence of what I’d done, but when I pictured him finding the mess I’d left in the back hall, I smiled.

I felt him, every step he took leading him closer to me. Stepping out from behind the bar, I waited for him. Temptation called as his honey sweet energy rolled over me. Kale was a hunger that had never been sated.

He appeared in the doorway, a strange look on his face. “Alexa?”

“That’d be me.” I stood there, adorned in the blood of my victim, and I met his gaze evenly. “What are you doing here, Kale?”

“I was going to crash here for the day. Looks like you’ve been busy. Are you ok?” The concern etched on his face was shadowed by the lust in his eyes. Finding my kill had turned him on, I could feel it.

“Lena’s dead. It’s my fault.” I felt detached from my words and even from myself. “I kill for demons and was naive enough not to know that. I handle the bloodlust like a junkie, and I like it. I am not ok.”

He quickly crossed the space between us. Placing a finger beneath my chin, he forced me to meet his eyes. Our auras touched, and I trembled. Kale searched my eyes for something, I wasn’t sure what. Sanity perhaps.

“What happened to Lena is not your fault. Don’t you dare try to take the blame for this one. Nobody could have stopped this from happening.” Pain filled his eyes, and I knew he was hurting, too. We’d both loved her.

I swallowed hard. “It’s because of me that they targeted her in the first place. Because Shaz and I killed Harley.”

“I know.” He stroked a hand down my cheek, pausing to wipe a streak of blood away. “Alexa, you can’t bury yourself in guilt. There was nothing else you could do.”

I wasn’t alone in my personal agony. Kale felt it, too. I refused the tears that stung my eyes. “You don’t really believe that. Do you?”

“Yes, I do.”

His nearness was teasing my senses, inviting me to wrap that saccharine power of his around me. I pulled away, tearing my gaze from his. I’d swung from giddy drunk to moody sorrow in seconds. I was conflicted by how easily his presence had affected me. What was it about Kale that always broke down my defenses, exposing the raw emotion buried deep inside?

The silence was deafening. All I could focus on was Kale. I wanted to feast upon him as I had with my two victims, but my hunger for him wasn’t the same. Whatever it was we shared, it was always there, and I knew I’d never be free of it. Not as long as I tried to fight it. I was just so tired of fighting, but I knew that giving in had never proven to be the better alternative.

“I’m not sure I can do this, Kale. Claire and Maxwell have the drop on us, and they know it. If I don’t give them what they want, they’ll target somebody else. I don’t feel like I have a choice.”

“You can’t just hand yourself over to them.” With a shake of his dark head, Kale gave me a lingering look. “I wish we could turn back time and redo tonight. I really do. But, what happened does not give them power over you. Only you can give that. Don’t.”

“I wish it was that simple.” My guilt convinced me that the situation was hopeless. “I don’t know where to begin to deal with this. I just don’t want to see anyone else I love get hurt.”

Kale’s heady energy was strong and pulsing. It reached out to me, and I shuddered. He watched me with intrigue in his eyes.

“You can kill them, and you will. I don’t doubt it for a second. Neither should you.”

“But who else is going to die first?”

Kale had no answer for that. Despite how little his reassurance did to make me feel better, I loved him for trying.

“You should go home, Alexa. Get some sleep.” Kale forced a rueful smile. “You’re growing very hard to resist.”

I blushed, my body temperature rising. His energy was running hot. It called to me, bringing forth the laughter that had quelled when he arrived. “I’d apologize but I’m not sorry. I’m so tired of resisting.”

Kale’s expression grew dark, smoldering. I was suddenly painfully aware of just how close he was. Even in the dim light, I saw his pupils dilate. This wasn’t the time or place to play with fire. But, as I watched him react to me, felt it, I reacted too. I had left my self-control in the blood-soaked room down the hall.

“No, Alexa. Don’t do this. I told you, I can’t do this anymore.”

“Then don’t.” I raised a brow and smiled suggestively. “God, you feel good.”

I closed my eyes and breathed him in. He was like metaphysical candy. I gasped when he stepped up to close any remaining space between us. Sliding a hand into my hair, Kale brought his lips to mine, just barely touching.

“You’re damn lucky I’m not riding a hell of a high the way you are. I’d have you naked on that pool table already.” His lips moved on mine as he spoke, and I melted just a little.

“What’s stopping you?”

He kissed me then, a passion pouring forth from him that shook me internally. Kale’s soft tongue swept the inside of my mouth. Unlike our last kiss, this was slow and sensual, knocking the breath from me. Disappointment flooded me when he pulled back.

“The only thing stopping me from taking you right here is the fact that your decision is power-driven. When you come to me on your own with nothing to encourage you but the way you truly feel, I promise you, I will love you in ways you can’t even dream of.”

Kale placed a gentle kiss on my forehead and turned to go. I didn’t try to stop him. The weight of his words penetrated the fog in my head. I was shaken and excited but sobering quickly as reality crept in.

He was right. The circumstances, the events of the evening, it was all wrong. If it was to ever happen, it could never be like this.

Chapter Eleven

The hum of voices coming from the television barely kept my attention. As hard as I tried to make myself follow the sitcom, I just couldn’t keep up. My thoughts were elsewhere.

I hadn’t moved from my spot on the couch for hours other than to refill my coffee mug. Wrapped in my fuzzy black robe, I stared at the moving images on the screen, but all I saw was Lena’s broken body. I’d cried myself out of tears hours ago.

A short phone conversation with Jez had provided some comfort. We shared our grief, but on some level, we were alone in our pain. Jez, Kale and I had all had our own relationship with Lena.

To me she was the mother figure I’d needed after losing my own and a teacher that helped to guide and shape the power I now held. She was too good to go out the way she had. Deep in my heart, I knew she wouldn’t want me to blame myself. Knowing that made it harder to stop.

I’d been ignoring Veryl’s calls all evening. I didn’t care what he had to say. I didn’t want to hear it. After the third call, he’d left a nasty voice mail saying that feeling sorry for myself wasn’t going to bring Lena back and that shit like this happens all the time, especially to humans. That was all I had to hear to know that I would tell Shya yes. I would happily kill Veryl.

Despite my claim that I needed a night alone, Arys had insisted on coming by. He wanted to talk. As I listened to him bang and crash things in my kitchen, I wished he would just say what was on his mind. Instead he’d been fumbling around with the coffee pot and making a poor attempt at heating lasagna.

Another crash came from the kitchen, and I cringed. No wonder I couldn’t focus on the cheesy show. “Are you ok, babe?”

“Yes!” His response was frantic. “How many sugars in your coffee? Four?”

“Two. But, you don’t need to make more coffee. I still have some.” Swirling the murky liquid in my cup, I frowned. It was pretty far from fresh.

“Too late. It’s already made. ...Son of a bitch!”

Another crash of dishes got me up off the couch and heading for the short staircase that led to the kitchen. Arys met me at the top, his hands raised as if to block me.

“Don’t get up. Just go sit down, and I’ll bring it to you.” He angled his body so I couldn’t see into the kitchen.

“Arys, what did you do? I don’t expect you to cook for me. In fact, I think its best that you don’t.” Standing on my tiptoes, I tried to see over his shoulder. I was sure I’d heard something break.

“Hey, give me a little credit. I’m over three hundred years old. I’m not about to be outsmarted by a stove.” His tone was firm, but uncertainty lay in his eyes. “Besides, there’s nothing I can do to ease the pain of your loss. I just need to do something. Humor me?”

I sniffed the air, wrinkling my nose. “Is something burning?”

Arys rushed to the stove in a panic. “Shit!”

I watched him pull the blackened lasagna out of the oven and throw it on the counter. Smoke billowed out to fill the kitchen and burn my eyes. Watching the frantic vampire lose his usual cool and calm over a store-bought frozen lasagna was priceless. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

“I’ll just have coffee. Unless you’ve managed to burn that, too.”

He flipped me off and swore again at the burning mass that barely resembled food. It was just as well. I wasn’t hungry anyway.

I descended back into the living room to open a window before settling back into my favorite corner of the couch. I could safely say that the only man in my life I’d be trusting in the kitchen was Shaz. He was a far better cook than I was. Vampires clearly had no business messing around with food and hot appliances.

I hid a grin when Arys entered the room with a fresh mug of coffee. As soon as I caught its bitter scent, I knew I’d have to fake my way through this one. Did he dump a whole can of grounds in there? Yuck.

I took the mug with a murmur of thanks, watching pensively as Arys sat on the cushion next to me. He pulled my feet onto his lap, slipped my socks off and began to rub the sole of my right foot. The sip of coffee I took was absolutely vile, but Arys’s touch was perfect. I groaned in pleasure. His massage was magic, almost better than sex. Who was I kidding? It couldn’t compare to sex, but he hit a few major pleasure points that had me moaning like I was halfway to climax.

“You think that coffee is disgusting, don’t you?” He was eyeing me closely, watching the bliss cross my face.

“Yes. I’m sorry. I just have my own way of doing it.” Relieved, I abandoned the mug on the coffee table. “But, don’t think for a minute that I don’t appreciate the thought behind your destruction of my kitchen. I love you for trying.”

He frowned, his gaze dropping to my foot. The pressure increased, and I made a sound that could have come from an x-rated adult film. Funny how a great massage can put you in the same state of mind.

“You’re not blaming yourself, are you? You know it was for the best that you killed Harley. I hate what happened to Lena. I only met her the one time, and she was lovely. I know she meant a lot to you. But please, don’t beat yourself up over this.”

I suddenly found the television to be engrossing, if only because it allowed me to avoid meeting Arys’s eyes. “I know that, logically. I can’t help but feel a little guilty. It’s just going to take some time to deal with. I will be fine.”

I could see him look at me though I was focused on the television. His stare grew heavy, and I knew he wasn’t going to let up. Dragging my gaze to his, I tensed. It had been more than just my guilt over Lena that had him here destroying my house.

“Alexa, I know you share my memories,” Arys began as if choosing his words carefully. “I know you saw Claire in my past. I don’t want that to be something that haunts you.”

“You mean something I’ll hold against you?” I asked, taking his silence as a yes. “It’s not like I just found out you’re a killer, Arys. So you two liked to tag team virgins together. Could have been worse.”

I was being a tad flippant but only because I didn’t want to discuss this. Arys was a vampire. He loved it. Picking apart a past that existed hundreds of years before I did was pointless. I considered it irrelevant.

“You know what I’m really talking about.” He didn’t want to say it.

“You mean because you slept with her?” I laughed dryly. “I didn’t really think you’d spent three centuries being celibate. What kind of an idiot do you think I am?”

“Come on, I didn’t say that.” Arys stroked a finger under my toes, and I giggled.

“I know you’ve had other lovers, Arys. I get that. It was a long time ago. I’d really rather not be forced to think about it though.”

He nodded. “Ok, fine. I just felt like I should say something. Especially since I really don’t know how much you’ve seen.”

“Enough.” I smiled so he would know I really wasn’t upset. “Most of it’s a blur of random images that move too fast for me to follow. Sometimes I’ll see something clearly, as if I’m seeing it through your eyes as it happened. I hate that. But, it doesn’t happen much. Your memories are buried deep in my subconscious where I prefer to keep them.”

A grin tugged at Arys’s lips. “You know your memories aren’t a real picnic, either. Some days I wake up screaming, dreaming about your wolf attack. It takes a few moments to grasp that I’m not you.”

“Yeah, I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing through your eyes like that. I’m just glad it doesn’t happen all the time.”

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, a comedy show capturing our attention. It wasn’t often that we sat in front of the TV and zoned out. It felt good. I didn’t spend nearly enough time doing this kind of thing. Normal things.

After giving my other foot the same amazing attention that had me moaning, Arys squeezed in behind me on the couch. He pulled me to him so that my back was to his chest. His arms went around me, and I sank against him gratefully. So maybe a cloud of smoke still lingered in my kitchen and maybe I had more memories of Arys’s blood-drunk sexual history than I desired, but I wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

Moments like this were blessedly simple. Simple was underrated. I could use more of this … without the horrible surrounding circumstances.

I snuggled in beside Arys. His body alongside mine was comforting, reassuring in a way that I needed. I was glad he’d come tonight. The moment of calm would be over much too soon.

* * * *

The sun was warm against my face. It felt all wrong. I kept wondering where the clouds were. Today was a day for rolling thunder and sudden rainfall, when the earth, too, cried over the loss of one of its own. Instead, I gazed up at a crisp blue afternoon sky while the sun blazed.

The cemetery was quiet. Those gathered for Lena’s burial were small in number. Jez and I huddled together a safe distance from the friends and family neither of us knew. Kale hated that he couldn’t be there with us. The sun assaulted my eyes and skin. It burned. Still, it had no further power over me. Not yet.

I recognized Lena’s daughter, Brogan. Having met her a few times, I knew little about her other than that she, too, was a natural earth witch like her mother. Despite what authorities might have told her, Brogan would know vampires had been the cause of her mother’s death. That was confirmed when she met my eyes across the open grave. Behind her obvious pain was the calm resolve of a witch on the war path.

The minister spoke words of hope and celebration of life. They never penetrated my tough exterior. I was cold with the visual of what had been done to Lena. Personally destroying Claire and Maxwell was all I could think about.

“This is the worst day ever,” Jez muttered, fussing with her long ponytail. “I feel like I should say something to Brogan, but I don’t know what. Anything that comes out of my mouth is going to be all wrong today.”

The past few days had been rough. It showed on Jez. The lack of sleep was evident on her face. Her eyes were puffy, and she had made very little effort to apply makeup. For Jez, that said a lot about her state of mind. She was internalizing, like we all did in these times. Things that usually matter had lost their appeal.

Saying goodbye to Lena was difficult. I fought back tears, fearing they would be blood-red. The pressure built inside me. I wanted to scream if only to feel some relief. We stood quietly through the rest of the short service. When the family began to cry and talk amongst themselves, Jez and I looked awkwardly at one another.

“Should we just go?” I shrugged, feeling out of place.

She held up a bouquet of flowers, waving them so the sweet fragrance wafted to me. As nice as it was, the scent of grief easily overpowered it. “I need to leave these by the headstone first.”

Brogan pulled away from the rest of her family to join us. My gaze was drawn to the headstone and Lena’s name etched deep into the marble slab. It hurt to look at the headstone, but staring into the pain in Brogan’s hazel eyes was worse.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “My mom talked a lot about you both. And Kale. Please tell him I apologize for the daytime service.” She mustered a smile that quickly fell flat.

“Brogan, I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. I had nothing to offer that would ease her agony.

Jez murmured sympathetic words and grabbed Brogan in a friendly hug. I stood there feeling awkward. I shielded against the storm of negative energy rolling from Lena’s mourning family. I could feel it battering my personal circle, seeking a way in.

“The cops are passing it off as an unfortunate home invasion.” Brogan sighed heavily and tugged a stray lock of dirty blonde hair behind her ear. “I smiled and nodded. What could I do? Tell them about the heavy stink of vampire energy left behind? Dealing with the will and everything is proving to be enough hassle. But, knowing they’re out there…”

“I’m on it, Brogan.” I promised, my temper rising. “I know who did this. I’m going to find them.”

“I want in.” The determined set to her jaw reminded me far too much of Lena. “I need to be part of this, Alexa.”

Jez was already shaking her head. “God no, Brogan. You’ll get yourself killed.”

We all glanced around anxiously to ensure nobody was within earshot. Brogan frowned, her expression one of stubborn refusal. The last thing I needed was for something to happen to her, too. No way. Not on my watch.

“I have to do something. I can’t just sit by while those bloodsuckers kill more people as innocent as my mom.” I understood how she felt. My mother had been murdered, too, by my lover, a man who had gone to bed with both of us. I shuddered at the thought of Raoul touching my mother as a lover or a murderer. The urge to scream built quickly, and I shoved the thought from my mind.

“I promise you, I understand how it feels to lose your mother violently, but putting yourself in harm’s way is not what Lena would want. You know that.” I could see her forming another protest, so I rushed on. “I might need a locator spell done. You can help with that. But in the meantime, don’t get yourself killed. These vampires are ruthless, and if they find out you’re connected to me in any way, they will make death seem like a walk in the park.”

Brogan absorbed this, nodding slowly. I knew she was wondering now how much hell her mother had been put through before being killed. That hadn’t been my intent, but I needed to scare her off the trail. No good could come of Brogan involving herself directly in this.

“Fine. I’ll hold off for now. Let me know about the locator spell. I want to help however I can.” Her eyes widened, and she reached into the small clutch she held. “I almost forgot. I have something for you. I just started going through my mom’s things last night, and I found some stuff she had set aside for you both.”

A pained sound came from Jez. “I can’t believe Lena was planning for something like this.”

“She was a realist if she was anything.” Brogan sighed heavily. Producing a small black bag from her purse, she handed it to Jez. “There are two charms in here. The red one is for you, Jez. It’s for strength and guidance. The blue one is for Kale. It’s for serenity and inner peace. Alexa, there’s an amulet for you. I’m actually not entirely sure what it does, but it’s strong. I guess you’ll figure out what use it could be to you.”

“Thank you, Brogan. Please, if there is anything we can do for you do not hesitate to call.” On impulse, I pulled her into a quick hug, hoping it didn’t come across as awkward.

“And, she’s not just saying that,” Jez chimed in. “Lena was family. So are you.”

Tears welled up in Brogan’s eyes, and she smiled sadly. “Thanks you guys. That means a lot. I always knew something like this could happen, but I never really thought it would.”

We could say nothing to that. Jez and I faced a similar death every night. It used to seem surreal to me, too, but the cold hand of reality had bitch-slapped that out of me long ago.

Saying goodbye to Brogan was difficult. I wanted to chase after her with warnings to be careful. I was afraid she’d try to take matters into her own hands. She couldn’t take Maxwell, I was certain of that.

She made me promise to get in touch for that locator spell before rejoining the rest of her family. Jez and I slipped away, leaving them to grieve privately. We made our way through the graves, out the cemetery gates, and back to my car. Picking my way through the grass in heels proved to be more of a pain in the ass than I’d anticipated.

“I wish Kale could have been here,” Jez whispered despite us being alone. “He’s always so calming in situations like this. I turn into an anxious mess. ...Or, at least he used to be.”

“I hate to say it, but I’m kind of glad he wasn’t.” I cringed. “Does that make me awful?”

“Of course not. If I were you, I’d probably feel the same. He hasn’t been the same lately. I don’t like it.”

“I’ve been asked to kill Veryl, Jez. And, I think I’m going to do it.” I blurted the words before thinking it through. I hadn’t told anyone yet, and I needed to hear myself say it out loud to somebody else.

Jez gaped at me in shock. “What? Are you serious?”

I took a deep breath and told her about my visit from Shya as well as Veryl’s attitude regarding Lena. “He’s driving me to do it, Jez. And, I can’t help but want to.”

“You can’t trust a demon though, Lex. You know that.” Jez fixed me with wide green eyes. “I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard enough to know I don’t particularly want to.”

The Charger was hot inside from the afternoon sun. I wasn’t used to being awake at this time of day, and the stuffy interior wasn’t helping me stay alert.

“I don’t trust him, but I don’t trust Veryl, either.” I put the key in the ignition but didn’t start the car. I faced Jez, seeking some kind of understanding. “I have to admit, I like the idea of taking on bigger kills, people that pose a serious threat. The challenge kind of excites me. Of course, I don’t want to make a mistake either. And, with everything else going on, it’s all pretty confusing.”

Reaching over to grab my hand, Jez gave me an encouraging smile that did nothing to hide the worry in her eyes. “Be careful, Alexa. Remember who you’re dealing with and just think things through before you agree to anything a demon says. I don’t want you to rush into anything. I don’t think I can support you on the Veryl thing. It’s just too personal for me. Do what you gotta do. I’ll still love you, but I can’t condone it.”

I gave her hand a squeeze. A swell of emotion brought tears to my eyes. It had been a trying day. “Fair enough.”

Chapter Twelve

I turned the small amulet over in my hands, feeling the pure earth energy humming through it. Warm and lively, it felt pure in a way that other forms of power were not. It called to my wolf, and I found myself comforted simply by touching it. I couldn’t be sure what Lena had intended in giving it to me. For now, I was content just to have a part of her.

Stuffing the amulet into my purse, I scanned the crowd. The blood whores seemed to be getting younger all the time. I didn’t like that. The flash of strobe lights over the dark dance floor briefly illuminated the couple against the wall. The vampiress with the ebony hair held a human male in a firm grip as she fed from him. The scent of blood mixed with sweat, a myriad of perfumes and other human smells was stomach turning.

Several couples were locked in embraces bordering on explicit. The Wicked Kiss was a living, thriving organism of its own. I was quickly accepting that I couldn’t control it, I could only survive it, which I had every intention of doing.

I hadn’t seen much of Arys in the past twenty-four hours. Every moment the sun was down, he was trying to get a lead on where Maxwell and Claire were hiding out. They’d been lying low since Lena’s death. It wouldn’t be long before they resurfaced. I fantasized about all the ways I’d break them. I couldn’t take back what they’d done to Lena, but I could share her pain with her killers. I itched with anticipation.

Shaz had taken the night off. I’d insisted. He needed more wolf time. I worried that too much time in this place was starting to affect him. Shaz was my wolf, and I needed him to stay that way. I was vampy enough for the both of us.

Neither Shaz nor Arys had wanted me at The Wicked Kiss alone. Sure it was dangerous, but they couldn’t constantly be hovering over me. If Claire tried to take a shot at me, Arys would know. I could open the telepathic door between us in a heartbeat.

When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I jumped. No, I wasn’t edgy at all. I half expected to see Veryl’s number. The guy didn’t know when to give up. So when I saw that it was Jez, I was relieved.

Until I answered.

Her words came in a rush, the hysterical shrieking made it hard to understand her. Adrenaline crashed over me, and I hurried through the noisy club to the quieter back hall.

“Jez! What’s wrong?”

“It’s Kale. He attacked me. I couldn’t fight him off. I tried.” Another pained moan followed, and I ran blindly out the back exit into the parking lot.

“Where are you, Jez? Take slow, deep breaths. You have to calm down. I’m coming!” My own voice had risen to the point of hysterical. I almost choked on my panic.

“The office,” she gasped. “I’m at the office.”

I put my phone on speaker and tossed it on the passenger seat. “Stay with me, Jez. Keep talking.” With a squeal of tires I flew out of the parking lot, leaving the stink of burnt rubber behind.

I heard a noise, like her phone had fallen, seconds before the call was lost. I’d given Kale too much credit. Having been so caught up with the Claire situation, I hadn’t treated Kale like the threat he was. Unpredictable and self-starved, Kale had been well on his way to snapping. After finding the dead prostitutes in his room, I should have known better.

I feared the worst when I screeched to a halt in the office parking lot. Every precious second was slipping away too quickly. Leaving the engine running and the driver’s door open, I skidded on the loose gravel in my haste to get inside.

A bloody handprint on the wall caused my panic to surge. I flung myself beyond the entry, shouting Jez’s name. I found her unconscious on the floor in the kitchen. Blood pooled beneath her. Though her breath came in shallow bursts and her heart still beat, she was fading fast.

“Jez! Talk to me, Jez.” I slapped her face, receiving no response. I glanced around frantically, uncertain.

The rich scent of her blood was mouth-watering, but this time it held no sway over me. I saw my friend bleeding to death from a nasty throat wound, and the wolf rose up with a protective snarl to subdue the bloodlust. This was Jez, and she wasn’t food.

Could I heal her the way Harley had taught me? I called the energy, but my panic prevented me from focusing on it. I could feel her slipping away. No!

“Please, God. Not Jez, too,” I sobbed, only realizing then that tears streamed down my face. “Come on, focus!”

I was mad at myself. How could I fall apart when it was the life of one of my dearest friends on the line? I could do this. I had to!

Power swirled about me like a tornado. I couldn’t bring it into focus, but the more my desperation mounted, the further it spun out of control. I had the ability to save her, but instead, I was failing her.

The icy touch of vampire power at my back had me whirling, ready to kick Kale’s ass. I gasped when I found myself staring into Lilah’s flame-colored eyes. Her pupils dilated as she reacted to the wild power encircling me.

“It was Kale,” I babbled, all but shoving her toward Jez. “I tried to heal her, and I can’t. I just can’t.” One thing was evident, I was not doing well under pressure these days. Even to me I sounded like the frantic idiot that needed to be slapped.

Lilah was all calm and cool next to my hysterical self. She knelt beside Jez but looked up at me. “I have her; find him.” A woman of few words, Lilah turned her attention to the fading leopard and a stroke of fire slammed over me as she called her power. Demon power.

That red-hot power poured forth, wiping out any trace of her usual cool, undead energy. It burned, and I shielded hard against it.

I had to find Kale before he slaughtered his way through the city. How far could he have gotten by now? If I was going to give him the beating he deserved, I needed to gain control of myself. Bad enough, I’d failed Jez. If Kale overpowered me, I might not make it out of our confrontation alive.

The Wicked Kiss. If I had to bet money on it, that’s where Kale would go. It was filled with victims he could pick off left, right and center. Leaving Jez was difficult, but I trusted Lilah. Kale wasn’t likely to stop anytime soon, which added fuel to my fire. I had to get to him.

My hands shook on the steering wheel as I rushed back through the city. I was filled with dread. I did not want to see Kale on a rampage, and I sure as hell didn’t want to be the one to have to stop him. I had no choice. The image of Jez bleeding out swam behind my eyes. How could he do this to her? A little voice whispered in my ear, He did it to you, too.

Kale was a killer. The calm, gentle Kale that I knew was only part of him. I could too easily pretend a monster didn’t lurk behind those gorgeous eyes. I’d always known this could happen, but I’d foolishly chosen not to believe he really would snap again.

I’d seen horrors in Arys’s memory, but I was sure that Kale’s past contained worse. Kale had never been one to speak much of his past, but I knew enough to know it was bad. He had a bit of a fetish for the screams of his victims. I shuddered, recalling the night he’d told me that.

I was terror-stricken at the thought of facing him. I would never forget the crazed look in his eyes the night he attacked me.

Raindrops spattered against the windshield, and a boom of thunder shook the night. A thunderstorm was as fitting a backdrop to this night as any. With the press of a button, I closed the sunroof, cutting off the cold, wet spray that hit me in the face. The motion was so mundane and simple, a direct contrast to everything else going on around me.

I didn’t think I could possibly be any more afraid than I already was. However, when I approached The Kiss and spotted Kale’s Camaro parked haphazardly in the club’s “no parking” zone, my stomach dropped. The anger that coursed through me came sudden and unbidden. I was smart enough to fear Kale, but I was also beyond pissed for what he’d done to Jez.

I parked my car so that it blocked his in. I didn’t want him getting away that easily, although I had a feeling that he wouldn’t try to run when he saw me. Fear fled me when I got out of my car and surveyed the parking lot. It was much too quiet. The noise from inside was muffled. I paused, listening for telltale screams.

I dropped my shields, knowing Kale would feel me regardless. I reached out for his honey sweet energy, sensing him immediately. His energy was buzzing with the bloodlust that drove him. Kale was on a bender, and he wasn’t likely to stop any time soon. His energy led me through the parking lot, past the rear exit to the small alley that ran behind the building. How perfectly creepy.

Kale had carelessly tossed aside the bodies of two guys who had the misfortune of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of them was still alive, barely. His heartbeat echoed in my ears, and I tried to shut it out. I could do nothing for him now. I forced myself to walk past him without a second look. Unlike Jez, he felt like food.

I hesitated, unwilling to walk into a trap. Kale hadn’t already gone inside to terrorize the club patrons for a reason. He was waiting for me. That realization should have frightened me, but I was numb, slipping into survival mode.

The scent of blood and fear was strong. I gazed into the darkness, my wolf eyes re-adjusting to the absence of light. I saw nothing other than a garbage dumpster and some old abandoned furniture some lazy ass had ditched. Wherever Kale was, he was blending into the shadows with ease.

The sounds of the dying man behind me were especially loud. I swallowed hard, struggling to tune it out. Kale could have at least put the guy out of his misery. I couldn’t do it. I knew the moment I drew close enough to see his bloody throat, I’d be a goner.

“Don’t do this, Kale.” I stared into the darkness ahead, willing him to make this easy on both of us.

I could feel him, lying in wait. As each moment dragged by, my trepidation grew. This was a game to him, and I didn’t want to play.

I grew frustrated quickly. I didn’t appreciate being treated like the mouse in this game. “You don’t want to play with me, Kale. You could have killed Jez!”

Thunder crashed overhead, followed moments later by a streak of lightning. The brief illumination lit up my surroundings. If I hadn’t been able to feel Kale, I would have believed I was alone out there. Well, me and what was left of his victims.

The air around me never rippled. Not a sound betrayed Kale’s movement. He was just suddenly there, right in front of me. I jumped, choking on a shriek, stumbling as I backed away.

The rain came down harder, and I shoved my damp hair out of my face, peering at Kale like it was my first time laying eyes on him. I barely recognized him. His face was stained with the blood of his victims and his hair was matted with it. The solid black of his eyes revealed how far gone he was. Too late, I second-guessed coming here alone, but I wasn’t going back now.

Clad in his usual stylish attire, pinstriped pants, a dark shirt and his leather duster, Kale looked like my dreams and nightmares united in one painfully beautiful form. He smelled like blood and death and wore the devilish grin of one mad with bloodlust. His blood-soaked power beckoned to me.

I was instantly defensive, gathering my power tight to me. “Kale, I-,”

I was airborne before I realized he’d metaphysically bitch-slapped me. I hit the ground hard, skidding to a stop next to Kale’s forgotten victim. I was on my feet immediately, determined not to let on how much that had hurt. My back and legs stung from scraping along the hard, wet pavement. I prayed that the impact hadn’t drawn blood.

Kale advanced on me but made no further move. I stared into his eyes, rife with madness, and I felt despair. I didn’t want this to become a violent confrontation, not if I could help it.

“I thought you said you didn’t want to hurt me.” Appealing to his softer side was my first choice, but I was ready to hurt him if he refused to back down. I knew I could do it.

“I believe I said I didn’t want to kill you.” Kale regarded me thoughtfully, an amused smile dancing about his lips. “I definitely want to hurt you.”

The unspoken promises in his words brought forth my wolf with a snarl. I was all fangs and claws, ready to make him regret whatever he was thinking. Kale reacted with a laugh that shook me to the core. It was pure evil.

“This isn’t you, Kale. Let’s be reasonable here. You hurt Jez. She’s your friend. I’m your friend.”

He scoffed, pushing a lock of wet hair back from his forehead. “This is me, Alexa. This is the side you’ve always hoped you’d never see again, but just looking at you brings it out of me. We both knew this would happen. You can’t save me from myself. You know this. You can’t even save yourself. Once it’s in you, it is you.”

“No.” I shook my head vehemently. “That’s bullshit. It doesn’t have to be this way. You know it doesn’t.”

“Who are you trying to convince? I get it. You’re young and still so new to this. You want to believe there is another way. Try telling that to this poor sap.” Kale nudged the body next to us with a booted foot. The man had finally expired. “There is only blood and death. Either that or insanity.”

“I guess you’d know, huh?” I was scrambling to put the right words together. Anything to get through to him. “Blood and death doesn’t mean hurting the people that care about you. We love you, Kale. We can help you.”

I gasped when he stepped in close and laid a finger over my lips to silence me. I battled against the urge to jerk away.

“Be careful what you say, my love. Words can so easily be taken out of context.” He smiled down at me, revealing fangs.

My stomach tightened as he pulled at my energy. I pushed back against him, a warning. “So can actions. Don’t do something we’ll both regret, Kale.”

His laughter stoked the fire that always burned between us. “Not to worry. I don’t plan to regret anything.”

So being rational wasn’t going to work. Good to know. What did I have left? Brute force? He’d like that. He wanted it.

“I’m not going to face off with you. Not like this.” I steeled myself against the call of his power to mine. He was encouraging it, and though I resisted, my will was weak. It was Kale. I’d always wanted him.

“Then why did you come?” He challenged, his smile vanishing. “You want it as bad as I do. The rush of the power, the struggle of your prey as you give in to the thrill of the bloodlust that you try so hard to deny. Did you come to stop me, pretty wolf? Or, was it to join me?”

“Back off, Kale!” The force that accompanied my shout shoved him back a few feet. I didn’t want this to be a clash of metaphysical ability but instinct was guiding my action.

“Too close to the truth for comfort. I understand.” His head came up suddenly, and he listened keenly to the night. I listened, too, straining to pick out sounds beyond the rain and thunder.

The faint sound of high heels clicking quickly on the concrete was distant. It grew increasingly louder as the woman drew closer. We were just fifty feet or so from the club’s rear entry. I crossed my fingers, hoping that whoever she was, she would go in through the front. Kale braced himself in anticipation, and I held my breath.

She rounded the corner of the building, heading right for us. Clutching a thin jacket and a purse, she hurried to escape the rain. With her head down and her attention on her destination, she didn’t even look our way.

“Kale, don’t.”

We both sprang into motion, but he was faster. She let out a surprised scream when he grabbed her. With a hand over her mouth, Kale leaned in close and breathed deeply of her scent. Her eyes were wide, and she struggled in his grasp. He smiled.

“This is what you came for, Alexa.” He met my gaze with delight dancing in his eyes.

I shivered as the rain soaked through my jeans and thin t-shirt. At least I told myself it was from the chill of the rain and not the spark of excitement in my belly. I watched Kale bare her neck and run his tongue over her flesh. She fought to get away, but he easily overpowered her.

“Don’t do this,” I pleaded. “Let her go. This is between you and me.”

“She smells good. Like apples.” Kale bit deep into her without warning. I gave a small cry and begged him to stop. There was nothing I could do.

The scent of fresh blood struck me. Kale held my gaze as he drank from her, watching the effect it was having on me. I didn’t have the strength to fight the bloodlust. Despite the way I pleaded with him, I enjoyed what I saw. I responded to the scene before me with hunger and intrigue. I wanted to taste her.

I backed away from Kale, forcing my feet to do the opposite of what the bloodlust demanded. I was at a loss, unsure of what to do. A battle waged inside me, one I had to win.

His victim’s struggles ceased as she slipped into unconsciousness. Kale raised his head so I could see the blood spilling from the wound. In a dramatic gesture, he swept his tongue over the punctures in a languorous motion that almost brought me to my knees.

His tone was deadly wicked when he murmured, “Tell me you don’t want just a taste.”

“I want you to stop this fucking nonsense before you drive us both crazy. You’re being an idiot.” I spat the words through a mouthful of fangs. My fury was growing, and the urge to tear a strip out of Kale was strong.

Letting the woman fall to the ground without a second thought, Kale advanced on me. Panicking, I lashed out with a warning shot, just enough to let him know I was ready to defend myself. He continued forward, unfazed. This was going to get physical.

“And, you’re being the challenge that I’d hoped you’d be.” Moving inhumanly fast, Kale grabbed me in a vice-like grip and kissed me before I could form a protest.

The passion in his kiss momentarily left me stunned. The blood in his mouth was delicious and tempting. My resistance quickly came undone as the bloodlust found victory. Kale’s tongue was persistent against mine, and I caught myself kissing him back before common sense took hold.

Pulling away, I hauled off and punched him right in the face. It knocked him back a foot or two but otherwise resulted in nothing but a smirk and a cut lip. Spilling Kale’s blood could never be a good thing, not when I wanted him the way I did. Still, I found some gratification in hitting him with my fist instead of my power. It gave me so much more satisfaction.

My wolf was ready to kick his ass, and I followed up with a kick intended to take his legs out from under him. However, his undead reflexes were stellar, and he caught my leg and gave it a twist. I yelped in pain, fearing the worst. He didn’t really hurt me though, not like he could have. Instead he gave me a shove that sat me down hard on my ass.

I glared up at him, a growl rumbling in my throat. He stood over me, waiting for me to get up. “Come on, Alexa. You need the violence to justify your feelings. So if it makes you feel better to throw punches, I’m happy to take them. You can beat me black and blue, but it won’t change the way you feel.”

I came up off the ground snarling and swinging. It wasn’t the knowing look in his eyes that unleashed my fury but the truth in his words. Kale was more than happy to give as much as he was taking. I ate more than a few hits that would have knocked any human out. It would hurt later, but I was running on adrenaline and lupine wrath.

In a move that both surprised and satisfied me, I flipped him over my body so he landed hard on the ground next to me. Maybe you couldn’t wind a vampire, but that had to hurt. If only it had knocked some sense into him. All it seemed to do was encourage him. Holding tight to my forearm, he followed through with my momentum, using it to pull me off balance while getting to his feet. Since I was the one with functioning lungs, I had the breath crushed from me.

Kale pulled me to my feet. His touch stirred my power, encouraging it to devour him. “Have you had enough yet, my love? I can do this dance with you all night.”

Despite gasping for air, I bared my fangs at him. “You’re sick, Kale.”

Stroking a hand down the side of my battered face, he smiled, almost sadly. “And, you are my disease.”

“What do you want from me? Really.” I drew a shaky breath and slapped his hand away.

Looking into Kale’s drowning orbs was like falling into an abyss, so deep and so endless. He leaned in too close for my comfort, inhaling my scent.

“Are you sure you want the answer to that question?” His lips lightly brushed my ear, and I trembled. “I want to explore what it is that draws me to you. I want to discover why it binds me, why everything in me longs to be yours. I want to be able to look at Arys and not die inside with envy. I want to bring you to your knees and make you scream. And, sometimes, I just want to be free of you altogether.”

So much for a simple answer. A storm of thoughts and emotions pummeled me. I was at a loss for words. A wall deep inside me began to crumble and with it, my own resolve.

He jerked away from me so fast I jumped, startled by the sudden motion. Kale paced a few feet away before whirling to fix me with a deadly stare.

“Perhaps the real question isn’t what I want from you, Alexa, but what do you want from me? You’re pretty back and forth on that. You beg me to bleed you one day but tell me to back off the next. I’m starting to think you’re trying to drive me mad.”

My heart raced. Kale’s energy was erratic, pained and tempting. It called to me, and I felt the wild vampire power rise up inside me with intrigue.

“I don’t know what I want from you! Is that what you want to hear? I don’t fucking know.” That was as close to the truth as I had for him. “Sometimes, I want to devour you, just take all you have to give until there’s nothing left. And sometimes, I want to fuck you senseless while doing it. Then there are the times I want to wrap myself in the comfort I find in you and just … be.”

My words hung between us, heavy and honest. It felt good to get it out, but I still didn’t know what it all meant. I’d never felt as confused over anyone as I did with Kale. Was it wrong? Or, was it just circumstance?

The silence was thick with tension. The power crackled around us, creating sparks in the rain. Rain had soaked my hair, and I pushed it out of my face. I waited for Kale’s response. The hard glint in his gaze was unnerving. I was afraid of him right then. I couldn’t judge his state of mind.

I sensed his inner turmoil, his struggle. He quickly closed the distance he had put between us, and I braced myself for anything. Sliding a hand into my wet hair, he vibrated with pent-up energy. His hand was even warm, despite the cold rain that poured down, and I caught myself leaning into his touch.

“I can’t go on like this much longer. One of us is going to end up killing the other. I fear that might be the only way you can set me free.”

“Shut up, Kale. Don’t talk like that.”

His hand tightened in my hair, just enough to become painful. “God, I want to hurt you right now. Anything to make you stop saying my name like that.”

The shock of fear that slammed through me was paired with excitement. Part of me was eager to see what he would do. It was ludicrous. We were both so far gone.

“Can you do it? Make me a victim? Kale?” I taunted as his sweet energy rolled over me. It would be so easy to give in, and I was so tired of resisting.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” With a sudden pressure, he pushed power into me. It burned just enough to blur the line between pain and pleasure.

The pain increased as Kale forced me back against the building. The stone was cold and wet against my back. I gazed up at him, and he reached to stroke a finger beneath my chin as he contemplated me. I wanted him to do it, to give in to whatever he was feeling. Something inside me was waiting for that second when he went too far.

I gasped, a smile tugging at my lips. Grasping his power, I drew it in to me, making it mine. Five centuries of undead energy was a heady intoxicant. The rush that spilled over me was enough to make me dizzy. Kale was like a fine wine, stronger and better with age.

“I’d like to see you try.” I was like a kid playing with matches. The very real possibility of how badly I could get burned didn’t seem like a good enough reason to play safe.

“I know what you’re doing. Taunting me isn’t the way to make me back off. You are just pouring gasoline on the flames. I can’t resist you, and I’m done trying.”

He claimed my lips in a kiss that was wild with untamed need. At the same time, he released his hold on the energy within him so that it sought to get to me. It crashed over me like a wave, and I was left struggling to stay afloat in a sea of power and desire.

I delighted in the taste of blood on his tongue as he delved into my mouth. I breathed him in like his kiss was air. The boundary line was suddenly so far away it couldn’t be seen for dust. I fell into Kale, and I fell hard. Kissing him back with total abandon was so liberating that it was dizzying.

When Kale realized I wasn’t fighting him off, a sense of urgency overcame him. He kissed me hungrily, as if he feared that at any moment I would come to my senses and throw him another punch. I was too far gone to climb up out of the abyss I’d fallen into. The scent of rain mixed with Kale’s leather kept me buried under a veil of desire that would no longer be denied.

I tasted blood as his fangs scraped my lower lip, just another sensation to add to the rest. The fading warmth of his body against mine contrasted with the cold rain pelting us, and I pressed closer to him. Slipping my arms around his neck, I clung to him with a desperation I hadn’t known that I possessed for him. It could shock me later. Right then, it was freedom.

Kale’s hands were on my waist, sliding up under my shirt to caress my bare flesh. I ached for more. It wasn’t enough. When his mouth came warm against my neck, I sighed. The scrape of his fangs on my skin held the promise of danger and bliss. I needed it.

When he peeled my wet t-shirt off, I didn’t stop him. He paused just long enough to gaze into my eyes. I saw myself reflected in the drowning black of his pupils. And more than that, I saw his agonizing need.

Pulling me close, Kale pressed his lips to the swell of my cleavage, and I melted against him. I grasped his wet hair in my fingers, amazed at how soft it was. His tongue was warm and moist on my chilled flesh. We’d come this far before. That’s where it had ended. Not this time. Lord, not this time.

Perhaps the back alley behind The Wicked Kiss wasn’t the most ideal setting for such an encounter. The lightning flashed overhead, followed by thunder, and I found it perfect. Impatience drove me to know more of him, all of him. I sensed magic in Kale’s touch. I guided him back up to my lips so I could taste him again.

He touched my breasts through the restrictive, damp bra, but I didn’t want that. It wasn’t enough. The insistence in my kiss drove him, and he ran his hands low down my body to relieve me of the clingy, wet jeans. Anticipation had me growling. I was eager and ravenous for Kale.

I barely noticed when he stripped me of my skimpy underwear. Cloaking my body with his, Kale sheltered my nakedness with his long duster, providing me with warmth and cover. I reached blindly for him, seeking his skin on mine. He was already moving to free himself from the restraints of his pants. I gasped when he lifted me in his arms so that my weight was divided between the wall at my back and his embrace.

The warmth of his hard shaft against my entrance was sudden and startling. I peered into his eyes, finding him watching me intently. He gave me one last split second to stop him. I never did.

Kale slipped inside me with a slow, steady motion that knocked the breath from me. Our gazes were locked, and I felt vulnerable as every wall I’d built between us crumbled into dust. Buried deep within me, Kale gave a sigh that echoed what I felt. I watched as some semblance of sanity crept back into his mismatched eyes, but we weren’t turning back now.

“Alexa.” My name was a whisper as he kissed and bit at my neck.

With firm but unhurried strokes, he filled me again and again. A swell of emotion rose up to shatter what remained of my denial about my feelings for Kale. I wasn’t going to attempt to define them, but I could no longer refute their existence. He shared with me weaknesses and vulnerabilities that nobody else did, like the constant battle with the bloodlust and the reasons not to give in. I felt safe with him. Kindred.

The crackle of energy sounded loud despite the storm. A silver and gold sphere of power encircled us. The colors of ours auras rolled together like the colors in a candy cane, never joining but twisting and turning together just the same. It was mesmerizing.

We moved together, hidden in the shadows, two souls united in passion and longing. Kale’s every touch was intimate. His every movement burned with the flames of sensuality. I’d never dreamed he could make me feel this way. He forced throaty cries from me with each thrust. I was lost in the spellbinding sensations of having him inside me. It felt like a dream.

Kale sucked at the vein in my throat, and I bared my neck to him in invitation. I wanted it as badly as he did. His fangs were sharp against my sensitive flesh. He bit deep, and I gasped. My heartbeat pounded loudly in my ears. Rather than withdraw his fangs right away, he left them buried. It burned until I wanted to scream, but the pain was bliss. I didn’t want it to stop. Kale was making me his in every way, and I wanted it.

When at last he released his hold on me, my blood rushed over his tongue. I felt myself hurtling toward climax as he sucked at the wound. Kale’s pace increased, and he groaned when I tensed. His body responded to mine, and I felt him fighting the release. Our release was stronger than we were, though, and it smashed into us with a head-spinning impact.

He held me for what felt like a long time after. I clung to him, unwilling to let go yet. He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, and a frown creased his brow. I realized then that hot tears rolled down my face. I shook my head, trying to calm his concern but unable to form words.

Unwilling to break the spell by speaking, he settled for holding me close and pressing soft kisses to my face. It did little to quell the ridiculous flow of tears. I felt betrayed by them.

We stayed there in the rain, each of us unwilling to break apart. Nothing would ever be the same between us again. I had felt the love that burned inside Kale for me, and I’d been forever changed because of it.

I reached out to stroke a hand down his jaw. I had always adored Kale. Now, I knew just how deep it went. Maybe I’d always known.

At long last, Kale pulled away, and I was left standing nearly naked in the rain. I felt no chill though. I was numb to everything except what I now felt inside. Kale slipped out of his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders.

“I’m sorry.” He kissed me, gentle but deep. “Don’t hate me for this. I have to go. I can’t stay. Not right now.”

He disappeared into the night before I could reply. I struggled into my soaking wet clothes, and then I stood there, clutching his jacket to me while the rain slapped my face. The remnants of our power hummed around me.

I waited for the numbness to creep in, to wipe away the raw, agonized emotion that racked me now. It never came.

Chapter Thirteen

Leaving the dark confines of the alley meant returning to everything I thought I knew. I refused to think about what had just happened. I couldn’t for fear I might break. Turning the corner into the parking lot, I gasped as the part of me that was all Arys was awakened. He was here.

Dread washed over me, and I felt faint. I headed for Kale’s car, easily manipulating the door lock with slight focus. I held my breath, hoping the alarm wouldn’t go off. I pulled the door open. Silence. I tossed Kale’s jacket into the backseat, relocked the door and slowly made my way to the front door of the club. I didn’t want to go in there.

The sudden warmth of the club was stifling. I felt torn from the natural beauty of the rain, thrust into this artificial world. My wolf hated it. Ignoring the questioning look from Shawn, I made my way inside, leaving a wet trail behind me. I likely looked like something spawned in a B-rate horror movie.

Arys was leaning on the bar, engrossed in conversation with Josh. He looked up at my arrival, and I swallowed hard. Would the rain have washed away Kale’s scent? Did the truth shine in my eyes like a beacon?

“What in the hell happened to you? You look like something the cat dragged in.” Arys scanned me from head to toe, his gaze narrowing. “You’ve been crying.”

I kept my distance, afraid to touch him. “No. Why? Is there blood on my face? There was an incident at the office. Jez has been hurt. I can’t stay. I need to check on her.”

“Where’s Kale?”

Arys’s tone was sharp, and I cringed inwardly. I fumbled to form a response. I was tongue-tied, knowing the truth was clear in my eyes.

“I don’t know. He attacked Jez.” I could offer nothing more. I wouldn’t directly lie to Arys.

He reached out to shove the mess of wet hair off my neck, exposing Kale’s bite. “Let me rephrase that. Where in the fuck is Kale?”

“Arys, don’t. Please. It’s not what you think. He didn’t hurt me.”

Rage rolled off him with a scorching heat. “It’s exactly what I think. I knew this would happen. I knew you’d never be able to resist him.”

The lack of surprise in Arys’s eyes bothered me. He’d been expecting this? I wasn’t sure if I should feel ashamed or insulted.

“I guess you’re always two steps ahead of me, huh?” I snarled, spinning on my heel to go. I had no right to be angry, but I wasn’t going to have this conversation inside The Wicked Kiss while Jez was injured and Kale was God knew where.

Arys stopped me with a hand on my wrist. His grip was tight enough to hurt. “You and I need to have a little talk. Go and see to your friend, but after sunrise, I’ll be expecting you.”

“If you hurt Kale-,”

“Then what, Alexa? You’ll do something about it?”

I stared into his cold blue eyes and watched as they bled to wolf. I shook my head, knowing there was nothing I could say or do now.

“It will hurt me, too.”

Arys released his hold on me and stepped back. “Get out of here, Alexa. I’ll see you at sunrise.”

I left without a backwards glance. My cheeks burned with humiliation. I was tired and confused from being pulled in so many directions. I didn’t know how to be so many things, to have so much expected of me. I finally found peace, short-lived as it were, in the loss of control. The rest of the time, I was a caged animal, longing for freedom, but that surrender always came at a price.

Lilah had left a message on my phone. Jez was at home. She would be fine. The news brought tears of relief to my eyes. Lilah concluded the message by asking me to return to the office before dawn if I was able. She wanted to see me.

That was something I didn’t anticipate. I was curious but wary. What could she possibly want to see me about? I had a few hours yet before the sun would break over the horizon. If the rain continued, it would be an overcast morning with little to no real sunlight.

Being a shifter had some perks, for instance, the clean sweat pants and hoodie sweater in the trunk of my car. I kept extra clothing on hand for those unexpected shifts to wolf. I changed in the backseat, grateful to shed the last of my rain-soaked clothing. I tried to squeeze the excess water from my hair. It hung in disheveled chunks that dripped down my back. I would have loved a hot shower right then.

I couldn’t help but worry as I drove mechanically back to the office. I doubted Kale would step foot inside The Wicked Kiss tonight, and I sincerely hoped I was right about that. Whatever Arys was feeling, it was justified, but hurting Kale wouldn’t change anything for the better.

I wanted to see Jez but decided it was best to let her get some rest. Knowing she was safe and alive made everything else seem a little less important. Maybe everything was going to blow up in my face at last. I’d crossed a line, and it was going to hurt everyone involved. Yet, Lena’s death, the close call with Jez and the lingering presence of Maxwell and Claire made my personal drama pale in comparison.

Only Lilah was present when I reached the office. The scent of pure Were blood still hung on the air though she had cleaned up the mess. She came out of Veryl’s office, sensing my arrival. Dressed simply in jeans, a tank top and sweet army boots, she wore no makeup. Not that she needed any, Lilah was a simple beauty. Strong cheekbones and sharp features made her flame-colored eyes seem to glow. Her wavy locks were just a few shades darker, a deep burnt orange.

She snapped her fingers as she approached, and a circle formed around the building. A wave of demon magic swept through me, throwing me off-balance. It left me feeling nauseous.

“Sorry about that. Better safe than sorry.” Lilah gestured for me to join her in the kitchen.

I followed her in, suddenly aware I hadn’t cleaned up the blood on my face or neck. Her gaze went to the vampire bite I wore, and I thought I saw her hide a smile. Could she tell it was Kale’s?

“No worries. What’s up? Jez is ok?” I sat down after she did though I would have preferred to stay on my feet.

“She was knocking on heaven’s door, but I was able to bring her back. She’ll be fine in time.” Her choice of words struck me as strange. Before I could respond she continued. “I wanted a chance to talk with you, one on one. I know we rarely get the opportunity. Things are changing. I thought it was time.”

I was uneasy. Lilah had never given me reason to fear her, but she was a demon. I didn’t know if I could trust her.

“Alright. What’s going on?”

Lilah sat casually in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. She regarded me with a serious expression. “You’ve spoken to Shya. He wants you to act as one of his personal assassins, a position that is not handed out to just anybody. I know you’re headstrong and temperamental. I believe you’re a perfect fit. But, what he’s asking of you is dangerous. More so than anything you’ve faced or done. I can guarantee it.”

“I haven’t had much time lately to consider it. There’s a lot I’m not sure of.”

“I’m not here to convince you either way. Your choice is your own. I will give you one word of advice though. Don’t agree to anything Shya asks of you unless you’re committed to it.” She blew a lock of hair out of her eyes and flashed me what was supposed to be a friendly smile. “You have power over vampires and werewolves. Naturally, Shya finds that appealing. I’m not sure he’s ever seen anyone like you. Be careful.”

When other creatures took an interest in me because of my power, it never seemed to go well. Shya was different, he wasn’t a power-hungry vampire seeking a fun toy to suck dry. He was a demon, and what he wanted from me was probably far worse.

“Easier said than done.” I picked up a sugar packet off the table and began to fidget with it. “I don’t trust anyone anymore, but the fact remains that I need to do more than I’ve been doing. Staking newborn vampires has lost its appeal.”

Lilah nodded, watching my nervous fidgeting. “I imagine. A challenge definitely does keep things exciting. As the decades pass, that’s essential to sanity.”

“Sanity,” I scoffed. “Who needs it?”

“Rough night?”

I searched her eyes, finding genuine interest. “You could say that.”

“Well, whoever he is, he’s not worth it.” A wry grin lit up her face, bringing an amused light to her eyes. Lilah was stunning in her own way. “Anyway, I have something for you.”

I couldn’t help but be curious when she left the room. I managed to keep my butt in the chair and wait. I heard a door open and close down the hall. What could Lilah possibly have for me? She re-entered the kitchen holding a long, thin box.

Placing it on the table between us, she reclaimed her seat and flipped the lid open. Inside was the most elaborately made, dangerous looking dagger I’d ever seen. The blade shone in the fluorescent lighting. It was longer than my forearm and designed in a gentle curve. Notches were cut out at the base of the blade, allowing it to cut through the air with little resistance. From where I sat, I could see the symbols etched into the metal. Whatever it said, it wasn’t in any human language. The handle consisted of a series of coils of what appeared to be black jade. It was a magnificent weapon.

I could feel the power that emanated from it. Like a kid presented with a shiny toy, I immediately wanted to touch it. Instead I stared in wonder, my curiosity growing.

“It’s called the Dragon Claw. I’m sure you can feel its power.” Lilah turned the box so I could get a better look at it but made no move to touch it herself. “It was created to destroy those with a physical demonic form. That means earth walking demons and vampires. It doesn’t even have to hit the heart. Once it pierces their flesh, it’s all over.”

“Wow.” I gazed from the dagger to Lilah in wonder. “That’s amazing. Where did it come from?”

“Would you be reluctant to take it if I told you it was forged in the fires of hell?” Her expression was dead serious. No joke there.

“Take it? Really? Me?” I sounded like a moron, but it was just so unexpected.

“You’re still mortal. And, I sure as hell can’t use it. One nick of that blade, and I’d be dead.” She shoved the box even closer. “Here. Check it out.”

My hands were surprisingly steady as I lifted the Dragon Claw from its velvet bed. It was solid and heavy, but it felt good in my grasp. The jade handle was smooth but easy to grip due to the raised coils. The dagger spoke to my power, molding its own as if to fit me. Warmth radiated up my arm, but it felt right.

“It feels like it was made for me.” I stared down at the gorgeous weapon in my hand, awestruck.

“It was.”

Lilah’s simple admission startled me, and I had to do a double take. “Seriously?”

“Yes. Shya had it made. All he needed to bind it to you was a strand of hair, easily taken from the hair clip left in your office.” With a shrug Lilah picked up the sugar packet I’d dropped and began to fold down the edges. The casual gesture contrasted the weight of her words. “Sorry if that sounds creepy. It’s demon magic. He needed a part of you. So now it’s yours.”

I didn’t know how demon magic worked, and I didn’t think I wanted to. It was very presumptuous of Shya to make such a thing for me. It raised warning flags.

“Why? What does he expect in return for it?” Suspicious, I laid the dagger back in the box, going so far as to close the lid.

Lilah chuckled. “Smart girl. Always ask that exact question before accepting anything from a demon, especially Shya. This time he only wants your assurance that you will kill Veryl.”

Ah, so she knew about that. “Why is it so important that I do it? Can’t anyone else? Why can’t you?”

My question had been petulant though it hadn’t been my intent. She was unfazed.

“Because I’m the one he’s blackmailing. If I kill him, everything he has on me leaks to the people I want it kept from. He’s assured me of that.”

That was not what I’d expected. I turned that tidbit of information over in my head. Veryl was a scumbag. I didn’t know what he had on Lilah nor did I need to. He was out of line.

“How do you know it won’t still leak if I kill him?” It occurred to me that at no point since being asked had I really intended to turn down the hit on Veryl. What did that say about me?

Lilah met my gaze, and I saw in her eyes that she trusted me, something I was sure didn’t come lightly. “I don’t. It’s a chance I’ll have to take. The cocky prick has been using it to manipulate me for long enough.”

Silence descended as I contemplated everything I knew. It was none of my business, but I couldn’t help but wonder what Veryl had on Lilah. She herself was an enigma. I’d been dying to know more about her since we’d met. I’d never known anyone like her. Though she’d scared the crap out of me a few times with her power over demons, I had no reason not to help her.

“Lilah, please forgive me if I’m overstepping my bounds here, but what are you? I mean, I know vampires are rooted in darkness, demons in their own way. But, they aren’t demons the way you are.” There. I’d taken my chance and given words to the question nagging me.

I feared a negative reaction, but it never came. She didn’t appear to mind my inquiry.

“I’m a demon. One of the highest in rank. Or, at least I was. I was cursed. Forced into a corporeal form. A vampire.” The sugar packet in her hands suddenly exploded in a burst of white powder. “Veryl knows my true identity. That is information that could end my entire existence if it should fall into the wrong hands.”

She was shut up very tight. I couldn’t get a feel of her energy at all. The shadows in her eyes spoke loud and clear though. If I thought I had problems, Lilah’s would likely blow mine out of the water.

“Thank you for sharing that with me.” My gaze dropped to the box, and I thought of Maxwell and Claire. A weapon like that could be an advantage. “I’ll do it. I’ll kill Veryl. Just make sure Shya knows I don’t owe him anything else.”

“No problem.” Lilah stood up and offered me a hand. “Let me know if you ever need anything. I mean it. Oh, and when it comes to Shya, watch out for the pretty words. He has a way of saying things that makes them sound better than they are.”

“Gotcha. Word games with demons. I’m on it.”

I smiled to lighten the mood. It didn’t help. I’d gone from vampires to demons and from friends to lovers all in one night. I was ready to hide out in bed for a few days and will it all away.

That same hot wave of nausea passed through me when Lilah dropped her circle. Her demon power was heavy and thick. It felt like metaphysical molasses. I didn’t like it.

I sat in the car after Lilah left, watching the night slip away. The rain had let up, but it hadn’t stopped. Placing the Dragon Claw box on the passenger seat, I couldn’t resist opening the lid to slide my fingers along the smooth expanse of the blade. It felt like a part of me. Knowing what Shya had done to create it should have bothered me more than it did. Touching the magical dagger and knowing it was mine, I was smitten.

* * * *

Coffee in hand and heartbeat erratic, I made my way up Arys’s front walk. His neighbor, Mrs. Olson, sat on her front porch reading a book in the sunlight. The rain had stopped, allowing the sun to break through. It was a lovely morning.

She waved when she saw me. Her little dog came barreling across the lawn to bark at me, something he always did. He had no problem with the vampire that lived in this house, but he sure hated werewolves. The dog had been a gift to Mrs. Olson from Arys, after he’d killed the last one.

“Beat it, Frankie.” I hissed beneath my breath. “You can’t take me, and you know it, you little ankle biter.” To Mrs. Olson I beamed a big smile and waved.

I felt Arys’s heavy energy inside. Standing in front of the door, I sucked in my breath and knocked. In a sinister motion, the door swung open, revealing nobody on the other side. Arys was feeling cryptic. Fabulous.

I closed the door behind me and turned to find Arys looming in the darkened kitchen. I jumped, spilling hot coffee over my hand and on the floor.

“Holy shit, Arys. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

He retreated into the living room, expecting me to follow. Ignoring the coffee spill on the floor, I did follow, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light. The windows were so heavily draped, not a sliver of light made it through.

“How is Jez?” With a dark brow raised, he fixed me with a pointed look. Instead of sitting down like I’d expected, he remained standing in the center of the room.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, feeling awkward. “She’ll be ok. I didn’t get a chance to see her yet. I ended up talking with Lilah at the office.”

“You’ll be happy to know I never saw Kale. Your illicit lover remains alive to tempt you another night.” His tone dripped venom, and I cringed.

I couldn’t say anything to that, so I sipped my coffee, seeking comfort in the simple act but finding none. If he was going to rant and rave, maybe even lash out at me, I’d stand there and take it. He had every right.

When Arys saw that I wasn’t going to offer an excuse or protest, some of the fire in his eyes burned out. “Dammit, Alexa! I want to ask you why, but I already know. I’ve been there. And, I gave in every damn time, too. But, it makes me sick with jealously, and I hate that I feel something so trivial and human.”

“Is it human though? Why are all negative feelings simply human in your eyes, Arys? I saw pain in the eyes of a demon tonight, and I know damn well she’s never been human.”

His jaw clenched, and his gaze fell to the floor. “I want to kill him. Part of me wants to do it just to hurt you. And, then this little voice, this little fucking annoying voice reminds me that would make me a hypocrite.”

“I’m not going to try to justify what happened. I know I can’t, and I’m really not sure what to say here.” Honesty seemed like the best policy. Arys was freaking me out a little.

“I have been where you are, Alexa. The power and the attraction, how it draws them to you, and they just can’t get enough. It’s what we are. And, it’s in our nature to take advantage of that.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he turned away from me. “I’ve been around a long time. Some might say too long. I have been with many lovers, though I have loved very few of them. Do you love him?”

Arys turned that drowning blue gaze on me, and I sputtered coffee. I knew what he was saying. Sexual energy was part of the feed. Arys expected that the allure would at times cross into a full physical expression. He was separating this into two categories, feeding and love. And, I knew what he wanted to hear.

“I don’t know.” Wrong answer. “I mean, I care about him. He’s my friend. But am I in love with him? I just don’t know.”

I fought to maintain steady eye contact with him. It was near impossible. He stared into me, and I felt like he was seeing parts of me I couldn’t even access.

A few steps brought Arys painfully close to me. “If you were in love with him, you’d know. So either you’re deluding yourself from your true feelings, or you’re using him. It makes sense. He shares your weakness, your pain. It unites you. And, for a few minutes, that brings you peace.”

White noise roared in my ears. Images flashed through my mind of Kale’s agony and his need when he took me outside The Kiss. I’d shared it, every emotion. Together we had sought escape. Maybe Arys was right.

I sat down hard on the couch, spilling my coffee again. I stared at the splash of creamy brown liquid on the back of my hand, wondering when everything had gotten so complicated.

“It won’t happen again.” It couldn’t. Kale was in love with me, and whatever it was that I felt for him, it could never be what he needed.

With an exasperated sigh, Arys picked up a photo from the mantel and put it back down. He was restless. The photo was of me. Shaz had taken it the summer before, when I wasn’t looking. It was a profile shot with the sun setting in the background. It had been taken at Kylarai’s.

“It will.” Arys sat on the opposite end of the couch. He didn’t glance my way. “I understand what you’re going through, Alexa, the bloodlust and the power. It’s so much to handle. But, I’m not where you are. Not anymore. I can only do so much to help you. But please, give me the chance to try.”

“Arys, I do need help.” My voice cracked with emotion. I willed him to look at me. “Things are changing. I’m changing. I’ll never get through it without you. Please, don’t let me self-destruct.”

Reaching across the center cushion that separated us, he took my hand. That small gesture meant a lot. “Ah, my wolf. If only it were that easy. Self destruction is a choice one makes. I’d assumed you’d be a vampire before it got this bad. I was wrong.”

“I don’t think anything goes the way we expect it to. Not in our world.” I abandoned what was left of my coffee on the glass top table beside the couch. Caffeine wouldn’t help me now.

“Certainly not as far as you’re concerned.” He laughed dryly. The sound was hollow. “You can’t make yourself a victim to the weaknesses anymore. It’s time to take control.”

“I know.” Fighting the bloodlust and its urges was taking a toll on me. I couldn’t keep doing it. “Resisting just makes it so much worse.”

“If you weren’t so damn stubborn, you wouldn’t suffer the way you do. Feeding on life, it’s what we do. Look at the rest of the world. Everyone is feeding off each other in this big, sordid mass of broken energy and fragmented souls. What makes us any worse than the rest of them?”

He wasn’t wrong. The line between black and white had long since blurred to grey. Good and evil danced together, each unable to truly exist without the other. Humans had proven themselves to be just as evil as any of us. Still, the need to know I wasn’t like the vampires burned in me. I was surrounded by creatures that thrived on the lives of others, and I couldn’t accept that I was one of them. Not entirely.

“I feel like every night is a fight. All I want to do is give in, but I feel like letting myself is admitting defeat.” Sharing this inner truth with Arys lifted the weight of it. I didn’t want to constantly feel like I was fighting a losing battle. I just wanted to be.

“The only way to control it is to stop fighting. Otherwise, you risk driving yourself mad.” His expression was haunted.

I remembered enough of his early memories to know Arys had put up the same fight I had. That side of him ceased to exist. He was all vampire now and more than happy to be. Would I, too, one day look back at this and be glad I was rid of this part of myself? The thought was overwhelming.

“I hate Raoul.” The admission came unbidden as I sought a source to blame. “If he hadn’t attacked me, if I’d never been anything other than human …”

Arys released my hand, but he moved closer, his action demanding my attention. “You wouldn’t be here with me right now. Nor would you have anyone or anything you now hold dear to you. Don’t play the ‘what if’ game, Alexa. Life was never meant to be any way other than how it is. That’s one thing I promise will be proven in time. Living in regret is not living at all.”

“Listen to you and your centuries old wisdom.” I gave him a playful shove. “I don’t want to be like this, Arys, a slave to the power and bloodlust. I don’t want it to tear apart my sanity or my relationships with the people I love.”

“It’s a drug.” Arys nodded knowingly, reaching to touch a dreadlocked chunk of my disastrous hair. “As long as you resist the call, it will make you its slave. It’s only when you finally accept that it’s a part of you that you realize it’s really not so bad.”

Spoken like a true junkie. Arys had long since made his peace with it. I had yet to do the same.

“I’m not ready to let it become part of me yet.” My voice had dropped to a whisper. Constantly fighting the many hungers I possessed was draining. I needed to escape, if only for a while.

“It already is. It’s too late for that.” Arys turned the matted lock of blonde hair over in his hand, but his eyes were on me. “You’re stronger than you think you are. Nobody can help you – you can’t even help yourself – until you believe that.”

The urge to crawl into his lap and find comfort in his embrace was strong. I didn’t do it. I feared his rejection. Fatigue began to set in as the previous evening caught up with me. I longed for sleep, the only place where I might find a brief reprieve.

Arys’s touch was gentle when he pulled me close and pressed his lips to my temple. “Go home, Alexa. Get some rest. There’s nothing more to say right now.” When I gazed up at him, wide-eyed and fearful, he brushed a soft kiss across my lips. “I love you.”

Stepping out of the comforting darkness of Arys’s small bungalow into the bright morning sun was disorienting. It burned my eyes, and I reached for the sunglasses that should have been perched atop my head but found none. I must have left them in the car. Scatterbrained and exhausted, I avoided home and instead headed for Kylarai’s side of town.

I needed to be alone in the comfort of the forest. I needed to be wolf. Sometimes I went there and believed everything would be right with the world if I never left. This was one of those times.

Chapter Fourteen

Despite the craziness of the previous night, I woke up at sunset in the mood to kick some ass. I needed to burn off the pent-up frustration and aggression. The approach of the full moon was causing my wolf to stir restlessly. It was less than a week away, and I could feel it singing in my blood.

Avoiding Shaz was harder than I’d anticipated. I knew I had to come clean with him about Kale. I wasn’t ready yet. During a brief phone call I told him I was spending the night prowling for something ugly to kill. I needed to pay Jez a visit as well. I felt relief when he said he was going to run with Kylarai. He’d be safe with her in our small town instead of in the city where assholes like Claire and Maxwell were waiting for the right opportunity to cause more chaos.

After spending the day in the forest, a hot shower felt like heaven. I tied my hair back in a ponytail and dressed for a hunt in leggings and a black top that said, “Suck it.” I was hoping to find a vampire or other big nasty up to no good. I was eager to try out the Dragon Claw, and a good kill was just the therapy I needed.

Veryl would have been an ideal target. I contemplated it many times during the short drive from Stony to Edmonton. It didn’t feel right though. Not tonight. I wasn’t in the right head space for him. Tonight I wanted a mindless kill, something I could just have fun with. Veryl was different. With him, it was personal.

The bloodlust lurked, rising up to claw at my insides before slipping back into the recesses of my mind. Eventually I’d have to accept that it would always be with me. Ignoring it had proven to be careless and stupid. Sating the bloodlust was going to have to wait, though. The need to kill something that could fight back was dominant.

Finding vampires had grown easier since blood bonding with Arys. If I concentrated, I could feel them like a blinking beacon in my mind. I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location of every vampire in the city, but I could get pretty close. The Wicked Kiss lit up like the Las Vegas Strip when I tuned into the energy that way. It was mentally blinding, crawling with vampires.

Did Claire know I could do that? Anyone who did would be smart enough to cloak their presence. I thought about Maxwell’s blast of power, hoping to feel it out there. Nothing. Their time was coming. Claire and Maxwell would make their next move, and Arys and I would be ready.

I parked in the seedy section of town. Typical, new vampires would come here for an easy kill. The place was littered with drug dealers, prostitutes and random homeless people. Easy pickings. When I considered what went on here, the activity at The Wicked Kiss didn’t seem quite so bad. At least there, the victims usually enjoyed it.

Striding down the street with the Dragon Claw clutched firmly in hand, I let all other thought blow away on the warm night air. Unfortunately, the dagger was far too big to safely secure it anywhere. The curved blade made it hard to fit to a sheath. I’d have to find a way to conceal it for future outings. A jacket could always help with that.

Two vampires lurked a few blocks ahead. I could sense their high-strung energy and hunger. They couldn’t be very old. Cloaking my presence, I clung to the shadows as I silently approached. They were following a prostitute.

I saw her before I saw them. She dragged on a cigarette while ambling along as if she had no real destination in mind. A car sped by, slowing long enough for the occupants to shout something derogatory at her as they passed. She gave them the finger and continued on. I tried to imagine living her life and couldn’t. Some would feel the same about my life. Funny how that worked. The grass really wasn’t always greener on the other side.

The vampires didn’t stalk her as I would have. Instead they callously leaped out at her from between two buildings as she passed. Like starving dogs, they were on her with little thought or tact. I was glad I’d decided to come out tonight.

I sprang into action, excitement thrilling through me. With a perfectly timed body check, I knocked one of them off his feet. Their victim shrieked and flailed wildly as she fought back. Everything happened so fast that it took a moment for the vampires to realize I’d crashed their party.

The one I’d knocked down was already on his feet, and I was ready for him. I swung the dagger, narrowly missing when he dodged the blow. He counter attacked, but I was ready for it and easily avoided contact. I could feel their lack of real power. All they had was inhuman strength.

Their victim was momentarily forgotten as they made the unspoken decision to tag team me. She’d already been bitten, but she was conscious and able to run as fast as her stiletto heels would carry her. My attention was on the vampire closest to me. He was circling me, trying to get me moving so my back would become unprotected at some point. I trapped his buddy in a circle, smirking at his sudden outrage.

“It’s you. Goddamn werewolf bitch.” My target snarled at me as I advanced on him. A newbie who’d heard of me? Interesting.

“Am I ruining your evening?” I smiled, revealing wolf fangs. “I get bored sometimes. This should give me a minute or two of excitement.”

He looked uncertain, his gaze darting from the dagger in my hand to his buddy trapped in my circle. I could see it in his eyes. He was thinking about running. What a damn coward. Every step I took toward him had him dancing backward like a boxer. He had no way out of this, and he knew it. I quickly grew frustrated and without a second thought, flung the dagger so it spun end over end as it sliced through the air.

It struck him in the chest. Pity. I’d been aiming for his neck. The blade plunged through his flesh, and no sooner had blood burst forth than he dropped into a pile of dust. The Dragon Claw clattered to the asphalt with a sharp, metallic sound. I quickly retrieved it before dropping the circle that held the other vampire.

“Look, I don’t want to tangle with you. Ok?” His hands were held up in surrender as he backed away slowly.

“Are you kidding me?” I stood in the middle of the quiet street, watching him flee. Disappointment filled me.

I was more than satisfied with the dagger. It did exactly what Lilah had promised. However, this was a failed attempt at working off some aggression and angst. Newborn vampires didn’t have what I wanted. My thoughts strayed to Shya. Working for him could be incredibly dangerous and maybe even stupid. But, it might be just what I needed.

I quickly lost interest in the lesser vampires creeping the night. The dagger test was a success. It had killed that vamp without piercing the heart. Uncanny. It would taste Veryl’s blood soon. I was eager for it.

After storing the dagger safely in the trunk of my car, I headed for a late night grocery store to buy a few things for Jez. She was a huge fan of chocolate, making it easy to find something she’d like. As an afterthought I grabbed a tub of cookie dough ice cream. It couldn’t hurt.

She was alone when I arrived at her swanky apartment on the south side of town. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Jez look so rough. She was beyond pale. Her skin was so white it appeared translucent. It caused her green eyes to stand out in startling contrast. Clad in soft flannel pajamas with hearts on them, she didn’t look anything like the bad-ass cat I was used to seeing.

“Go ahead and say it.” With a roll of her eyes, she took the bag of fattening food from me, going for the ice cream right away. “Yes, I do feel as bad as I look.”

I followed her through the small but impressive kitchen where she paused to grab two spoons before continuing to the living room beyond. For an apartment, the ceiling was especially high. The furniture was simple black leather, all of it matching. The sound of vehicles on the street below drifted in through the open balcony door. I took a seat beside her on the couch and glanced at the television. She was watching Jeopardy.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you, Jez. I should have been able to. I tried, but I just couldn’t focus.” I accepted the spoon she held out to me. Drowning my recent worries in ice cream really paled in comparison to the booze and blood I’d rather be drowning them in.

“It’s ok, Lex. I’m fine. And, Kale is the one that tried to kill me. Don’t you go feeling all guilty about someone else’s mistake.” Jez shoveled a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and sighed. “Thanks. I totally needed this.”

Jez needed a sugary treat, and I would have gladly traded it for warm, lively blood. I frowned as I turned that thought over in my mind. It made me feel like a monster. The irony was that she was the one who had never been human.

“Have you heard from him?” I hid a wince when I asked. I could only imagine what Jez was feeling toward Kale right now.

“He’s called. I’ve ignored those calls. I have nothing to say to him right now.” Crossing her legs and settling back into the corner of the couch, she met my gaze. “I just can’t believe he tried to kill me. Kale. Of all people. I get it: the guy has issues. But really? I would have expected it from you first. No offense.”

I took a bite of ice cream, finding that my stomach instantly rejected the sweet substance. “None taken. How did it happen?”

“I walked into the office, and he was there. I knew he was a mess just from the looks of him. It all happened pretty fast.” Emotion swam behind her eyes. She must have relived it so many times already. “How many people did he hurt after that? Do you know?”

I nodded, suddenly finding it hard to maintain eye contact. “A few. It was bad. I tracked him down at The Wicked Kiss. We had a bit of a confrontation. I haven’t seen or heard from him since.”

Jez’s spoon stopped halfway to the ice cream container. Staring at Jeopardy as if it was suddenly the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen did nothing to help me escape the moment. She might have been recovering from her dance with death, but the leopard was as sharp as ever.

“Alexa? Did you do something?” She studied me hard, and I shrank back until my back was pressed against the opposite side of the sofa. “You finally fucking did it. You screwed Kale. And, after what he did to me?”

“It wasn’t like that, Jez. I didn’t go after him with that kind of intention. You know that. Things got carried away. There was a confrontation. He hurt me. I hurt him. Something changed, and the next thing I knew …” It was hard to say it out loud. She gestured for me to spit it out. “The next thing I knew he had me up against the side of the building in the rain.”

“I can’t believe you fucked the guy after he tried to kill me. You’re lucky I love you so much, or I’d claw your damn eyes out.” She shook her head and mustered a glare. “Well, go on. You have to tell me about it.”

“What? Oh no. That’s not necessary. Besides, there’s nothing to tell.”

“Yes, there damn well is. Start talking. If you can do it, you can tell me about it.”

I found some relief in the fact that nobody in my life would ask for details except Jez. However, I wasn’t sure I was ready to relive the encounter with Kale. I’d done my best to shove it from my thoughts.

“It was sudden and out of control. We were idiots to let it happen. I can barely think about it.” I met her scrutinizing feline stare and felt like a mouse. With a sigh, I gave in and recounted the events of that night, omitting the really candid details that nobody but Kale and I needed to know.

When I finished, she wore a strange smile. “I knew it would happen. Gotta say, I think it’s only going to make you both crazier than you already are.”

“Yeah well, you’re not the only one.” With a groan, I told her about Arys’s quick discovery of my little indiscretion and the talk we’d had after. “The worst part is I think he’s right. I love Kale so much. But, I’m not in love with him, and I can never be what he needs. Even saying that, part of me still wants that connection. He shares something with me that I can’t share with anyone else. It’s so selfish, I know. I’m totally ashamed of myself.”

Jez looked thoughtful as she continued to feast on ice cream. “What is liquid nitrogen?” Her response momentarily threw me until I realized she was responding to the television. Alex Trebek confirmed her answer to be correct.

“Sorry,” she said to me. “I don’t think rushing to believe what Arys tells you is the wisest move. This thing with you and Kale, it didn’t happen overnight. He’s not on my list of favorite people right now. But, he’s still Kale, and we care about him. Whatever it is between you two, don’t be too quick to write it off because of what Arys said.”

“You’re not helping, Jez.” I slumped in my seat, turning the spoon over in my hand. I had no appetite for ice cream. “This is confusing enough as it is. I haven’t told Shaz.”

Her jaw dropped, and she reached out as if to slap me. I warded her off with my spoon. “Don’t be an idiot, Alexa. Don’t tell him! Especially not if it was a one time thing that’s never going to happen again. Why hurt him for no reason?”

This reaction from Jez didn’t come as a surprise. I didn’t share her opinion. “I can’t hide this from him. He would find out somehow anyway, and it would be so much worse. No. Shaz is one person I will never hide anything from.”

Jez frowned. “Well, let me know how that goes.”

My stomach turned at the thought of confessing my sin to Shaz. Tomorrow night. I had to do it. Putting it off any longer would be pushing it. It would look like I was hiding it.

“Enough about me.” I rushed to change the subject before she could persist. “How are you really feeling? Do you need anything?”

“Nothing I can’t obtain through a phone call for takeout. Really, I’ll be fine. I think I just need to sleep for a few days.”

Despite her weak energy and pale skin, the spark in her eyes reassured me that she would be fine. Kale had gotten lucky this time. He would never forgive himself for this. It would have destroyed what fragment of sanity and true-self Kale still possessed if he’d killed her.

“Lay low for a while. At least until those blood ring vamps are dealt with. You’d never stand a chance against them in this state.” I studied her closely, sensing the breaks in her aura. She felt weak like prey. “And, stay away from Kale, too. Don’t be alone with him for a while.”

Jez laughed bitterly. “You don’t have to tell me twice. You’ll probably see him before I do. Can you tell him something for me? Tell him I forgive him. I just can’t be around him right now. Maybe not for a while.”

“Of course. I’ll pass that along though, honestly, I’m not sure I can be around him right now either.”

The conversation took a more casual turn, and I happily used the chatter as a temporary escape from my thoughts. It didn’t take long to tire Jez out. Though she begged me to stay for a movie, I insisted on letting her rest. Nocturnal or not, Jez needed sleep. And, I needed to scratch the itch of bloodlust growing in the pit of my stomach.

“Call me if you need anything,” I repeated like an annoying mother hen. “I mean it.”

“Does that include some tender loving?” she teased with a grin. It was nice to see her smile. It banished the image of her lying there on the floor bleeding out.

I pulled her close for a hug before heading for the door. “I’ll see what I can do.”

All jokes aside, Jez had come frightfully close to death at the hands of someone she trusted. I had to admit that I was glad that I wasn’t the one who had attacked her. I’d tried once. Ironically, Kale had been the one to stop me. If only I’d been there to do the same for him.

Every creature, human or otherwise, was driven by some kind of hunger, some dark desires. Knowing that didn’t make me feel like any less of a monster. As a naive newbie to the supernatural world, I’d truly believed using my abilities to hunt others was doing good, making it all right somehow. Now I saw the other side. My job was no more than a way to ease the urge to kill while reducing the risk of public exposure. Even that was no longer enough for me.

The bloodlust rose up to remind me that I would have no relief. Between the hunger for human blood and the yearning for more than what hunting newborn vampires could give me, I was like a junkie in need of a fix. I was sick of being a slave to my desires. Something had to give.

Flirting with the idea of finding my own willing victim, I, like many others, was drawn to The Wicked Kiss. If the source of the blood I desired was willing, how wrong could it be? It seemed so simple, like a twisted bloodlust booty call. Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to do it once I got there.

As close to a vampire as I was, I still was not one. Letting myself come to their feeding ground seeking a fix made me feel more like a junkie than anything else I’d done so far. I couldn’t do it. The wolf and the woman that I was refused to allow it. I found relief in that. The vampire inside could only push me so far. I was wolf, and I’d been born human. I had to hold tight to that.

It wasn’t the first time I’d stared around the inside of the nightclub and felt the shadow of regret. Binding myself to Arys wasn’t what I wished I could take back. I feared the future I’d created for myself. Rising as a vampire had seemed like some far off event that might or might not happen. But, it would happen. I would be one of them, and that knowledge sickened me. The deeper I sank into their world, the more I realized that I didn’t want to belong to it.

Leaning against the wall in the dark, I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the floor. I couldn’t stand to watch the human donors throw themselves around. I’d never understand why they wanted to flirt with death in such a way. Surely some of them held to the hope they would be turned. They were all fucking crazy.

I was torn up inside and frightened by some of the thoughts and future scenarios playing out in my head. Bound by blood to a vampire, I was destined to rise as one after my death. It sounded pretty cut and dried, but was anything ever so simple? I could never voice these feelings to Arys. He would take it personally when it had nothing to do with our emotional attachment at all. This was all me.

I sensed the presence of a werewolf seconds before Shaz strode through the door separating the club from the private area. My heart skipped a beat when my gaze landed on the black-haired vampiress at his side. The wolf within rose up with a vicious snarl, and it was all I could do to contain myself.

The shock on his face when he saw me mirrored my own. All sense of rationale went out the door with what was left of my sanity. I was halfway across the room in seconds. The power swelled inside me so that I felt like a bubble about to burst. The bite on Shaz’s wrist taunted both my jealousy and my bloodlust.

“Alexa, let me explain.” Shaz held both hands up in a gesture of surrender. His companion merely regarded me with curiosity.

Enraged and crushed, I flung out a hand, casting enough power to throw the vampiress off her feet as well as several others in the vicinity. I wanted to slap him. Hell, I wanted to throw him across the room. So, Shaz had a dirty little secret of his own.

“This is running with Kylarai? You lied to me? So you could come here and be a blood whore for a vampire?” The truth was harsh. It hurt me to see it in his eyes.

I spun on my heel and rushed out of the club. I felt sick, like I might vomit. Shaz was right behind me, grabbing my arm in an attempt to stop me. I shook him off, determined to escape the sudden and ugly situation. I shoved past the people making their way inside and hurried through the parking lot. My power was massive and wild, triggering a chain reaction of car alarms as I passed.

“Alexa! Just hold on a damn minute!” Shaz easily caught up to me. He forced me to stop and, with both hands on my shoulders, held tight so I couldn’t pull away. “Can we talk about this?”

I looked at the bite on his wrist, and my stomach flipped. I tried to shove him off me, but he held firm. “Talk about what? Your recent decision to become a donor? I don’t even know what to say.”

“Just let me try to explain. Please. I know how bad it looks. I was going to tell you, but I didn’t know how.” Anguish filled his jade green eyes, and I choked on my own guilt. “I’ve been kicking my ass over this. I wanted to tell you, Lex.”

I sucked in a deep lungful of summer night air. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “So tell me. Tell me how long this has been going on. Is it just blood? Do I even want to know?” I was flustered and panicked. It showed.

It was never just blood. That’s what Arys would say. To vampires, the exchange of blood is more intimate than sex, especially when both parties are willing. The thought of Shaz sleeping with her was like a knife twisting in my guts. My breath came fast, and I felt faint.

Shaz gazed deep into my eyes, forcing me to look at him. “I tried to resist. I really did. Since that night with Arys, it’s been in the back of my mind. It fueled the curiosity and the temptation. I couldn’t help it. I know that’s no excuse. I should have told you.”

Shock washed over me like a cold bucket of water in my face. This was my fault. I’d drawn him in, and like that first hit of heroin, the rush had claimed him.

How could I not have known? Vampire bites heal quickly on a werewolf, but there should have been some other sign, something I missed.

“Are you having sex with her?” I didn’t want to know, but I couldn’t not know either. “Is she the only one?”

When he was sure I wouldn’t run off on him, Shaz released me but didn’t step away. “There have been others. No intercourse.”

Short, simple and painfully clear, an image flashed through my mind, the vampiress on her knees before my white wolf as she pleasured him. A pained sound came from me, rough like a growl. No intercourse. Yeah, I knew what that meant.

“Alexa, I’m so sorry.” His voice broke, and I had to look away.

“Don’t be too quick to apologize. I guess I couldn’t have asked for a better way to tell you that things went too far with Kale.” The urge to cry was strong. The certainty that I didn’t belong in the vampire world grew. They were ruining everything and everyone I loved.

Shaz was silent for a moment. His energy was roiling with guilt, pain and now fury. It hurt, and I had to block it out.

“That isn’t as much of a surprise as it should be.” With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his platinum hair and stared at the traffic that passed on the street.

“I’m sorry I ever dragged you into this godforsaken world, Shaz.” I sat heavily on a concrete parking curb, staring at my feet. “It destroys everything.”

“I don’t blame you for anything, Lex. You’ve never forced me into a situation I wasn’t willing to be in. We’re not human. Not even close. This world is ours, vampires and all.”

My heart sunk. “You like it. And, I hate that.”

He joined me on the curb. We didn’t look at each other or touch. It was too awkward to pretend that everything was ok.

“You like it, too. What do you expect? We can’t go through the motions of what normal life used to be. There is no nine to five job, no minivan full of kids and no picket fence. Not for us. I don’t know about you, but I need more than that anyway.”

I nodded, bitter with the truth he spoke. I was a mess of jealousy, hurt and guilt. “I don’t want to be one of them.” The confession slipped out, but it felt good to give voice to it. “The thought terrifies me, and I can’t tell Arys.”

Shaz did look at me then. Guarded concern shone in his eyes. “You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”

“How much stupider could my actions possibly get right now?” I laughed bitterly.

“I’m serious. Don’t you dare do anything to put yourself in danger, or worse. If you do something drastic, if you leave me here without you …” He didn’t have to finish that thought. The fear that gripped him was palpable even though I tried to shield his energy.

The wolf in me wanted to nuzzle him, to adorn him with wet wolf kisses. “Honestly, right now, I feel like throwing myself in front of a train, but I’d never do it. You know that. I’ve come too far to go out like that.”

His expression was scrutinizing. I wasn’t lying. Werewolves can detect a lie, an advantage that even vampires didn’t seem to have. Finally he nodded, and some of the tension he’d been holding slipped away.

A particular question was floating around in my head, demanding that I spit it out. It was there, on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back repeatedly. With a frustrated growl I blurted it out. “Why here, Shaz? With the vampires and blood whores that are nothing but junkies. Why not with Arys and me?”

I watched his eyes go wolf, and anger had his beast glaring out at me. “Wow. That’s selfish, Lex. You know how I feel about Arys. He’s not the easiest guy to deal with. I love you. You have to know that. But, just like you can’t get everything you need from me, there are things I can’t get from you either.”

That hurt. It was brutal in its truth, and like they say, the truth fucking hurts. I heard a roar in my ears, like the sound of an entire ocean crashing over me. With my cheeks burning and pulse racing, I got up and walked away. One foot in front of the other, I walked down the street with no destination.

Shaz’s words rang in my ears. He was right. I was being selfish because I didn’t want to hear that. He deserved to find his own way, too. I knew that. I just couldn’t accept it yet.

I could hear him calling my name. He would come after me because that’s who he was.

I wanted to fall to all fours and run blindly through the streets seeking escape. But, nothing would make this all go away. I could run, but my past would be with me. Always.

I reached the end of the block when Shaz caught me. He was aggressive, grabbing me with clawed fingers that cut into my flesh. I yelped from surprise more than pain.

“You don’t get to walk away from me! I’m sorry if you don’t like what you hear, but we have to be honest with each other. You can’t stand to hear it? Well, how do you think I feel?” Shaz bared fangs at me as his wolf pushed to break free. “How do you think it makes me feel to see those vampires crawling all over you? To have to share you with them? It makes me sick.”

I recoiled in horror, wanting to escape both Shaz and his awful words. “So running off to get a few vampires of your own is the solution? Isn’t that a bit hypocritical?”

His voice dropped suddenly, soft but deadly. “Maybe you’re not the only one with a dark side.”

Before I could fire back a retort, a sharp pain shot through my skull, blinding me. Maxwell stepped out of the shadows flanked by two lackeys. His assault on me was fierce, and I dropped like dead weight hitting the ground. With a commotion, the vampires quickly took Shaz down. I fought to see through the agony tearing through my brain. I was helpless.

Maxwell was a blur when he crouched beside me. The black veil of unconsciousness began to steal over me, and I struggled against it.

The last thing I saw was his mocking smile as he gazed down at me. “I’ve got to say, so far it has been a real pleasure doing business with you, Bitch.”

Chapter Fifteen

I drifted in and out of consciousness. It felt like my head was in a vice. Maxwell clearly felt he had to keep me incapacitated which was a dead giveaway that he felt I was a threat. It was too soon to tell if that was a good thing or not. It might just get me killed that much faster.

Despite the pain that racked my brain, I was aware that we were being transported by vehicle. I could sense Shaz near me. My wolf paced inside me, anxious to burst forth and tear out some throats. I had a bad feeling that wasn’t going to happen.

The scent of car exhaust mingled with cigarettes. Some vampires clung to old, useless habits. The smoke made me feel ill.

It was hard to tell how far we traveled before coming to a stop. I concentrated on gathering my power and forming a circle, but Maxwell had stripped my power. Opening the mental door between me and Arys was painful but possible. Forming thoughts enhanced the mind-shattering agony.

I sensed Arys’s panic right away. He knew that if I was opening this link between us, it was bad.

‘They have me and Shaz. I don’t know where we are.’

‘I can find you. Don’t shut me out, beautiful wolf. I’m coming for you.’

I breathed a sigh of relief, finding restored strength in our connection. ‘Don’t walk into a trap. They’ll be ready for you.’

We were in a Hummer. Shaz was slumped against the opposite door watching me with a confused frown. His face was bruised and battered.

The door was suddenly jerked open, and he almost fell out of the vehicle. We were dragged out roughly by the lackeys who shoved us along to an old two-level house. I couldn’t tell what part of town we were in, but the lack of nearby dwellings was not reassuring.

The scent of blood and death hung heavy on the air. Whoever had called this house home was likely dead. Maxwell stepped up beside me, and I shrank back against the lackey crushing my arms behind my back. I didn’t want another taste of his power, not unless I was the one controlling it. As long as he had the upper hand, I was only wolf.

“You didn’t think we were going to stop with the witch, did you?” His calm tone and neutral expression conveyed a nonchalance that was carefully constructed. In his warped mind he was making casual conversation.

I bit back a series of curses that threatened to explode forth. Freaking out was not going to help. I kept my mouth shut, refusing to look at him. I guess Maxwell didn’t like the silent treatment because he gave me a shove as we ascended the few steps leading up to the porch. The vampire holding my arms let go, and I hit the old, creaky, wooden planks hard. My upper fangs dug into my lower lip from the impact, and I tasted blood.

Shaz’s growl was low and menacing as he struggled to come to my aid. They wouldn’t let him. Maxwell waited for me to get up before opening the door so his flunkies could usher us inside.

The heavy aroma of potpourri wafted into my face, a cloying cover for the death and fear that lingered.

Directly in front of me was a staircase with old, worn carpet. To the left was a living room with an older model television and very few gadgets or electronics.

I had the distinct feeling an older couple had lived here. It pained me to think of Claire and Maxwell killing them and taking over their home. If only the old myth about vampires needing an invite was true. As it was, they could enter any building they damn well pleased.

To the right of the stairs was a dining room that appeared untouched, as though it hadn’t been used in years. It was simple enough. A large table that had once seated an entire family paired with a cabinet filled with fine china and ornamental items. A plaque among them caught my eye. Praying hands were carved into the wood with the words: One Day at a Time.

Before I could take in more of the house I was pushed into the living room and forced down on the couch. The scent of perfume rose up to haunt me, flashing images of the aging woman who had worn it. Searching the end tables and bookshelf, I found a photo of her – it had to be her – with her husband at her side. They were beaming at the camera, arms around each other. They had to have been well over sixty.

I fumed, angry with what had happened to them. I shot Maxwell a glare, but he was too busy keeping Shaz separated from me to notice. They sat him down in an armchair on the opposite side of the room. I could see into the kitchen behind him but just barely. I kept expecting Claire to appear. I couldn’t sense her, but I’d had no awareness of Maxwell before he took me down either.

Maxwell grabbed Shaz’s wrist and sniffed at the wound. “Someone’s already been at you, hmm? Pity. I like to have the first bite.” Shooting me a warning glance, Maxwell inclined his head toward Shaz. “Try anything and this one dies.”

I glowered at him. “Is there a point to this? Because I’d like to get to it.”

Forgetting about Shaz completely, Maxwell glided across the room to stand before me. I braced for the hit, knowing it was coming before his hand collided with my cheek. My face stung, and it took all of my inner strength to take it. If I didn’t, he would hurt Shaz.

My white wolf was being restrained by two of the three lackeys. He was snarling and straining against them. If he shifted he would have an advantage, but with a powerhouse like Maxwell present, it could get him killed. I tried to meet Shaz’s eyes, to will him to calm down. He was already past the point of calm.

“You,” Maxwell pointed a finger at Shaz. “Sit and shut up.” A slap of energy had Shaz sitting whether he wanted to or not. “And you,” Maxwell grinned down at me from where he stood. “Keep flapping that pretty yap of yours. I love a woman who doesn’t know her place.”

“Is that so?” Claire’s voice rang out as she descended the stairs. “Careful, Maxwell, some women don’t take kindly to chauvinism.”

His eyes flashed with something close to anger before he turned to her with a big phony smile plastered in place. “Of course, my dear.”

Claire stopped in the entrance to the living room and surveyed us. She wore a long black cocktail dress and held a goblet of blood in one hand. I was dying to roll my eyes at her. Like Maxwell, she was drawn to Shaz because of his wound. If I got out of this alive, I just might have to kill that black-haired vampire bitch at The Wicked Kiss.

“Oh my, you’re a gorgeous thing.” Claire fawned over Shaz much in the way one would admire a perfect holiday meal. “I can’t wait to taste you.”

“Oh, fuck no.” I risked another slap from Maxwell. The bitch wasn’t touching my mate.

The slap never came. Instead, Maxwell stepped away from me. Though he had all the power, Claire was the one pulling the strings.

Eyeing me with interest, she came to sit next to me on the couch. As if we were old friends, she smoothed a few tendrils of hair back from my face. I shot her a look of pure venom.

“You know, Alexa. This never had to happen. You could have played along and given us what we want. Now we have to torture it out of you.” She smiled so sweetly as she spoke.

The word torture set off every survival instinct I had. My heart pounded despite my best efforts to remain calm. She would sense it and know she had me right where she wanted me.

“I prefer it this way.” This from Maxwell who stood in the center of the room watching the door. They had to be expecting Arys.

“Really?” I was feeling better. Stronger. As long as Maxwell didn’t slam me again, I might be able to draw on Arys’s power to reinforce my own. “You honestly expected me to hand myself over to you just so you can take over where Harley left off?”

Sipping from her goblet of human blood, Claire pinned me with an appraising gaze. “This is business. It’s all about supply and demand. And, you are in demand. I’m sure you understand that. You run a little business of your own built on the very same foundation. Do you not?”

I growled beneath my breath, hating that she’d caught me on that one. “It’s not the same. The supply in my business is willing, not forced.”

“I beg to differ. Willing victims are there because they want something, too. That’s how it works. Supply and demand. In your case, the supply also demands.” She made a face at her glass but continued to drink from it.

“Why do you need us? You’re not powerful enough to earn your own place? You need me to do it for you.” I was hoping to keep her talking until Arys found us. I could feel him there in my mind, a silent presence offering me strength and comfort.

“Werewolves are a hot commodity, and the werewolves that murdered Harley, even more so.” Claire crossed one leg over the other, flashing a glimpse of thigh to the room through the slit in her skirt. “And, whatever you really are, people want a piece of it.”

I looked at Shaz, finding assurance. “I’m a werewolf, Claire. Don’t try to define me beyond that.”

Maxwell scoffed. “A werewolf with enough power to be a hell of a trouble maker. It’s your own actions that brought us here. If you hadn’t interfered in the first place, we’d still be in Sin City grabbing tourists and virgins.”

“Virgins in Sin City,” I muttered. “Lovely paradox.”

Claire waved a hand dismissively at us. “If anything, she did us a favor by killing Harley. It saved us from having to do it.”

I groaned inwardly. I never would have dreamed that Harley’s death would come back to haunt me like this. By wiping out one damn vampire, I had endangered myself and many others. It was a harsh truth to swallow.

Maxwell grumbled and shot Claire a dark look. “Enough talk, Claire. It’s clear that we’ll have to convince Ms. O’Brien to play along. The hard way.”

The blood drained from my face, and I felt faint. I’d rather be dead than be part of what he’d described. Shaz was staring at the floor. I was sure he was waiting for the right moment to make a move, but I prayed he wouldn’t do anything to get himself killed.

Claire shocked me by leaning in close, invading my personal space. She breathed deeply of my scent. “She smells good alright, but she’s not pure werewolf. I think I’d rather keep her for myself.” Before I could cuss her out for talking about me like I wasn’t there, she drifted back over to Shaz.

The urge to pull on power through Arys was strong, but I knew it would be a mistake if I couldn’t pull enough to take on Maxwell. He had weakened me. I was mortal, and he was not. The odds were not in my favor.

When Claire leaned in to sniff Shaz, he pulled away with pure disgust etched on his face. She huffed, clearly offended even though she was the one holding us against our will. She swallowed the contents in her glass, watching him as she licked the rim. In a blur of motion, she grabbed Shaz’s injured wrist and bit deep.

He didn’t even flinch. I came up off the couch with a snarl, instinct driving me. Drawing on Arys, I lashed out at Maxwell with a blast intended to keep him from stopping me. I just wanted Claire. The other three vampires sprang into action. One of them dragged me down to the floor where I fought to be free of him.

Maxwell’s snicker as he watched was infuriating. It took all three vampires to hold me. I was forced to watch as Claire held her empty glass so that Shaz’s blood would flow into it. She spared me a smile.

“You fucking bitch!” I spat. “I can’t wait to tear your throat out.”

Though my wolf raged, my inner vampire was surprisingly calm. My power immediately sought out a source, finding the three vampires holding me immobile. I grasped their energy and pulled hard on it. I could have drained all three of them like I’d done with the vampire at The Kiss if Maxwell hadn’t been so quick to react.

I threw up a circle just in time to block his expected attack. However, I was momentarily stuck. I wasn’t at full strength. Either a physical or a psychic attack on Claire would compromise my circle and make me vulnerable.

“Clever.” Maxwell eyed me with a renewed interest. “So, you have a few tricks up your sleeve for a self-professed werewolf. Too much trouble.”

“She’s going to give us what we want. If she doesn’t, we’ll take it out on her little friend here.” Claire’s eyes sparkled with malevolence. She ran a hand through Shaz’s hair with excessive force and raised the glass to her lips. Her pupils dilated as she tasted the blood of my mate. “You certainly are a divine thing. I could just take you home and keep you as a pet.”

Watching her touch him made me crazy. Shaz pulled away from her, but she held tight to his hair, earning a growl from him which she ignored. After finishing the wolf blood in her glass, she roughly jerked his wrist to her mouth and ran her tongue over the bite. Her eyes were glazed as the heady werewolf blood affected her.

“Play along, Alexa. Let’s make a deal, and we can all go our separate ways.” Maxwell spoke to me, but he watched Claire with perverted intrigue.

“I have nothing to give you.” I also watched Claire, waiting for the right moment. I couldn’t stay trapped inside my circle. I had to do something.

“Help us get what we want. Nobody else you love has to die.”

“If you want me so bad, you’ll have to take me against my will.”

A burst of power shattered my circle. Maxwell grinned. “We just did.”

He was on me in a heartbeat. I found myself flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling as I gasped for breath. Maxwell straddled me, his perfect composure gone as he wrapped his fingers around my throat. Smacking my head against the floor a few times seemed to please him. Adrenaline prevented me from feeling any pain. I tried to strip his power, but he had a tight shield in place. I couldn’t breach it.

I felt him digging deep inside me, tearing at the energy I’d just consumed. He wanted me helpless. I couldn’t blame him for that, but I had to stop him from succeeding. I resisted, throwing up every metaphysical wall and barrier I could muster. He punched holes through them all.

In my peripheral vision I saw Shaz snap at Claire. She shoved him back in the chair and climbed on his lap while I watched helplessly from the floor. Old and strong, she didn’t have much trouble pinning Shaz in place. The empty goblet in her hand became a weapon, and she smashed it against the side of his face. The sound of glass shattering was met with a yelp.

Maxwell dragged me to my knees, forcing me to watch as Claire fought for Shaz’s throat. Bloody cuts marred the side of his face. I was desperate to get to him. Fire scorched my insides as Maxwell’s power burned through me. I might have been powerful, but he had centuries of experience on me. Once again, I was at his mercy.

Only when I sat motionless and fighting for every breath did he release me. “That’s enough, Claire. Take it slow, sweetie. We don’t want to kill them yet.”

“Fuck you.” I coughed out. Oh God, where was Arys?

“I won’t kill him,” Claire purred as she licked the blood from Shaz’s face. “I just want to play with him. He’s so strong and silent. I want to see what it takes to make him scream.”

All the ways I wanted to kick her ass flashed through my mind. I willed myself to get up. I thought of Shya and his claim that I held power over both wolves and vampires. How could he believe that? And, if a demon saw that in me, why didn’t I see it in myself?

“I’ll never scream for you, bitch.” Shaz snarled. “I’d rather die first.”

Dragging a long fingernail over the vein in his untouched wrist, Claire watched the blood rise to the surface. “Honey, you will be begging for death before I’m through with you.”

The scent of Shaz’s blood taunted my bloodlust. Weakened as I was, it came on strong and demanding. My hunger for the destruction of both vampires was greater.

“Such pretty eyes,” Claire cooed, gazing into Shaz. “I’d love to add them to my collection.”

My stomach twisted, and a heavy sensation settled in my guts. She stroked a gentle hand along his arm. In a swift motion, she grabbed one of his fingers and snapped it back with a crunch. Shaz grunted but didn’t cry out the way I would have. He was holding his own against her, an impressive feat. It killed me to watch her hurt him.

“Stop, please!” I looked to Maxwell for help, but he was enjoying it.

“I need you alive, Alexa. Dead werewolves are useless to me. Help me get what I want, and if you can survive it, you can walk away free and clear.” Maxwell shrugged as if he found it to be a great offer and I was the one being unreasonable.

I knew what they were doing. They couldn’t simply drag us all the way to Vegas against our will. We would have too much time and space to put up a fight. They thought they could break me by forcing me to watch them torture Shaz. They were right. I couldn’t take much more.

‘I can feel you,’ came Arys’s voice in my head. ‘So very close.’

Relief flooded me. I got to my feet though my head protested the move. Maxwell’s fingertips crackled with energy, alive and ready. The room spun for a moment, and I struggled to see clearly. Being stripped of personal energy had left me feeling like I was barely contained within my body, a horrible sensation.

The door exploded, pieces of wood and metal flying. Arys burst through in a storm of power and wrath. His presence strengthened me in ways our mental connection hadn’t. My power reached for him, finding that familiar bond. Arys wanted Maxwell, but anticipating the attack, Maxwell was already dragging me against him. With one hand on my throat in a crushing grip, he sneered at Arys.

“I’ll kill her,” he warned. “You might take me out, but she’ll die first, Arys.”

From her place atop Shaz’s lap, Claire leaned her head back and laughed. “Now, it really gets fun. I was waiting for you, Arys.”

Arys was livid. The energy rolling off him was hot enough to burn. “I can’t believe you were stupid enough to bleed my wolf.”

Claire began to pet Shaz as if he were no more than a common stray. “I can’t believe you thought I wouldn’t.”

Arys moved suddenly as if to physically pull her off Shaz. She simply nodded, and her three minions jumped to restrain Arys in a brutal assault. Amusement danced in her eyes. This really was a game to her, but I sure as hell wasn’t having any fun.

Arys turned his venomous gaze on Maxwell. “Is this really necessary?”

The two vampires glared daggers at one another. The power in the room was thick, almost dizzying. Arys had come here ready to face off with Maxwell. After the way the bastard had hit us both during our last encounter, I was wary.

“It is. We want something. You have it.” Maxwell’s power burned inside me. Something about Arys made him ruthless, ready to destroy me without a second thought despite the fact that he needed me.

“Bullshit. You came to make sure Harley was dead and decided to take advantage of it. But, you never expected Alexa to be everything she is, did you? So you thought you could use her for leverage in your own city.”

I gave a small cry when Maxwell pushed enough power into me to serve as a warning to Arys. It felt like a scorching hand gripped my heart. Claire watched from where she perched on Shaz’s lap, holding a tight handful of his hair. A smirk danced about her lips, but there was a shadow of uncertainty in her eyes.

Arys fought against those holding him back, and Maxwell forced my head to the side, exposing the artery in my neck. “How long do you think it would take her to bleed out? Care to place a wager on it?”

“Not as fast as it would take to turn Claire to dust. Are you really willing to risk your other half?” Arys cast a casual glance at the female vampire, and immediately she grabbed her head and shrieked. “You know you’ll never be able to fill Harley’s shoes. It’s a little like playing dress up, don’t you think?”

“Perhaps. It’s just business, you know.” Slashing a hand across the side of my neck, Maxwell opened a wound that was just deep enough to have the effect he wanted. I yelped when he tightened his grip on my throat.

Taking advantage of Claire’s momentary distress, Shaz shoved her violently to the floor. He was off the chair and next to Arys, who held him back with a warning look. The vampires holding him got rough, shoving Arys to his knees. Shaz’s eyes were pure wolf, but he waited, knowing a sudden move could be a mistake.

Even with my life on the line, I found reassurance in their ability to be a team when it mattered. I’d remember this next time they were tossing insults at each other … if I lived to see it.

I shuddered at the chill of Maxwell’s tongue as he tasted my blood. I felt him react to me as he drew on my energy as well as my blood. I cringed inwardly, expecting the piercing pain of fangs, but it never came.

“Werewolf blood be damned,” he murmured. “This alone was worth the trip. I understand why you’re so protective of her. I would be, too. Dangerous, though, addictive.”

He didn’t taste me again. I couldn’t be sure, but he seemed apprehensive. Addictive. I flashed back to the night Kale confessed to me that he hadn’t stopped thinking about me since tasting my blood. I was walking, talking vampire heroin. It explained a lot.

Arys inclined his head, pinning Maxwell with a studious gaze. “Someone’s after you, huh, Max? You reek of desperation.”

Maxwell’s energy grew frazzled. “You know how it goes. It’s all about who has what and who wants it most.”

As if to emphasize his point, Maxwell hit me with a power push that had me screaming. Stars burst in front of my eyes. I pushed back against him, but even with Arys present, I was too weak. Blood began to drip from my nose, and I coughed painfully.

Recovered from Arys’s psychic assault, Claire gravitated closer, curiosity and hunger gleaming in her eyes. “I want to taste her.”

“I’ll drop you where you stand, Claire.” Arys looked from her to Shaz who stood tense but ready. They paid him little attention, a mistake in my opinion.

“No, you won’t.”

She struck me hard enough to throw Maxwell off balance.

Bright light burst behind my eyes, and I spat blood. The raging wolf inside me took the hit and enjoyed it. A smile crossed my face when I snarled, “You hit like a bitch.”

Unable to hold back anymore, Shaz rushed her. Together they crashed into a coffee table, smashing it to pieces. Finding a jagged piece of broken wood, Shaz aimed for Claire’s heart, but the vampire had already moved clear of the blow. She was on her feet again, delivering a swift kick that caught Shaz in the jaw, sending him into the shattered remains of the table.

She sprang at me, but I was ready. I brought a foot up into her gut with as much force as I could muster. She hit the opposite wall hard enough to knock picture frames down around her.

Everyone snapped into action at once. Arys lashed out with enough power to throw off all three vampires holding him. Two of them burst into dust.

Slamming my head back into Maxwell’s face, I heard the crunch of bone and felt it give beneath the impact. He loosened his hold on me, and I followed up with a well placed kick between his legs. Arys was just suddenly there, stopping Maxwell with a hand before he could recover. The two of them glowered at each other, and the tension in the room grew unbearable.

“You shouldn’t have come.” Arys spoke through gritted teeth.

They were testing one another, seeing who would break first. The power in the room rose to a suffocating level. I felt a twinge in my gut as Arys drew on the earth through me. Undead, he couldn’t tap into the earth without a living conductor.

“I told you. I’m here for the wolves that killed Harley.” Maxwell jerked away from Arys, shock on his face. Seeking to escape the lively earth magic, he quickly encircled himself.

“You’re out of your league.” Arys laughed, a cold malicious sound. “Harley came for her, too. And now, he’s dead.”

“He really came for you, and you damn well know that. He knew that the way to get to you was through her.”

Something in the atmosphere shifted. Even Claire remained where she was. We all watched as Arys and Maxwell shared something unsaid, something the rest of us weren’t in on.

Arys was tightly wound, ready to break. My wolf looked out from behind his eyes. “Yeah well, he failed, didn’t he?”

Maxwell regarded Arys with astonishment. With wide eyes, he almost took a step toward Arys before catching himself. “She’s the one. The one you’ve been waiting for.”

“Shut up!”

Before Maxwell could utter another word, Arys smashed through his circle. It jerked hard on the earth magic running through me, and I stumbled under the pressure. Sunrise wasn’t far off. We were running out of time to safely escape.

Maxwell and Arys grappled with both fists and metaphysical fury. With a deafening smash, they hit the big picture window. It cracked in many places but didn’t give way. Sparks of red and blue rained down as their energies collided, throwing each vampire in opposite directions.

I grabbed for Shaz, pushing him out of the trashed living room toward the front door. He still clutched the shard of table leg, ready to use it. I drew a circle around us, but it was weak.

“I want those wolves, Arys. The blood of the killers of Harley Kayson would make Vegas mine. As it was meant to be.” Maxwell wore the crazed expression of a man seeing a way to secure himself a stronghold.

Arys slowly made his way toward us. “It was suicide to come here.”

“I’m not leaving.” Standing his ground, Maxwell watched with narrowed eyes as we fled the house.

“Then I guess we’ll be doing this again real soon.” Arys hesitated before tossing a parting shot. “Remember Max, you just fucked with two day-walkers. Sleep tight.”

Inside, Claire demanded that Maxwell stop us from leaving. I was already dragging Shaz down the front porch, unable to hear Maxwell’s reply.

I didn’t appreciate being a pawn in his attempt to gain control of his city. Harley had a reputation in many places. It made sense that the one capable of killing him would be of interest to others. How would they react if they knew Harley had taught me how to kill him?

Arys’s old Firebird looked like a godsend sitting in front of the house. I couldn’t possibly get in fast enough. The last few hours of the night had been a gong show, and I wanted nothing more than to hide out at home until I was at full strength. Though I didn’t usually trust Arys’s driving, it was of no concern to me then.

We drove through the city, headed for The Wicked Kiss, in a strained silence. There had to be less than an hour until sunrise. I knew Maxwell and Claire would use that hour to vacate the premises and find a new haunt. They wouldn’t stick around for me to come back for them when the sun was high in the sky.

“Here.” Shaz leaned forward from the backseat. He held his hand out, but I didn’t see anything. “Careful, don’t drop it. It’s just a few strands.”

I turned on the interior light, and the auburn hairs in his hand glinted beneath the dim light. I turned to him with excitement. “Claire’s hair? Amazing. You’re a genius, Shaz.”

He shrugged and turned his attention to the scenery flying by outside. Now that we weren’t in a fight for our freedom, the awkwardness of our prior conversation came back to haunt us with words neither of us were ready to say.

Turning in my seat to face forward, I gingerly held the hairs, fearing I would lose them. This would enable us to track Claire. A good enough witch could do it regardless of the shields Maxwell used to hide their presence. We had a part of her. It had to work.

With a screech of tires, Arys decided last-minute to stop as the light turned red. I didn’t have the energy to be worried about his chaotic driving. If we got there in one piece, I’d consider the night to have had a silver lining.

“Arys, is there something you want to tell me?” A bitter edge crept into my tone.

“No. Should there be?” He didn’t even so much as glance my way.

I sucked in a deep breath and held it until my lungs threatened to burst. My stress quota had been reached hours ago. “Fine. Have it your way.”

I wasn’t up for a fight with Arys on top of everything else. Fuck it. Maxwell had revealed enough to make me suspicious. Whatever Arys was hiding, it already lived in his memories housed in my subconscious. It would come out one way or another.

Chapter Sixteen

I drove down the highway for home with the beam of Arys’s headlights in my rear-view mirror. Being alone with my thoughts was exhausting. A dull throb in my temples served as a reminder of how easily Maxwell had stripped my strength and power. That wouldn’t happen again.

We were cutting it close to sunrise, but after more than three hundred years, Arys knew how far he could push it before endangering himself. Ten minutes down the highway, we reached the Stony Plain exit. I wanted to go home, to bed, where I could hide beneath the covers and cry. I was relieved when Arys turned off to go to his own house. I needed to be alone.

What a night. If I’d known how it all was to play out, I’d have just stayed home. Too late for that. I’d heard Maxwell’s strange comment about me being the one Arys was waiting for. I’d discovered Shaz’s little secret. The recent memory was enough to make me cry. Maybe if I hadn’t been so damn tired.

The darkness was thinning. As I navigated the small town streets toward home, the stars overhead disappeared from sight. The sun was coming, and with it, the promise of payback. Arys had a point. Nocturnal as werewolves were, nothing stopped us from walking in the sun. Now that I had a way to locate Claire any time I wanted, a daytime attack seemed like the best way to exploit their few weaknesses. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be today.

Turning the corner onto my street, I was surprised to see Shaz’s car parked in front of the house. After his fast exit from The Wicked Kiss’ parking lot earlier, I had expected him to head for home. Or, wherever else his desires took him. Though he had a key to my house, he sat on the front step. He stood up when I pulled into the driveway. My stomach clenched.

“Hey, babe.” I was sick with worry but greeted him as if everything was fine. My legs felt like jelly as I walked across the yard to him. “I didn’t expect to see you again tonight.

True to his most common nervous habit, Shaz ran a hand through his hair once then a second time. “I think we both need some time alone right now, but I didn’t feel right leaving it this way. There should be no secrets between us. I’m sorry you found out the way you did.”

Shifting my weight from one leg to the other, I crossed my arms over my chest, unsure of what to do with myself. I wanted to tenderly touch his bloody, bruised face. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me. I brought you into the chaos of vampires and everything that goes with them. I feel like it’s consuming us both, and it’s my fault.”

“You can’t take all the blame for this, Lex. It is what it is, and we both play our part. We deal with it, or we let it break us. I’m not ok with letting this come between us. Our bond was built years ago, before any of this came into play. That’s worth fighting to protect.”

In this house, I easily flashed back in time to several years ago when I’d been a foolish idiot fawning over Raoul but always finding my comfort in Shaz. Back then I hadn’t realized why I always gravitated to him, but Shaz had always been the one.

“It scares me. I can’t help but fear that this is going to tear us apart. If not now, eventually.” It was a confession that stung, one I wanted to wish away rather than validate with words. “It feels like the only time I know who I am anymore is when I’m with you.”

Without hesitation, Shaz pulled me into his arms. I crumbled against him as tears pricked the back of my eyes. Despair taunted me, encouraging a few hot tears to slip down my face. They were pure and clear, void of blood. I inhaled his scent, finding the heady mix of wolf and pine to be cleansing.

“Lex, you’re the one that helped me hold it together when the wolf was new and I wanted to tear every living thing I came across to shreds. You helped me remember that I’m a person and not just a predator with a human face. I’ve always adored you, and nothing is going to change that.” His hand was warm against my forehead as he smoothed back my hair. “We’re both in a really fucked up place right now. But, when haven’t we been?”

I shook my head and choked back a sob. “Not like this. It’s never been this bad. I know it’s wrong but the thought of her touching you, feeding on you, it makes me want to die. I’m sorry. I hate myself for making you feel this way.”

His deep sigh resonated with unspoken emotion. We stood there on the front lawn, clinging to one another like the desperate kids we’d started out as. Those days were long over and yet, I felt just as young and naive as I had then.

A car engine down the block started, breaking the quiet of early dawn. One of the neighbors was on her way to work, just a general part of everyday human life. A relatively mundane event that I was suddenly madly envious of.

“Hey, we’re not doing that.” He murmured into my hair. “No blame and guilt. It won’t do either of us any good. I want you to know, I understand things better now. I’ll never know exactly what it’s like for you, but I’ve gotten a taste of the temptation you deal with. And, it’s a bitch.”

I pulled back to gaze up into his eyes. His expression solemn, Shaz clasped my hand in his. I could feel his unease. He was as shaken up about this as I was.

My gaze dropped to our joined hands, straying to the bites on his wrist. “I don’t want this to break us.”

He nuzzled me, a gentle brush of his cheek against mine, the soft touch of his lips to the side of my nose. “Nothing will break us.”

It was exactly what I wanted to hear. So why didn’t I believe it?

I wanted to say so much, but none of it seemed right. Demanding that he stay away from The Kiss and especially away from the vampire bitch who bit him wouldn’t be proper. Jealousy ate at me, and I had no choice but to take it. As it was, I was dying to beg him not to fall in love with her. The irrational request slowly died inside me, fading as the night did.

The faintest trace of morning light peeked over the horizon. As dawn rolled in to the east, the night continued to linger in the west. The sun and moon shared the sky, the rulers of day and night meeting for the briefest of moments before they were forced to part. How many people paused even just once in their lifetime to witness this flash of short-lived beauty?

I couldn’t give it up. How Arys ever managed to find contentment living always in the dark, I would never know. I lived for the night, but I always knew that the morning would come, that I would see it should I choose to. To have that choice stripped from me … I couldn’t bear it.

“Tomorrow after sunrise, I’m going back for Claire and Maxwell. They want werewolves, I’ll bring them werewolves.” A smirk twisted my lips as I envisioned how I hoped it would all go down.

“Bring the pack?” Shaz nodded approvingly. “Great idea.”

“Anyone willing to come, anyway. I think it will give us a huge advantage. I plan to be at full strength, and this time I will be ready for Maxwell.”

“I’ll be by your side. Don’t even consider going after them without me. You know Arys will have a fit.”

“I don’t doubt it. But, I have a secret weapon, something those vamps won’t see coming.” I gestured for him to follow me to the trunk of my car. I lifted the velvet lined box from its place under the spare tire. It was the best location I’d had to hide it.

Opening the lid, I released the breath I’d sucked in when I caught sight of that gorgeous blade. The Dragon Claw took my breath away as it had the first time I’d laid eyes on it. Shaz was immediately intrigued. Reaching to glide a hand over the flat side of the blade, he seemed to fall under its spell.

“It’s amazing. Where did you get it?” He stroked it almost lovingly, lingering on the jade handle. “It feels like you. Like its part of you.”

I met his confused expression with one of my own. “You can feel that?”

“Yeah. It’s strange, but I get this wolf vibe from it. Your wolf.”

“It was made for me, with a piece of my hair. By demons.” I paused. What more could I really add to that? “It will kill a vampire with just a cut. Doesn’t even have to hit the heart. It works like a dream.”

“So I take it this means you’ll be working with him. The demon that came to see you at The Kiss.” His response was guarded, but I knew he didn’t like it.

I shrugged and closed the dagger box. “The only thing I’ve agreed to do for Shya is kill Veryl. Beyond that, nothing has been determined. I don’t trust Shya. I can’t.”

“Kill Veryl? Wow. I knew you were pissed at him after the whole Raoul thing, but I didn’t realize you were that pissed at him.”

Slamming the trunk closed, I clutched the dagger box tightly. “He’s blackmailing Lilah. I can’t help but feel I don’t owe him any alliance. Not anymore.”

Shaz walked me to the door, and though I wished he would stay, I knew it was best for both of us if he didn’t. His eyes filled with longing, and he touched a hand to my face when he said, “Be careful.”

I smiled, glancing away to hide the shadows of pain I didn’t want him to see. “I will.”

A soft touch of his lips to mine had me fighting tears again. I was astounded that I had the energy for tears at all. Shaz lingered, kissing me again, tender and affectionate.

“Get some rest, Lex. You need it. I love you.”

I watched him go, wishing I could say everything I’d held back and knowing it wouldn’t change a damn thing. “I love you.”

The house felt especially large and quiet. I was seldom home alone. Without the sound of Shaz banging around in the kitchen or Arys offering random commentary on television shows that he simply had to pick apart, it seemed so vacant and lifeless.

Drained and exhausted, I hurried through a shower and slipped into a silk bathrobe. The delicate material felt good against my battered skin. Despite how fast I healed, stiffness had set in to make every bruise and ache excruciatingly pronounced. Soon, I would be healed and rejuvenated, one advantage of being inhuman. I’d had worse. I’d survive.

I climbed into bed with the remote in hand. Spreading out in the center, I had a moment of enjoyment at having the whole bed to myself. It wasn’t something I’d like to get used to, but it was perfect right then.

After channel surfing my way to a standup comedy special, I half-listened to the crude comedian. Though sleep was waiting to claim me, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Maxwell had said to Arys. I wanted answers.

I searched my memory, fighting to break through the barrier that kept Arys’s several lifetimes of memories locked away from my conscious mind. I should have been grateful for that barrier. It kept me from being overwhelmed by Arys’s past. It kept me sane. But, there had to be a way to break through, to pinpoint the one memory that would reveal to me what Maxwell meant. Besides, occupying myself with Arys kept me from obsessing over Shaz.

Settling myself comfortably amid the pillows and comforter, I let the haze of slumber creep in. My angle was to fall into that lucid semi-conscious state between awake and asleep. I knew I was slipping, and true sleep would claim me any moment. Fighting it, I focused on Arys, letting my mind wander over some of the memories of his that I had already seen clearly.

Most of them made little sense to me. They often came in random bursts of visions and feelings. When we’d first bonded our power, his memories haunted my dreams often. Now they were repressed, hidden away inside my mind where I generally preferred them to stay.

I drifted in and out of Arys’s past, seeking Maxwell. It was there; I knew it was. I just had to tap into it. I kept Maxwell at the front of my thoughts, hoping it would pull him out of the dredges of my mind.

‘What, pray tell, are you doing, my wolf?’ Arys’s voice boomed through my head, scaring me out of the hazy lull I’d fallen into.

Jerking upright in bed, I swallowed hard and gasped for breath as my heart pounded. ‘Nothing. Just trying to fall asleep.’

‘Fall asleep? Or dig through my memories for answers I’m not ready to give you?’

Tapping Arys’s thoughts was not part of the plan. I kicked myself, glad he couldn’t see me. I knew he’d be giving me the look, the what-the-hell-are-you-thinking look.

‘You weren’t supposed to know.’ Sometimes, censoring myself was for the best, but this wasn’t one of them.

‘I gathered.’ Even telepathically his cynical tone came across just fine. ‘Go to sleep, Alexa. You’ll know when I’m ready for you to know.’

That chauvinist attitude ticked me off, and I let him feel my anger. It was just like him to boss me around because he wasn’t in control of a situation. ‘Don’t tell me what to do, Arys. You’ll have a fight on your hands.’

His low, velvet smooth chuckle floated through my mind to touch me intimately. ‘Do what you will then, you feisty little pain in the ass.’

He was gone, closing the door between us with a force I felt. He didn’t think I could do it. If Arys believed I could sift through his memories like rifling through a file folder, there’s no way he would have laughed it off. Cocky vampire.

Sleep came and with it the deep dreamless slumber that often accompanied extreme fatigue. If I was going to get the information I felt entitled to, it wasn’t going to be easy.

Waking just past sunset, I felt momentarily disoriented. As much as I would have loved to stay in bed, I had things to do. Once Maxwell and Claire were dealt with, I was having a movies in bed weekend come hell or high water.

Rather than attempt a last-minute wolf pack meeting, I decided to call select members one by one. The town pack was small and for the most part, tightly knit. However, a few pack members had a family, children from before the change. I wouldn’t call them. I wouldn’t risk anyone’s mother or father.

I didn’t want to ask Kylarai because I knew she’d say yes. Endangering her was not what I wanted. Yet, she was my beta wolf, and she would be insulted if I didn’t call her first. While I peered into the bathroom mirror and applied smoky black eyeliner, she returned my call.

“Julian wants to come,” she informed me as soon as I picked up. “I think you should let him. Zak’s coming, too. How many do you want to bring? That will make five altogether, us included.”

I leaned in close to the mirror to double-check the liner framing my brown eyes. “Four. I don’t plan on shifting. Four should be plenty. I don’t want to drag too many innocent pack members into this either. Julian has dues to pay. I’ll gladly let him put his life on the line. I guess Zak’s a big boy. But, are you sure you want to come, Ky? Don’t feel obligated.”

“Of course I feel obligated. We’re pack. You know I’ve got your back if you need me. I want to back you up, Alexa.” She paused, and I heard papers rustling in the background. “Besides, I could use a little excitement.”

Kylarai had been itching to break away from the same old routine for a while now. I couldn’t blame her in the least. It was hard enough to see how my world had affected Shaz. I wasn’t letting it happen to Ky, too.

“Excitement that could get you killed isn’t necessarily the best way to break away from the everyday.” I recalled the utter horror and disgust on Kylarai’s face when we were in The Kiss.

“Trust me, Alexa. It will be good for me to help you kick some vampire ass. Just say when, and I’ll be ready.”

Ah. It made sense now. Kylarai saw a chance to sink fangs into some vampires, and she wanted to take it. Since Arys and I had bonded through blood, Ky had been less than enthusiastic about my relationship with him. If tearing a strip out of Claire and Maxwell made her feel any better about it, then so be it. I was suddenly relieved. She could handle this.

It would be several hours yet before sunrise drew near. Perhaps it would be smart to lay low until then. I had no such intentions.

“I have some things to do. I’ll call you later. Be ready by dawn.”

Chapter Seventeen

A vampire lover with something to hide, a wolf mate with his own dirty secrets and a birthday in less than a week. If I lived to see my twenty-seventh birthday without losing my last shred of sanity, it would be a miracle. By that time I might be hard pressed to find a reason to celebrate. If I didn’t self destruct by then, I’d drink to that.

The bloodlust that had me currently stalking the slums was just the icing on the proverbial cake. I was giving in on my terms. Hunting down my own victim had to be better than letting the hunger choose one for me. By starving the bloodlust, I only weakened myself. I was through with that shit.

I knew exactly what I wanted.

A few blocks away from Chinatown, the real street people showed their faces. A couple of crackheads harassed a prostitute for money half a block away. I watched from the shadows as she lipped them off while threatening them with a can of pepper spray. She was young, too young to be selling herself for drug money. Perhaps what she was about to see would be enough to get her off the streets.

I didn’t want her nor the junkies ambling away, chased off by the sight of the pepper spray. Some vampires might not mind some illegal narcotics in the blood, but to me it just stank of toxicity. I was counting on stereotypes to deliver me a victim I could sink my teeth into.

The need to satisfy the hunger was constant, but I was content to wait. It would be worth it. I didn’t have to wait long before a simple beige sedan rolled to a stop beside her. Excitement thrilled through me. Any john that was willing to pick up a streetwalker as young as her was fair game as far as I was concerned.

She leaned down near the driver’s window to speak with him. He looked like your everyday guy. Short, dark hair and glasses, he was clean-cut with a professional appearance. He could have been a doctor or a banker, a regular professional with a regular life. But here he was, stopping off for a piece of underage action on his way home. So now, he was mine.

After exchanging a few words, she walked around the car to the passenger side. With preternatural stealth and speed, I attacked. I sprang at the car like a rabid cat, easily dragging the driver out. His eyes widened in sudden fright as he drank in the sight of me snarling down at him.

The girl shrieked and jumped away from the car as it rolled along, still in gear. It came to a stop against a nearby light standard. The john put up a good fight. He flailed like a victim in a horror movie during those last few seconds before the axe falls. I loved it. Every panicked motion and high-pitched, pathetic scream fed the hunger burning inside.

The prostitute was forgotten as her shrieks echoed in the distance along with the click of her high heels. A small, twisted part of me said, take it slow, but I couldn’t resist. I tore into him with a frenzy of fangs and claws. His blood was hot against my face, and I sighed when it hit my tongue.

Everything in me that was vampire cried out in victory while my wolf was strangely content with our choice of victim. I barely left him in one piece. Wolf fangs did a hell of a number on the throat of a human. He was a mangled mess when I decided I’d had my fill.

Fed by his fear and my lust, my ears buzzed with high-running energy.

My body vibrated with exhilaration and an erotic heat swept me. Looking at the remains of my victim, I knew I had to act fast, but part of me didn’t give a damn if anyone else happened to come along. Really, what were they going to do about it?

That kind of thinking was going to get me in shit. With a euphoric giggle, I dragged the body over to the car and stuffed it in the trunk. Yeah, this one was going to give a detective something to ponder. I should have at least dumped him in the river, but there was no time for that. This was exactly the kind of kill that would have had Veryl jumping down my throat. Somehow, I had the feeling Shya wouldn’t feel the same way.

Veryl. Yes, that was something coming up quickly on my to do list. Licking the blood from my lips and fingertips, I slipped back into the shadows and made my way back to my car. The rush of what I’d just done had me soaring, and I regretted how quickly it had all happened. I recognized the vampire’s need to draw it out, to enjoy every second. My victim had gotten off lucky, this time.

I knew I should have been afraid of how close I was walking to the blood madness I found so repulsive in the vampires of The Wicked Kiss. I wasn’t. I had too many other things to fear.

As I basked in the metaphysical ecstasy, I was numb to the emotional turmoil that I’d sought escape from. Perfect. Turning my emotions off was the only way I could get through the next day or so without coming apart. Telling myself things could be worse did nothing to make me believe it. If I let myself think about it, I saw Shaz with that vampire bitch, and it threatened to bring me down.

The afterglow of the kill enveloped me in a safe, warm circle of energy that danced with the promise of sanctity. Nothing could hurt me if I stayed wrapped inside this feeling. It made sense when I applied it to both Arys and Kale. They sought escape from the pain of raw emotion in their kills. But, if that soon became the only way to find freedom, was it not just a different form of imprisonment?

Muttering a few obscenities under my breath, I decided pondering the depth of it all was a waste of the amazing power high I was riding. My limbs felt light and floaty. My keen senses were finer tuned than usual if that were possible. The sounds of the city’s dark side was filled with the occasional squeal of tires, loud voices and far off shrieks. The creatures of the night wore many faces and forms. I was just one of so many.

As I drove through the slums, watching it slip away to better neighborhoods, I expected to feel guilt or shame. I felt nothing. By the time I sat in my car in The Wicked Kiss parking lot, I was certain I’d just rid myself of the last part of me that had been human.

I wrestled with the decision to go inside. The black Camaro a few spaces away taunted me as surely as it had my adrenaline pumping. I wasn’t ready to confront Kale. I knew I never would be. If I didn’t feel such obligation to this hell hole, I would consider leaving and never coming back. If only.

The moment I crossed the threshold into the club I felt Kale’s gaze land upon me, and I just needed one stiff drink. I headed straight for the bar. I waited for Josh to slide me a whiskey, doing all I could to avoid looking when I felt Kale sidle up beside me.

The whiskey hit my bloodstream and quickly paled in comparison to the rush of blood and death. I shoved the empty glass away and turned to Kale, expecting to pass out from the nerves.

The burning emotion in his eyes said more than words. It tested my resolve and urged me to give in to the promise of the comfort that I knew I could find in him. Wanting someone this bad wasn’t right. Not when you couldn’t really have them.

“I shouldn’t have run out on you the other night. I hope you can forgive me for that. I’ve been kicking myself ever since. It was selfish.” The atmosphere grew intense. Kale’s energy was running hot.

I fidgeted with a strand of my hair, feeling the anxious need to keep my hands busy. “It was smart. I don’t blame you. Really.”

“It was chicken shit. I should have stayed.” Kale grabbed my hand and slipped his fingers between mine. The undying hunger I had for him flared to life. “I didn’t want this to happen, Alexa. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you. But, it’s too late for that now.”

“Kale, don’ t… we don’t need to do this right now.” I choked on my guilt. I seemed to have so much of it these days.

“I know you’ll never love me the way I want you to. But, I know you feel something for me. And whatever that is, I need to know. I think you owe me that much.”

What was it about Kale that brought me to my knees? He was one of the strongest people I knew, having survived more than most could dream of. All he had to do was turn those passion-filled eyes on me, and I became weak.

“I owe you more than that. I’m so confused ... so much is going on, and I’m starting to feel like I’ve reached my limit on how much I can take. I want to escape, and the only way I know how is by giving in. Giving in to you, to the bloodlust … I see everyone around me doing the same, and I can’t take anymore.”

The emotion burst forth as the place deep inside where I tried to bottle it up reached capacity. I wanted to cry, but I refused to let the blood tears fall. Screw that.

Kale touched the faded bruise outlining my left eye. With a shuddery breath, I drank in the comfort of his soothing touch.

“Sometimes fighting so hard to make everything right is what brings you down in the end.” Pulling me against him, Kale murmured into my hair. “Some things have to happen, and you have to learn to let them.”

Breathing in his heady scent of leather and soap, I found the solace he always promised me. I longed to believe that there would be meaning in all of this. It was hard to think that such horror as the bliss I knew when I killed and the indiscretions of both myself and Shaz could have any kind of purpose.

“I just want to be free from it all.” The burning in my veins was driving me crazy. Kale was as much of a drug to me as the bloodlust was.

Slipping a hand into my hair, his voice dropped to a whisper. “Let me love you the way I should have when I had the chance.”

I gazed up at him, smitten and conflicted. I wanted to say yes. It was on the tip of my tongue, but what came out was, “I can’t. It’s not that I don’t want to...”

“It’s that you never let yourself feel anything other than pain and agony. Really, Alexa. That’s getting old.” In a brazen move, he claimed my lips in a tender kiss that left me dizzy.

I groaned and pulled away, but he held tight to my hand. “Why do you always have to be right? Maybe that’s what’s getting old.”

I shook my head and stared at our joined hands. How did I make it clear to him what I felt when I didn’t really know? From moment to moment it changed. Overwhelming desire became mind racking guilt, and somewhere in between was what I really wanted.

Before I could utter another word, I gasped as the cold undead power of Arys rose up with an icy blast inside me. He strode through the door with eyes blazing in anger.

I jerked my hand from Kale’s and immediately felt like an ass. Kale merely regarded Arys’s approach with indifference while I quaked with tension and fear.

My dark vampire was fuming. As he drew closer I felt it burning inside me, hot and bitter. I drew myself up and faced him, ready for the fit of temper I could tell was coming.

Arys cast a furious glare Kale’s way before turning it on me. “What the hell are you doing here? Last night’s torture session wasn’t enough for you. Fuck, Alexa! When did your death wish get so bad?”

“Excuse me?” I looked up into Arys’s gorgeous face, finding myself torn between defensive anger and nervous laughter. “I’m not a child, Arys. Don’t talk to me like I’m incapable of taking care of myself.”

“You mean like you did last night?”

Kale regarded us both before his pensive gaze settled on me. “You were tortured?”

“Not really.” I shrugged as if it was no big deal. I didn’t want the both of them all over me with the scolding. To Arys I said, “I don’t have a death wish.”

“Like hell you don’t,” he scoffed. Turning his midnight blues on Kale, he scowled. “Funny how you weren’t around last night when she could have used you, but when there’s a chance of getting some tail you show up.”

My stomach dropped. I opened my mouth to spit out a panicked reply, but Kale beat me to it. He was more prepared for this moment than I was.

“Ah yes, here we go. Say what you will, Arys. I don’t owe you an explanation, and if it’s an apology you’re expecting, you’ll be disappointed.”

“That doesn’t surprise me in the least. You’ve been after Alexa for a while now. So now that you’ve gotten a taste, I know you’ll be backing off.” The threat was there, spoken in low tones. Arys’s menacing calm was more frightening than his temper tantrums.

Kale reclined against the bar, fixing Arys with a disaffected stare. “Alexa can make her own decisions. Sounds to me like you have bigger worries right now than whether or not I have a thing for your girl.”

“Yes!” I interjected quickly, angling my body so I stood between them but could see them both. “We do have other things to worry about. Things that I plan to take care of after sunrise.”

“What?” Arys’s attention was quickly diverted as I’d hoped it would be. “Oh, hell no. You are not taking them on without me.”

“Yes, I am. I’m going in with four wolves as well as the dagger Shya gave me. I’ll be fine. Let me draw on your power if I need it, and they won’t stand a chance. Give me some credit. These aren’t the first vampires I’ve hunted.”

The atmosphere grew stifling. Arys was seething. “You took something from Shya? A demon? See, I told you. Death wish. If Maxwell overpowers you…”

“I killed Harley just fine without you. I think I can handle this.” It was a low blow, and I immediately felt bad.

Harley’s death hurt Arys more than he would ever admit. I understood well the love/hate relationship he’d had with his maker. I’d had my own with Raoul.

Arys eyed me with an unreadable expression. He hid it well, but I’d hurt him. “So you did. A night hasn’t gone by when I haven’t thought about what it felt like to feel him die. Forgive me if I don’t care to relive it with you.”

I cringed inwardly and gave myself a mental bitch slap. How did I even begin to back-pedal on this one? “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Just don’t get yourself killed. Unless you’re ready to join the fang club.”

“I have no intention of that happening. Not yet.” Did my tone sound too rushed? I hoped not. I didn’t want either of them to know just how much the thought of turning terrified me lately.

I felt Kale’s scrutiny. If anyone would figure me out, it would be him. He crossed his arms over his chest and studied me. “I know you can kick-ass like nobody’s business, but are you sure you want to take a risk like this?”

Despite the fact that Kale was backing his opinion, Arys shot him a dirty look. I couldn’t look either of them in the eyes. The interior of the club was sweltering from the heat of so many bodies, along with my own growing discomfort. I needed some air.

“I’m sure neither of you would be saying this if you were able to come with me. Four wolves backing me are more than enough to kick some vampire ass. Would either of you really want to face that?” I challenged. Neither of them responded, leaving me feeling validated. I knew what I was doing, and they would just have to trust me on this.

Reaching for my hand, Arys regarded me with an unsettling darkness. His gaze strayed to Kale, and he grinned. “I would much rather be at your side, as I should be, but if you insist on going during daylight, I understand. I will eagerly await your return.”

Turning that sexy smirk on me, Arys gripped my hand tight and bit deep into my wrist. I gasped and gave a small cry of pain and surprise. In a dramatic move that stirred our shared power, he swirled his tongue leisurely over the bloody wound. A shock of heat pooled between my legs, and a blush stole across my cheeks.

Despite the way my body reacted to him, I was mad. That was nothing but a territorial show, marking me in front of Kale. It made me feel like a possession to be claimed, and I was livid. It was in Arys’s nature to claim me as it was in mine to refuse to allow it. As much as I wanted to pummel him right then for such a cheap move, I had responded the way he’d known I would. Though my conscious will defied the idea of belonging to him, the rest of me responded in full. We were bound and, like it or not, I was his.

With a low growl, I broke his hold on me and stepped away. Glancing furiously from Arys to Kale, I was mortified. Kale’s eyes widened as he reacted to my spilled blood, but there was pain in their depths. Instead of smacking Arys, I shoved past him and stormed outside.

Blood dripped down my hand as I fumbled with my cell phone. I scrolled through my contact list for Brogan’s number. Pain shot up my arm from my bleeding wrist, and the urge to throw my phone in a fit of anger was strong. Before I could either throw it or hit send, Arys was there, pulling it from my hand.

“I’m not going to apologize for marking you. I have every right.”

I glowered up at him from beneath lowered lashes. “Everyone’s doing whatever they want and clearly feeling little remorse. That’s fine. Let’s all just run amok. We can self destruct together.”

Arys grabbed me by the shoulders before I could turn away and searched my eyes. “That wasn’t really a reply to me. What’s going on with you?” When I pursed my lips and shook my head, he persisted. “Is this about Shaz?”

“You know about that?” My accusatory tone was thick with suspicion.

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“A few days. And, don’t look at me like that. It was the pup’s place to tell you, not mine. Just like I didn’t inform him about your recent indiscretions. It wasn’t life or death, Alexa. It was personal. Therefore, not my place.”

I wanted to argue with that but couldn’t. His logic was sound. Sticking Arys in the middle wasn’t going to change anything. The Shaz incident was eating at me, lurking in the back of my mind. I just kept seeing him with her, and I felt sick.

The crimson droplets staining the concrete at my feet brought my attention back to the immediate issue. “This,” I held my injured wrist before me, “was not necessary. It’s the vampire equivalent to pissing on me, and I’m not cool with that shit. I’m already part of you. Permanently. There isn’t a damn supernatural being in this city that doesn’t know it. Rubbing it in Kale’s face is low, Arys. Even for you.”

His dark gaze held no hint of repentance. “It was nothing compared to what I’d really like to do to him. Live with it, Alexa. It could have been worse.”

This territorial vampire nonsense with Kale was heads and tails beyond the tension Arys shared with Shaz at times. Arys enjoyed the conflict with Shaz, and ultimately, he always conceded to my wolf, acknowledging Shaz’s place as my Alpha mate. It was different with Kale. It scared me because I didn’t really know if I could trust Arys not to take it to the next level.

Slipping an arm around my waist, Arys pressed close and brushed his lips across mine. I couldn’t stay mad when the touch of his tongue to mine had me melting. The burning heat of my power mingled with the icy cold of his to encase me in a rousing warmth. This man would always be my kryptonite. Dammit.

I bit his lower lip aggressively. “You’re a real pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?”

“I do what I can.” His soft murmur was accompanied by a mischievous smirk. “If Sinclair was just a toy to you, I might feel differently. But, I know what he wants from you, and I can’t help but remind him that I got here first.”

I’d done the same thing with the snooty chick that lived in Shaz’s apartment building. “Yeah, yeah. That’d better be all you do.”

I tensed when Arys brought my bleeding wrist to his lips. Placing a soft kiss to my injured flesh, he breathed in the scent of my blood and sighed. “You’ve been killing.”

“Yes.” It wasn’t something I’d want to freely admit to anyone else. “Fighting it makes it so much worse.”

His shoulders slumped, and when he looked at me, there was guilt in his eyes. “I can’t watch the bloodlust drive you mad. Because it will, and you will grow to hate yourself.”

“What choice do I have? Fighting it breaks me down until I lose control. I’m already hating myself.” Turning off my emotions during the kill didn’t make them cease to exist. It simply locked them away in a place where I could pretend to forget. For now.

Arys shook his head. “No more of this. We deal with it, you and I. You can’t be killing humans. Not while you’re still mortal. It will take away the last of your humanity, and as selfish as this sounds, I’m not ready for that yet.”

I slipped a hand into his glossy black hair and nuzzled him. “Neither am I.”

His lips were warm against my face as he kissed the side of my nose. His concern meant the world to me. I wouldn’t have to fight this battle alone. I could have wept with relief.

My reassurance was short-lived. A chill crept through me when Arys said, “Then it’s settled. We hunt together.”

Chapter Eighteen

I sipped from a Tim Horton’s coffee, watching Brogan form a salt circle on the pavement. It was just past dawn. The Wicked Kiss’ parking lot was almost empty save for a few vehicles, one of them being Kale’s Camaro. Any vampire who hadn’t left yet would be trapped in one of the back rooms for the day.

I knew Kale was alone in his room. His lingering presence spoke louder than his earlier invitation. As I watched Brogan prepare to cast a locator spell, I tried not to think about Kale’s admission of love. My focus had to be on finding Claire and Maxwell. Everything else could wait.

At such an early hour, the traffic passing by the club to go downtown was scarce. It wouldn’t pick up for a while yet. Every time I heard a vehicle, I glanced up expectantly, looking for Shaz’s car. He would be arriving any moment with Kylarai, Zak and Julian. Arys had left an hour before dawn but not before making me promise to maintain an open mental link with him until I was finished with Maxwell and Claire. I was confident that we would take them down. It might not play out the way I envisioned, but it was going to happen.

Sitting in the middle of the salt circle, Brogan pulled four blue candles from her bag and arranged them around her at the north, east, south and west points. She placed a goblet of water before her. Taking a stick of jasmine incense from her bag, she glanced at me expectantly.

“I’ll need that hair now. And, as much quiet as possible. Do you think they’ll be here soon?”

“Any minute now. We can wait so they don’t disturb you.” I pulled my wallet out of the back pocket of my jeans and retrieved the auburn strands of Claire’s hair. I’d taken extra care not to lose it.

“I’d rather do it now, before they get here. I’m not quite as good at this as my mother is. Was.” Brogan’s face fell, but she quickly hid the emotion that I could sense building within her. “Anyway, I need to concentrate. The fewer people here, the better.”

“No problem. I’ll give you some space and tell them not to arrive yet.”

Crossing to the opposite end of the parking lot, I perched on the hood of Kale’s car and sent a text message to Kylarai telling them not to come until I got back to them. Then I reclined against the Camaro’s windshield and watched Brogan work the spell.

I couldn’t help it when my mind strayed back to Kale, so close but so far. Was he thinking of me, too? Did I really want the answer to that? I could just imagine his reaction if he knew I was reclined on his prized possession with thoughts of him swirling in my head. I owed him an explanation and an apology. It wasn’t going to come easy.

A cool wind picked up suddenly, ruffling my hair. Brogan sat in a meditative state, her lips moving fast. I could only catch bits of what she said. None of it was in English. The candle flames flickered and the scent of jasmine carried to me on the breeze. With eyes closed, she dropped Claire’s hair into the goblet and stirred it with a finger in a clockwise motion.

Brogan’s blonde hair lifted gently as the wind whipped around her. Goosebumps rose up on my skin in response to the power she called. It felt pure, earthy, but strong. She was underestimating herself if she didn’t think she was as good as Lena. I was willing to bet otherwise.

I was intrigued by the power a skilled witch could call. It was not unlike my own. However, the manner in which they accessed it was much different.

Watching Brogan reminded me of all the times I’d done the same thing with her mother. I hadn’t let myself truly feel Lena’s loss. It was too hard. But, it would come. It had to. I didn’t want to let her go. Though it wouldn’t bring her back, today there would be retribution for what had happened to her.

A satisfied but sad smile crossed Brogan’s dainty features, and her eyes snapped open. Motioning me over, she called, “I’ve got a location.”

Hopping off Kale’s car, I almost skipped over to her. The wolf inside me was readying for a fight. I was almost excited.

“You were right.” Brogan began blowing out the candles before extinguishing the stick of incense. “They moved pretty far from the last address you had for them. They’re on the outskirts of town, a farmhouse to the east. I’m coming with you.”

I paused during the text I was typing to Ky. “Um, no way. I can’t risk you, Brogan. Your mother would never be cool with that.”

“Well, she’s not here, and these are the people who killed her. You have to let me come. Would you have it any other way if you were in my position?” Her jaw was hard set, and a challenge was in her eyes. “I know they’re dangerous, Alexa. I’m not powerless. I’ll let you call the shots. Just … let me be your backup.”

I finished typing the text before answering. I was torn. I would refuse to be left behind if I were her. She did have power. It’s not like she’d be defenseless. Shit.

“Fine. But, you follow my lead, and don’t you dare get yourself killed. This is completely against my better judgment.”

She nodded solemnly, but there was a glimmer of light in her small smile. “Thank you.”

It wasn’t long before Shaz’s car turned into the lot. A small thrill of anticipation shot through me. It wouldn’t be long now. Any remaining doubt I’d had was fading fast.

For a moment, I felt heavy discomfort when Shaz stepped out of the car. I swallowed hard and pushed the negative thoughts aside. Whatever was up with him, with us, it was irrelevant right now. It had to be if I was going to stay focused.

Much of the awkward apprehension slipped away when he pulled me into his arms as if nothing had ever happened. Was I making it out to be more than it was? If he could put it aside, then I could do the same.

“Are you ready to do this?” His jade orbs shone with enthusiasm. He was eager for this.

“I think so.” I glanced over at his car where the others waited. “How’s Julian? He’s not going to be a liability is he?”

With a shake of his blond head, Shaz grinned. “Not on my watch.”

“Then let’s go.”

* * * *

Brogan had been right about the farmhouse. The evidence of the death of the occupants verified that our vampires were inside. The sun shone down brightly, trapping them effectively. The golden light stung my eyes but, otherwise, didn’t harm me.

We had to drive two cars to fit everyone. It was also safer, in case some of us didn’t make it out, the others could still leave. If Maxwell was as clever as I thought he was, he would know we were coming for him. He’d be ready. Yet, he wasn’t smart enough to skip town. Typical.

With the Dragon Claw in hand, I faced the four wolves that sat ready and keen before me. Both Shaz and Julian wore matching expressions. They were looking forward to this. Somehow, I didn’t entirely find that reassuring. Their eagerness to kill vampires was helpful for the current fight but alarming in its implications. There was no love lost between vampires and werewolves.

“You guys know the drill. Don’t leave anyone alive, and don’t give them a chance to fight back if you can help it, especially the male with the power. He’s extremely dangerous. But, if you can incapacitate him without dusting him, leave him alive. I have a few questions for him.”

I had nothing more to say. We had three vampires to kill, one who was deadly. Hesitating would weaken us. It was time to do this.

I could feel Arys in my head, observing the only way he could. He was thankfully quiet, allowing me the illusion of being alone with my thoughts. Knowing he was there enhanced my concentration. I would think of nothing while he was in my head but the task at hand.

Striding up to the front door of the old but well-kept farmhouse, I kicked the door open. I wasn’t surprised by the angry swarm of energy that greeted me. I was ready for the attack. Drawing on my bond with Arys, I absorbed what I could of the blast and deflected the rest.

I paused in the doorway, the dagger in one hand and a psi ball in the other. The windows had been boarded up haphazardly, preventing the light from penetrating the interior of the house. Maxwell stood in the open foyer right in front of me, his face absent of any real expression. I couldn’t see either Claire or their remaining vampire lackey yet.

The wolves swept past me, two on either side. The sound of snarls and growls quickly filled the eerie silence. Both Shaz and Julian lunged at Maxwell who quickly lashed out at them with a blast of power which I intercepted with my own. The two wolves almost collided in their frenzy to get to him. He was fast, moving to avoid them in a smooth motion that left them scrambling to regain their footing.

“I knew you’d come. I didn’t think it would be so soon after we broke you though.” Maxwell smirked and pulled his power tight to him, forming a circle.

From deeper in the house a scream rang out as Zak and Kylarai found Claire. She wouldn’t stand a chance. Brogan hung back near the door, but I could feel her readiness.

Something told me that the Dragon Claw would cut through Maxwell’s barrier as if it wasn’t even there. It would be over too fast. Perhaps it was stupid to hold out, but I didn’t want him dust, not yet. Not until I could get some answers from him regarding Arys’s little secret, something Arys wasn’t going to be happy about.

“Is that what that was all about? You didn’t break me, asshole. Not even close.” This was already going better than I’d hoped. With Maxwell trapped inside his own circle, he wasn’t much of a threat.

I advanced on him, testing the dagger by swiping it boldly through his bubble. It dispersed immediately. The shock that adorned Maxwell’s face was priceless. Grabbing him by the throat, I threw him up against the foyer wall so hard the windows in the house rattled.

Shaz paced close by. I saw no sign of Julian though the sound of conflict reached me from the back of the house. A series of snarls and snapping jaws were followed by a yelp I recognized as Kylarai. I fought hard to tune it out. Losing my focus would put us all in greater danger.

Maxwell pushed against me with fiery hot power that burned. I smiled because this time I was ready, and I knew I could take him. The direct connection to Arys infused me with enough power to knock me breathless. It burst through me from head to toe, using me as a living vessel to channel it. I wasn’t sure how much I could take before it overwhelmed my mortal form, but I guessed I’d find out.

I pressed the dagger to Maxwell’s throat, careful not to let the blade bite into his flesh. Not yet. “Ready to do a little talking, pal?”

“Screw you, wolf.” He was putting on a tough front, but the heavy sense of apprehension slowly trickled from him.

“I have questions, and you have answers. Play along, and I’ll kill you fast. If not, I can really drag this out.”

A strained cackle poured forth from Maxwell. “We’ll have plenty of time to play twenty questions during the trip back to Vegas. Still not willing to make this easy on yourself? I told you. Help me get what I want, and then I let you go.”

“I’m not an item to be bargained with. Especially for power and prestige you don’t have the balls to earn on your own. If anyone deserves Harley’s place, it’s me. I want to know about Arys. Tell me why you said I was the one he’s been waiting for. What does that mean?”

‘Alexa.’ Arys’s tense silence was shattered by the vicious warning in the back of my mind.

Intrigue swam in Maxwell’s inky gaze. “Let me go, and we can talk this out like the professionals we are. I’m sure we can strike a deal of some kind.”

“The only deal on the table is how fast I kill you.” I snapped, baring fangs at him. Instinct demanded I kill him. Small talk and bargaining was for vampires. I was wolf, and I wanted his death.

“What’s wrong, Alexa? Is Arys keeping secrets from you?” A gloating grin lit up Maxwell’s pinched features. “Help me get what I want, and I’ll tell you anything I know.”

Infuriated by his cocky attitude, I slammed my power through him. He grunted, stiffening as it burned within his core. I felt his sudden alarm as he tried to grasp my power and strip it from me. That wasn’t going to work this time. I was prepared for that.

I lashed out at him again, forcing him to go into defense mode. As long as he was focused on protecting himself, he wouldn’t have adequate strength to take me down. I followed up with a knee to the groin. Cheap shot? Maybe. Effective? Yes.

He grunted, and a small whimper escaped him. “Look bitch, this is bullshit. I’m not going to trade blows with you. If you’re going to kill me, then do it.”

“So you’re only content to beat me and torture my mate? If I fight back, you lose interest? That’s fucking pathetic.”

“I didn’t come here to torture anybody. What can I say? One thing led to another.” His expression grew cold, and he regarded me with hate shining in his eyes.

The dagger blade was dangerously close to piercing the skin of his throat. Part of me wanted to take his head off. Maybe it wasn’t worth it to attempt to get information from him. Maybe this was a confrontation better reserved for Arys.

“Last chance to tell me something I want to hear.” My hand shook in my effort to keep from slicing into him.

“Would that help? If I tell you that Arys knew you were out there somewhere, his metaphysical other half. That he was informed of your coming over a hundred years ago? And what it would mean for him? Would a little elaboration make you willing to give me what I want?”

Stunned didn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling. It was hard, but I maintained a steady poker face. “No. If you were worthy of taking Harley’s place in Vegas, you wouldn’t need me.”

“Your loss.” Unable to affect me, Maxwell targeted Shaz.

The yelp that my white wolf emitted hurt to hear. I concentrated to keep from turning my back on Maxwell to go to him. Brogan’s soft tread could be heard on the hardwood floor as she ran to him. I wasn’t going to get my answers. Not today.

I plunged the Dragon Claw into Maxwell’s guts with pleasure. My only regret was that it had been too soon. For a moment he simply stared at me like I was an idiot for missing the heart. I held tight to the handle and watched as realization sank in.

Panic caused his eyes to widen, and he reached for the dagger, clawing at my hand. It was too late. It happened slower than it had with the young one. His body began to collapse in on itself as he crumbled to dust. His mouth moved, but no sound came out. Jerking the dagger free, I stepped back and watched him fall to pieces at my feet.

Warmth spread from the dagger’s handle up my arm as it thrummed with demon magic. It was dizzying and a little frightening. I gazed at what was left of Maxwell and wished I’d made him suffer. Dead wasn’t good enough after what he’d done to us and to Lena.

Shaz padded over to me. He was fine but winded. Brogan stood hugging herself near the doorway.

“Stay here,” I told her before following the sound of commotion in the living room at the back of the house. She gave a slight nod, her gaze transfixed on what remained of the vampire.

A gunshot rang out, deafening in the confines of the house. Two fierce snarls followed. I ran down the hall and skidded to a stop when I almost tripped over Zak’s fallen form. His sides heaved as he struggled for air. Blood seeped from an ugly wound in his chest.

Kylarai and Julian were engaged in a face-off with Claire, who shook violently as she grasped the shotgun. It came as no surprise that a farm family would keep a gun around. If Claire had had any real power, she wouldn’t have needed it.

She whirled to face me, the barrel of the gun drifting from me to the two wolves baring deadly fangs at her. A pile of dust in the corner indicated what was left of the remaining lackey. I’d have never guessed that a woman with a gun would have been the biggest threat we’d face here.

“Back the fuck off!” Claire’s voice was high and desperate. She waved the gun wildly, and I braced, expecting an erratic shot to go off. She didn’t know how to use that thing.

I held up a hand and concentrated on tranquil energy, hoping to calm her. “Take it easy, Claire. We don’t all have to die here.”

“Tell that to your wolves. I’m not letting those bastards tear me apart. I won’t die like that!” She swung the gun back to Ky and Julian, aiming at Julian’s face. Whatever they’d done to kill her vampire minion, it must have been ugly for her to react this way.

I felt Shaz tense beside me as if bracing to leap. I angled my body to block him. We faced supernatural threats every night of our lives. It was not going to be a friggin’ gun that killed him.

“Come on, Claire. You’ve lived how many lifetimes, and now you want to go down fighting with a gun as your defense?”

In my head came Arys’s worry. ‘Let her go, Alexa. She’s not worth taking a bullet.’

I ignored him. He was right, but I couldn’t let her just leave, not after what she did to Shaz and Lena. If I hit her hard and fast with a solid strike, it might be enough to disable her before she could get off another shot.

‘Are you willing to lose Kylarai or Shaz over this? Don’t take stupid risks.’ Arys was growing angry. I was relieved that he wasn’t physically present to fight me for control of the situation. ‘You don’t have control of the situation! You have a wolf dying on the floor.’

‘Stop distracting me!’

Claire emanated fear, a tantalizing scent that instilled the need for the kill in every one of us. I had to make a move quickly. I couldn’t be certain that I could take her down faster than she could pull the trigger again. Arys was right. It wasn’t worth any of our lives if I tried and failed.

Before I could make a decision, Julian snapped. He lunged, his strong hind legs launching him swiftly straight at her. The gun sounded, and he dropped in a heavy thud that shook the floor beneath my feet. It all happened faster than I could blink. My hands vibrated with the power I held ready. Taking advantage of Claire’s momentary distraction, I hit her with enough metaphysical force to drop an elephant.

It was more than I’d anticipated. It flowed through me like a wave that could be neither seen nor touched, forcing me to my knees. I could feel Arys behind the massive wallop, guiding it when I ceased to have control. For a split second my skull felt like it might blow. The pressure eased, and blood dripped from my nose.

Claire hurtled through the air to crash through the draped window in an explosion of glass. I scrambled to my feet and rushed to the gaping hole. The wail that came from her was horrifying, so inhuman I quaked. Yet, watching her burn was harder than hearing her die.

Her skin sizzled audibly, blackening at the sun’s lethal touch, but death didn’t come immediately. The sickening stench of burning flesh was overwhelming. My stomach turned, and I fought the urge to vomit.

I turned away, unable to watch anymore. A quick look at Julian’s destroyed face was worse. He was dead. I couldn’t save him. Tearing my gaze from the brown wolf’s corpse, I rushed to Zak, finding him struggling to hold on.

‘Help me,’ I begged Arys. The high level of power we’d raised would be enough to heal Zak, I knew it. I just didn’t have the mental clarity and calm needed to do it. Killing was easy. Healing was hard. One might think it should be the other way around.

Kylarai’s high-pitched whine was mournful, and my heart broke for her. Scumbag or not, she’d loved Julian. Shaz went to her, nuzzling her face with wolf kisses. I focused on tuning out everything but Zak and what he needed from me.

‘Concentrate.’ Arys’s guidance was stern but gentle. ‘Make him all that you see, all that you feel. Envision the brokenness inside him. Push the energy into him as you would in an attack but direct it. Give it a purpose. You can do this.’

He fell silent, leaving me to save my wolf on my own. I didn’t ask much of my pack. I did all that I could to leave them out of stuff like this. They’d proven their loyalty by being there when needed, even Julian. My wolf rose to the surface, straining for release, seeking a way to comfort her own. It hurt to deny the need to shift. Right now, I had to be the vampire.

Closing my eyes, I held my hands over Zak’s wound, close but not touching. The harsh sensation of pain rolled off him. I could feel him slipping away.

Tuning out my surroundings was near impossible, but once I fell into him, aligning Zak’s broken energy with my own, it came together much smoother than I expected. I honed in on the wound, seeing it in my mind. With a deep sigh, I pushed my positive, vibrant energy into Zak, seeing his wound as healed. I held that vision as the current connecting us grew strong and warm.

I felt disoriented, as if the room was spinning and I didn’t know which way was up. A roar of white noise filled my ears. It was exhilarating.

The power fell away, and I opened my eyes to find Zak lying naked beside me on the floor. He’d shifted back to human form. The wound in his chest was healed, only a faint trace of pink scar tissue remained. A handful of buckshot lay beside him.

He blinked up at me with glazed eyes. “Alexa?”

I exhaled slowly, realizing at some point I’d held my breath. I felt drained. Good thing I’d killed Maxwell when I had because I didn’t have the energy to take him on now.

“Come on.” I helped Zak to his feet, supporting his weight when he leaned heavily on me. “Let’s get you out of here.”

I didn’t want him to see Julian. They were best friends. Zak had been through enough. I cast a glance back at Shaz and Kylarai. Shaz was nudging her along, urging her to follow me out. She resisted, her gaze locked on the body of her fallen former lover. After a few moments, I heard her paws pad along behind me.

Brogan looked up in shock when we appeared. She took in the naked werewolf at my side and averted her gaze. I would have laughed if the situation hadn’t been so somber. Werewolves got used to being naked around other people. It came with the territory.

Once I got Zak settled in the backseat of Shaz’s blue Cobalt, I turned to go back to the house, but Zak grabbed my arm and held on. “Alexa. What happened? Did Julian make it out?”

His jaw was clenched, and he studied me knowingly. I wasn’t going to insult him by lying or sugar-coating the truth.

“He’s dead, Zak. I’m sorry.”

With the barest of nods, he turned away from me and began to pull his clothes on. I tossed the Dragon Claw into the trunk of my car before turning to Kylarai who was doing her best to hide her tears as she slipped into a long blue summer dress. I felt awful for her.

Before I could say as much, she waved me off. “I’m not ready to talk about it, Alexa. Sorry.” Falling heavily onto the passenger seat of Shaz’s car, she stared out the window at the field beyond.

“Hey, don’t look so defeated.” Shaz was a hell of a vision. His face was bruised, and he winced in pain as he tugged a black t-shirt over his head. “Julian was an idiot to attack her the way he did. What happened to him wasn’t your fault, Lex.”

“I’m not sure they’d agree with you.” I ran a hand over his bare ribs as he pulled the shirt down. “Are you ok? You didn’t break anything, did you?”

“A cracked rib, I think. No worries. Really. It’ll be fine.” He captured my hand in his own and gave it an affectionate squeeze. “So what do we do with the remains? I imagine the bodies of the home owners are in there somewhere, too.”

I nodded absently, studying the property. “There’s got to be some gasoline in the shed or the garage. You guys take off, and I’ll deal with the rest.” My voice dropped to a breathy whisper. “And please, don’t leave Kylarai alone, no matter what she says. Stay with her a while.”

“Of course.” Shaz kissed me softly, a brief but tender touch. I was reminded instantly why he meant so much to me. Too much to let anything, even The Wicked Kiss, come between us. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, babe.”

I watched until his car disappeared from sight. Then I turned to Brogan who stood uncertainly near my car. “So, how do you feel about arson?”

Chapter Nineteen

I stood outside The Wicked Kiss for a long time before mustering the nerve to go inside. I smelled faintly of smoke from the fire, and my hair was a mess. Neither of those were good enough reasons to put this off.

The club was deadly quiet, foreign. I rarely saw it empty and silent. The back hall felt eerily calm. I could feel the energy of those occupying the rooms. There weren’t many of them.

Following the hall to room thirteen, I grew increasingly edgy with each step. Was he sleeping? Would he feel my presence? My pulse quickened. Steady breaths.

After taking care of things at the farmhouse, Arys had silently slipped away, closing the mental door between us. I was grateful for that because it saved me from having to do it. I knew he was upset with me for pumping Maxwell for information. However, I could only deal with one vampire at a time.

I hesitated outside Kale’s door. I could feel him in there. What if he was sleeping? Maybe it was better not to disturb him. I reached out to knock, but before I could, the door swung open.

Kale stood in the doorway, casually dressed in track pants and a plain white t-shirt, a rare look for him. I liked it. He regarded me with an expression of relief and intrigue. I gazed into his mismatched eyes and felt myself falling.

Tearing my gaze away, I glanced nervously at the floor, my feet and finally past him into the room. “Did I come at a bad time?”

“Not at all.” He swung the door open wider and stepped back to allow me in. “Come on in.”

“I think we need to talk.”

“How did everything go? I assume by the soot in your hair and the fire in your eyes that you kicked some ass.”

“I guess you could say that. I lost a wolf. Julian, to be precise.”

Kale swung the door shut, locking it as if he expected an interruption. “Can’t say I’m sorry to hear that. How’s Kylarai taking it?”

“Not so well.” I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. I could either sit on the bed, bad idea, or at the small bistro table in the corner. I chose to stand.

“Well, I’m glad the rest of you made it out ok. I was worried.” The depths of his concern was there in his eyes. He’d been afraid for me. It warmed my insides in a silly, high school crush kind of way. It was so wrong.

I tried to lighten the mood by laughing off his worry. “Hey, I told you I’d be fine. You shouldn’t underestimate me.”

“Never.” A lazy grin lit up his face. “I give you more credit than you know.”

A strange silence descended. I studied the diamond pattern on his black and grey bedding, the tile on the ceiling and the plush carpet beneath our feet. Anything to avoid eye contact.

“Kale, we have to talk about this. I’m not even sure where to start. Since the other night … in the rain … I’ve been so confused. What I get from you I can’t find in anyone else. But, what we share is weakness, and we both know misery loves company.” I fumbled with the words, wishing they would come out perfect. “It’s selfish of me to seek comfort in you when I can’t return what it is you give me.”

He seemed to contemplate what I was trying to say. Leaning back against the door, he crossed his arms and pinned me with a piercing stare. “You are my weakness, Alexa. It isn’t the bloodlust or the thrill of the kill. That’s all part of what I am. It has been for centuries. The appetites of the vampire are not a weakness. If anything they are strengths to be mastered. It’s you that brings me to my knees.”

I groaned and paced the length of the small room. I glanced at the bed, knowing that he’d taken many human women there, for their body and their blood. I was glad our encounter hadn’t been in this room.

“Is it me? Or, are you drawn to the power that makes me its bitch?” It was a challenging question, a potentially loaded one. I had the distinct feeling that I wasn’t going to get the answer I wanted.

“How can you ask me that? Of course it’s you. The power is part of you, part of your thrall. I won’t deny that. But, if this was based only on power, I’d be throwing myself at Arys.” Kale spat Arys’s name like it was something bitter in his mouth. “Somewhere along the way, over the years we’ve been friends, I fell for you. Hard. But, that’s not what you want to hear, is it?”

No amount of distracted gazing around the room could keep our eyes from locking. The look he gave me was direct, daring me to tell the harsh truth.

“Kale, this is difficult for me. I do feel something for you. I’m just not sure I can call it love. I have two men in my life that I constantly feel torn between. This,” I motioned between the two of us. “This just isn’t right. It can’t be.”

“Why? Because Arys got to you first? That means you can’t possibly love me too? Correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I’ve seen over the past year, he has been less than great for you. Or, maybe I just think that because I’m the one you run to every damn time he lets you down.”

That stung because it was true. Guilt washed over me, and I bit my lower lip until I tasted blood. “Alright. That’s fair. I won’t argue that. Arys and I do have issues. Big ones. But doesn’t everyone? This is about you and me right now.”

“There is no you and me. Isn’t that what you’re saying?” Kale stood stiffly. His energy was harsh and pained. It burned a little if I focused on it intently.

“I don’t want it to be this way between us. I can’t lose you, Kale. And, I don’t know how to keep what we have now without ruining it.” I took a step toward him but stopped, unsure of what to do with myself. “What we did the other night, I’m afraid it’s changed everything. It never should have happened.”

He shoved away from the door in a fast, smooth motion. With the grace only a vampire could possess, Kale swept me into his arms and kissed me. It was deep but gentle, with the sweetness that I’d come to associate with his kiss.

“But, it did happen,” he whispered against my lips. “And, you loved every minute of it. Of course it changes things. God, I can’t stop thinking about what it felt like to finally be inside you.”

“Stop that.”

“No. You want me, too. I can feel it. Playing this right and wrong game isn’t doing a damn bit of good.” His lips were warm against my skin as he kissed his way down my neck.

“I can’t be in love with three people. That’s too fucked up, even for me. I feel so torn between all of you. It’s selfish. And, that is wrong.”

Putting my hands on his chest, I pushed Kale away. I was a mess of emotion. From shame to desire, a storm brewed inside me. I did want him, but none of it made sense to me. How could I feel something so different for all of them?

Kale didn’t let me put space between us. He was determined to get out everything he had to say while he had the chance.

“Alexa, not once in the time I’ve known you have you given yourself to any man that you didn’t somehow feel for. Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me.”

When a friend becomes a lover, they already know so much about you. I fell into Kale’s amazing eyes. He waited for my response with a forced calm. I could sense the tension he held.

He was right. I had never slept with a man I didn’t have genuine feelings for. Four of them, each so different from the others. And, I loved them all. Even Raoul, despite everything he’d done. Sure, many people loved more than one person in their lifetime. But me? I was clearly a classic case of fucked up beyond all repair.

I couldn’t bring myself to lie to him. It would be easier to walk away from this with a clean break, but it wouldn’t be fair.

“Don’t make me do this. Please.” I pleaded. “I can’t.”

“Say it, and I will go on as if nothing ever happened.” He grasped a lock of my disheveled hair, sliding it between his fingers. “Tell me you don’t love me.”

I let out a frustrated growl. Why couldn’t I damn well say it? “I don’t love you, Kale.” There. That was excruciatingly hard. The moment the words left my lips, I knew it was also a lie.

“Liar,” he hissed before kissing me again, a bruising crush of his lips to mine. “I wish you were telling the truth. It would make it easier to walk away. I know that’s what you want.”

The raw emotion in his voice cut deep. Kale was in agony. Over me. It was all wrong because he was so far above and beyond me. As self-deprecating as it was, I couldn’t help but feel he was cheating himself of something better.

“What I want is for you to be happy with someone who can give you what you need. I want us to be the way we were … before that night in the rain.” I reached to lay a hand on his face, surprised when he turned his head to avoid my touch. “I don’t want to be the one who hurt you.”

Capturing my hand in his, he pressed a chaste kiss along my fingertips. “It’s too late for that. I don’t live in a fantasy world. I’m fully aware that you’re spoken for as wolf and vampire. But what about the woman I’ve watched struggle and suffer? The one that shares with me what can never be shared with the men that claim her? Where does that part of you belong?”

The words tumbled forth before I realized what I was saying. “That part of me belongs with you. But, it isn’t that simple. If there were ever a time for us, Kale, it wouldn’t be right now.”

He nodded solemnly, but there was relief in his eyes. “I know. I just need to hear you say it. Tell me what I am to you.”

I was overcome by the flash of melancholy energy that bound us. His emotions were running high as were my own. It was impossible not to vibe off each other as we were tossed by a tornado of passion and pain.

I was tired from days of stress and overwhelmed by the betrayal of my own heart. When had I fallen for Kale? And, why did I feel so certainly that walking away from what we had was the right thing to do?

“You’re everything to me that I wish I could be for you. You bring me comfort when I need it, and you set me free from the restraints I impose on myself. If things were different somehow, you’d be the one.” I almost choked on the words as I watched the shadows darken his expression. “I’m sorry. I don’t want it to be this way, but there is just no other way it can be. Not right now. It’s better for both of us. You know it is.”

Kale was silent, studying me so intently that I felt itchy and uncomfortable. Just when I thought he was going to push me away, he pulled me tight against him. The sensation of his arms around me was bittersweet. I stood stiffly for a moment before melting into his embrace.

He ran a hand through my hair as if he didn’t notice what a mess it was. “I’m the one with centuries of experience. Why do you get to be the one that’s right about this?”

“Just lucky I guess.”

His soft laughter was forced. “If it makes any difference, I fought it every step of the way until there was just no denying it anymore. I didn’t want us to end up this way.”

With a heavy sigh, I held him with a fierce grip. “I adore you.” Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to say, all things considered.

Time passed as we stood there clinging to one another. I would have been happy to drag the moment out far longer than was realistic. If I didn’t disentangle myself from him soon, I might never leave his room. The peace that I found in Kale engulfed me, tempting me to surrender to him fully. I couldn’t.

A physical ache started in my stomach when at last I pulled away. Just one last kiss, I told myself. Then it was time to close the door on what Kale and I shared. The thought filled me with anguish, and for once, both the wolf and the vampire within me lay silent. Their influence was absent, leaving me feeling bare and vulnerable. I couldn’t blame my feelings on either side.

I kissed him with everything I had. My hands shook as I held his face. The soft touch of his tongue on mine was dizzying. I drank him in, savoring the heat that rose up between us. My power came alive, reaching for him. Falling into him was like stepping off the edge of a cliff. The freefall felt amazing, but I feared the impact I knew was coming.

Right when I knew I should have broken it off, Kale deepened the kiss. His hands were in my hair and tension thrummed through his body. He explored my mouth with a hunger I couldn’t help but respond to. When I was with Kale, everything else ceased to exist. The danger of what we shared lay in the illusion that the rest of the world fell away.

The urgency that gripped us was the same determined need that had driven us in the alley behind The Wicked Kiss. I felt the sudden need to rush, to join in that sacred but forbidden union.

“We can’t do this.” A sob escaped me, and I broke away from him, turning away so he wouldn’t see the tears that spilled down my cheeks. “I have to go.”

“Alexa, wait.” Kale grabbed my arm. “Are you alright? I don’t want to see you cry.”

“Well, you weren’t supposed to.” I faced him, quickly swiping at the blood-red tears.

His shoulders sagged as if he held the weight of the world. The sadness in his lovely eyes hurt me to see. He reached to capture one of my tears on a finger. “I can’t watch you leave here in tears. Please, don’t cry. Not because of me.”

“I’m crying because the only time I feel safe anymore is when I’m with you. And, I know that I can’t hide away here inside that feeling forever. Even though I wish I could.” I took a deep, shuddery breath. This was harder than I’d anticipated. “Thank you for being who you are. You have no idea what it means to me. Maybe we’ve already gone too far to go back, but I don’t want to lose our friendship.”

A frown creased Kale’s brow, and he shook his head. “I know it’s better for us to deny what we feel. I know you might never love me the way I wish you would. But, don’t ever worry about us. I’ll always be here for you.”

What could I possibly say to that? I had to get out of there before I turned into a blubbering idiot. The powerful emotion in the room hugged tight to me like a second skin.

I clasped his hand in both of mine for a brief but heart-breaking moment. “I need to go. I’ll see you soon?”

“Certainly.” Kale’s gaze was on our hands as I pulled away. When I reached the door, he said, “Hey, Alexa. It’s ok that we are what we are instead of what we should be. Believe that.”

* * * *

It was mid-afternoon already, and the sun was high in the sky. I couldn’t stop yawning as I drove through the quiet streets of Stony Plain. I desperately wanted a hot shower and some quality time with my bed, but my best friend needed me. So, I was on my way across town to Kylarai’s.

Shaz’s car was parked in the driveway, and I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d been afraid that Ky would have chased him off so she could be alone in her grief. I understood that she’d need that time to herself, but right now, she needed us.

I clutched my takeout coffee cup and made my way up the front walk. I paused to admire the flower garden near the door. Kylarai really had a way with things like that. I envied her. I could only keep plants that could handle a little neglect.

I knocked firmly on the door and entered, glad to escape the sun’s harsh rays. Shoving my sunglasses on top of my head, I blinked a few times while my eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting. The sound of voices drifted from the kitchen where I found them sitting at the table across from one another, drinking coffee.

They both looked up at my arrival, and I suddenly felt uneasy. Shaz’s eyes narrowed as he caught Kale’s scent, and I wished I could tell him that it wasn’t what he was thinking. I hesitated, unable to decide where to sit. Kylarai glanced up at me with red-rimmed grey eyes, and my heart broke for her.

“I’m not going to insult you by asking how you’re feeling.” I slid into a chair at the end of the table, purposely not sitting right next to either of them. It was so obvious. “I’m sorry, Ky. I never wanted this to happen.”

She shrugged and squeezed a crumpled tissue in one hand. “It happens. We knew it was dangerous. I just wish I’d had a chance to say something to him before it was too late.”

I knew that feeling very well. I reached across the table to give her hand a friendly squeeze. “I understand.”

“So you saw Kale?” She kept her expression neutral, but I could see the suspicion in her eyes. “You kind of smell like him.”

“Yeah, I saw him. I stopped by to tell him what happened. To let him know we were ok.” I looked from her to Shaz, peering intently into his jade eyes. “That’s all.”

Shaz cleared his throat and leaned back in his chair, but he didn’t remark on Kale. His silence bothered me more than if he’d been openly angry.

“Is there anything we can do for you?” I asked, changing the subject. “We can make you something to eat, run some errands. Anything.”

With a shake of her dark head, she tapped a fingernail on the side of her mug and stared into the remains of her coffee. “No. Thank you. Honestly, I just want to be alone. I don’t mean to be rude or anything.”

“Of course you’re not.” Shaz stood up and began to clear the cream and sugar off the table. “I’d want to be alone, too, if I were you.” He met my eyes briefly then, and I felt some of the tension between us slip away.

“I have something to ask the two of you, if you don’t mind.” A nervous rush caused my heart to race. I hadn’t planned to bring this up now, but it seemed to be just as good a time as any.

Shaz dropped back into his seat, and they both turned to face me. I sipped from my coffee and readied myself. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“Alright,” I continued, feeling the weight of their gazes. “There’s no real good way to say this. I hate to even have to bring it up, but if I don’t do it now, I might never get another chance. This is about my bond with Arys. You both know what it does to me. But lately, it’s gotten worse.” I paused, mustering the courage to spit out the real point. “I’ve been killing. Nothing crazed or incessant but it’s happened. What I need from the two of you is a promise. When I die, when I become a vampire … if I’m nothing but a blood crazed monster, I want you to promise that you’ll kill me.”

A moment of quiet passed, so intense that I could hear the buzz of various electronic devices in the house. They stared at me, Kylarai in calm contemplation and Shaz in stunned silence.

“Are you serious?” He asked after a long moment of thinking it over. “Do you realize what you’re really asking us?”

“There’s nobody else I can trust to do it. Other than maybe Jez.” My stomach turned, and coffee didn’t seem so good all of a sudden. “Arys would never do it. And, the way I’ve been feeling lately – the loss of control and sometimes not even knowing who I am anymore – I just want to know that if things get bad – if I’m not me anymore – when the time comes, that someone will stop me.”

Shaz gave a frustrated growl and leaned heavily on the table with his head in his hands. “Dammit, Lex!”

Kylarai didn’t share his reaction. She was nodding thoughtfully. “What about Arys and Kale? They’re not maniacal blood junkies tearing apart every human that crosses their path. Why would you be so different? If anything, they would help you through it.”

“They’ll do their best. I’m just asking you in a worst case scenario situation.” I hated the position I was putting Shaz in. His anguish at my request was heavy on the air. “Shaz, I asked the two of you because I know I can trust you to do it. Arys would never do it. And, I’m not sure I trust anyone else enough to ask it of them. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” he groaned, running both hands through his short platinum hair so it stood up in disarray. “I’m glad you came to us. I’m just praying it never really has to come to that.”

I squirmed in my chair, finding it hard to sit comfortably. “I don’t plan on dying any time soon. Not if I can help it. I just need to know I can count on you guys if it comes to that.”

“You can. I promise.” Kylarai offered a reassuring hand pat and a small smile. “I strongly believe you have more inner strength than you know. And, when the time comes, you will realize that. But, if we have to do this, we will.”

“Thank you. That’s all I needed to hear.” Looking to Shaz, I raised a brow in question.

He slammed a hand down on the table, causing my coffee cup to jump. “I’m sorry. I just really need to hit something right now.”

“I think the two of you should probably talk.” Ky shoved her chair back and stood. “I’m going to take a bath and try to get some sleep. Thanks for coming by. And Shaz, thank you for staying with me. I’ll be fine. I know you have a birthday party coming up, Lex. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

She mustered another smile, but I saw right through it. She was doing her best to put on a good front so we would leave without worrying about her. I knew Kylarai. She was strong. Strong enough to have killed the wolf that attacked her as well as her abusive prick of a husband. This woman was a delicate flower on the surface, but underneath she was a rock. I knew she could handle the loss of Julian. Hell, she’d just agreed to kill me herself if she had to. Kylarai would be fine.

I got to my feet and pulled her into a warm hug. She smelled like wolf, and I held on a little longer than necessary to revel in that familiar scent.

“Alright, we’ll take off and let you have some time alone. Speaking of alone,” I glanced around curiously. “Where’s Zoey?”

“Apartment hunting. Now that she has the money Raoul left her, she’s striking out on her own. She’s even talked about getting a job.” Ky rolled her eyes. “Though I can’t imagine her working a regular job. Should be interesting to see what she gets herself into.”

“I guess that’s all good as long as she stays out of trouble. I can’t handle a repeat of our girl’s night out.”

I turned to leave, waiting while Shaz said goodbye to Kylarai. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he hugged her close. “Call us if you need anything. Even just to talk. Anytime, ok? I mean it.”

Shaz followed me from the house to the driveway where I stopped by his car. He looked as tired as I felt. I watched him run his hand through his tousled hair a few times, and I had to smile. I would never stop being grateful for him. He was a blessing.

“So you were with Kale.” His tone was careful, like he was trying to keep accusation from creeping into it.

I met his gaze evenly, having nothing to hide. “Yes. I needed to see him. I went to tell him that what happened with us that night can never happen again.”

“Oh.” He seemed surprised. “I see. I don’t know what to say to that. I’m relieved I guess.”

I nodded and kicked a pebble near my foot. I wanted to tell him that now it was his turn to do the same and call it quits with this whole vampire donor nonsense. It didn’t work that way. He had to do it on his own.

“Well, it was a mistake. It shouldn’t have happened.” As much as I regretted the pain it had caused, I couldn’t regret what Kale and I had done. Not entirely. I was glad to have that memory. Though the only person I was likely to admit that to would be Jez.

“Lex, you and me, we’re all good. Ok? I could be upset about Kale, but I’m not in the position to point fingers. And honestly, right now, I’m a little more concerned with the request you just made inside. What the hell was that all about?”

Leaning against his car, I tugged my sunglasses back into place, using the sun as an excuse to hide my eyes. “It was just a backup plan. Worst case scenario. No worries? Ok.”

He shook his head, a determined set to his jaw. “Don’t bullshit me. You’re being less than forthcoming here, and I want to know what you’re not telling me.”

I attempted to stifle a yawn. It had been a long couple of days. Before I could respond Shaz was turning me toward my own car.

“You look beat. I’m not feeling so hot myself. But, you’re not getting out of this. I’ll meet you at home.”

Chapter Twenty

Two nights had passed since we had killed Maxwell and Claire and had lost Julian. I’d had a chance to speak with both Shaz and Arys one-on-one about where I stood with Kale. Though Arys was still keeping secrets and Shaz had his own issues, I felt relieved of some of the recent tension among us. I didn’t expect perfection in our relationships. In the world we lived in, I knew better than that. However, I did expect closeness and a willingness to work through our problems. So far, so good. Of course, I still had every intention of getting Arys’s secret out, even if it killed me. Knowing me, it just might.

It was the first night of the full moon. It would be at its fullest tomorrow when I would run with the pack. Usually, I’d be running as a wolf tonight, too, which I was counting on to throw Veryl off. He wouldn’t be expecting me.

I left Raoul’s Jag a few blocks from the office and walked. Driving right up to the door might give me away. Cloaking my presence, I stole through the night with ill intentions.

I glanced back at the sleek black car with a shake of my head. Poor Raoul. He’d have kittens if he could see how I drove that thing. I sure didn’t baby it the way I did my own car. The Jaguar was my stealth machine, the car I used when I didn’t want to announce my presence with a loud, red muscle car.

My right hand was wrapped firmly around the handle of the Dragon Claw. It felt good. Empowering. Burning deep in my core was as much power as I could possibly hold inside my mortal body. It strained for release, and I had to concentrate to make sure it didn’t escape me.

I kept waiting for the nerves to creep in. It didn’t happen. I was rock solid and ready for this. It occurred to me that this might be a mistake, but I didn’t truly believe that. Veryl had hidden my own past from me and then acted like I had no right to be pissed about it. Now he was blackmailing Lilah, someone who had never done anything to make me think she deserved it. Yep. I was ready for this, maybe even a little eager.

I slipped inside the office building with little effort. A couple of locks weren’t going to keep me out. A very weak energy barrier lingered just beyond the doorway. I wasn’t sure if it was meant for me or Lilah. Regardless, Veryl’s power was minimal compared to mine, and I walked right through it.

This wasn’t going to be a showdown. I wanted it to be quick, as fast and clean as possible. At least that was the plan. I didn’t even plan to enjoy it. Though try as I might to resist it, an element of excitement was creeping up inside me. Hunting humans was driven by my weakness and in turn it made me weak. Hunting a creature of the night was a whole different ball game. It made me feel strong and powerful, which I preferred to the former.

Veryl might have been an asshole, but he wasn’t a fool. His door was ajar, open just enough to give him a glimpse of anyone approaching. I could see him from the end of the hall where I stood. He was typing furiously, his eyes fixed on his computer screen. He glanced up with a start, cursing when he saw me.

“You shouldn’t have come, Alexa,” he called as I made my way toward him. “You don’t want to do this.”

“Don’t I?” I gripped the dagger just a little tighter and smiled.

He knocked his chair over in his haste to get up. Reaching under his desk, he produced a well-sharpened stake. Not a trace of fear came from him. Veryl had been expecting this.

“You’re a pawn, Alexa. Playing right into Shya’s hands by doing his dirty work for him. You’re better than this.”

I stood just inside the door to his office. It wasn’t all that big, and the massive desk in the center left little room for a good fight. I had to make this quick.

“Don’t talk. It’s only going to waste time.” I held my free hand up, moving it in a counter-clockwise circle. Power went out from me, pasting Veryl up against the far wall. The stake in his hand was useless.

He glared at me, still unafraid. “We’ve worked together for years. I did all I could to keep you from him. Now just that fast he has you brainwashed? Think this through.”

“You did what you could to keep a lot of things from me. You get your hands on information, and in some cases people, and you do all you can to make it work to your advantage.” I advanced on him, the dagger warming in my hand. “Now it’s caught up to you.”

“Alexa, please! You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. He’s a demon for God’s sake! Do you think he gives a damn about you? He has plans for you. Once you stop playing along, he’ll abandon you. Or worse. Eventually, you’ll have to make a choice, and I doubt it will be his side you’ll choose.”

That made me hesitate, but I tried not to show it. I didn’t doubt that Veryl knew things about Shya that I didn’t. But, I also knew he’d do anything to save his own ass.

“You know what? I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it.”

I raised the Dragon Claw and only then did panic seep into his eyes. He fought to get free of the power holding him.

“What did he offer you? What did he tell you to get you to do this? Whatever it is, it comes with a price. You can’t trust a demon.”

“Actually, I was more than happy to do this. You’re making it easier by the second.” I wasn’t letting him plant doubts in my head. He’d done enough damage over the years. “I don’t trust demons. And, I don’t trust you. Not anymore.”

I saw myself reflected in his eyes. My mane of ash blonde hair was sleek and smooth, a direct contrast to my wild blue eyes. Arys’s eyes. It was still startling. But, what struck me was the ruthless glint I saw deep within them.

“He’ll drag you into the pits of hell if you let him. You have no idea what you’re getting involved in.” Veryl glared at me with a growing hate. “Don’t do something stupid that you’ll regret.”

Unwilling to hear another word, I slammed the dagger into Veryl with enough force that we both grunted. His mouth gaped, but no further sound came out. He simply stared at me in horror before dropping in a pile of ash at my feet. A puff of ash rose up to choke me. I glanced at the bloody dagger blade, shaken and wound up. The rush of what I’d just done hit hard, and I sat heavily in Veryl’s chair.

After letting it all sink in, I turned to his computer and thought, Why the hell not? I clicked around through his documents, finding most of them to be password protected or encrypted. A series of documents with various names caught my eye. My own name was part of the grouping. I cursed my inability to do much more than stare at the password prompt. After trying several possibilities, I gave up. Hacking into protected files was not my forte.

I was itching to know what was in the files with my name on them. The bastard sure made it hard to regret what I just did. Sorry, Veryl. Payback is a bitch.

So maybe I couldn’t open the folders, but I had no problem emailing them to myself. Veryl might have been secretive, but he wasn’t as technologically savvy as one might expect. I didn’t know anyone who could get into those folders, but I’d sure as hell find someone.

I shut down Veryl’s computer and called Lilah to let her know it was all over. As I left a message on her voicemail, I busied myself turning off the lights and locking up. The moon was thrumming in my veins, calling my wolf forth. My dirty work was done for the night. I had a pack run to get to.

* * * *

I ran through the forest, kicking up the earth beneath my paws. I pushed myself hard, reveling in the exertion of every muscle. Raising my nose to the wind, I searched the night air for the scent of my wolves.

I could smell them deeper in the forest. The scent of pine and earth mingled with the faint aroma of rain. The ground was still dry, but it was coming. I could feel the approaching rainfall. Of all the wonderful smells in nature, rain had to be among my favorites.

Gradually, I slowed my pace until I trotted along leisurely, slipping through the trees with grace and ease. I was lost in thought, pondering my upcoming birthday party. In just a few days, I would be another year older, something I considered a success. Every year was worth celebrating, but I wasn’t sure I agreed with Shaz’s idea of a celebration. I wasn’t sure about having a big party. For the most part, I was going along with it because I couldn’t bring myself to crush his enthusiasm.

Twenty-seven wasn’t all that old; however, I couldn’t help but wonder how many years I would have before it all caught up to me, before I died and rose as a vampire. That concept seemed so foreign as I moved through the forest as wolf. I could no longer readily accept that fate. I possessed a deep inner fear that when that time came, my wolf would cease to exist. It had taken so long to accept that I was the wolf. To think of losing that side of me was like losing myself.

It terrified me because I didn’t know what would happen. Werewolves don’t become vampires the way humans do. Biologically, it just didn’t happen. Our bodies don’t process anything the same way a human’s does. Though Arys insisted my mortality ensured the blood bond would cause me to rise again as a vampire, I had my doubts. If it were to happen the way he thought it would, I would be the only shape-shifting vampire in existence.

Shoving the thoughts from my mind, I turned my attention to the moment at hand. I cleared a fallen tree with a bound, landing lightly on the other side. A few stray twigs snapped beneath my feet. Such simple sounds, but I loved them. The wolf was in me all the time, but only in these moments did I appreciate it fully.

The stress and pain of recent events slipped away as the night wind carried me along. I made my way through the trees to the clearing where the pack gathered on nights like this. I could feel the tiny eyes of small critters watching me from the safety of the treetops. The scent of new life was everywhere as summer flourished. It was entrancing.

I broke through the trees into the clearing with an extra bounce to my step. Abandoning my human form didn’t happen often enough, but nothing felt so good, so truly free. I gazed at the moon overhead, drinking in the silver light it cast upon me. The blanket of stars stretched as far as I could see. Wistful and happy, I lifted my voice to the sky and howled, a long gut-wrenching sound that echoed all around me.

The chorus of howls that filled the night in response stirred a warmth in my belly. My wolves answered my call, and I knew they were coming. Kylarai emerged from the opposite side of the clearing, her muzzle coated in deer blood. Her grey eyes fixed me with a calm stare, but I could feel the pain she tried not to convey. Without Julian at her side, she was lost.

Shaz appeared right behind her, his white fur also bloody from their kill. He had a goofy wolf grin as he trotted over to nuzzle me with his wet nose. I sat back on my haunches, giving in to his playfulness. We wrestled and nipped at one another until the others began to fill the clearing.

When every wolf was present, watching me with attentive gazes, I embraced the change and resumed my human form. I wasn’t ready to let the wolf slip away, but I needed my voice for this. Like usual, there was a brief burst of excruciating pain as my body reformed itself, and then splendor when I was whole again. It happened fast, faster than it had when I was a new wolf. For that I was grateful.

Letting my hair fall over my breasts, I positioned myself behind Shaz’s sitting form so that for the most part, my nakedness was minimal. I had nothing these people hadn’t seen before, but it made it a little easier to look them all in the eyes.

“I’m sure you all know that we recently lost one of our own.” It was easier to claim Julian than I’d thought. He was no less of an asshole in death, but the reality of it was, he was ours regardless.

I took a few deep breaths, hoping the right words would come to me. For so long I had kept this side of my life separate from the rest, but that had changed when I decided to take wolves on the hunt for Maxwell and Claire. I owed it to the rest of them to let them know what was really going on outside of our town and our pack.

I scanned the group of wolves sitting so patiently, waiting to hear why I’d called them together. Our pack had shrunk over the past year. Currently there were nine wolves calling this town home, myself included. Each of us so different as people and animals.

I knew danger could find them through me on a grander scale than most of them realized. I couldn’t leave them in the dark, especially if one day they, too, would be faced with the choice to fight by my side.

“I’m also sure that most of you know there is more to me than human and wolf. I can do things that tend to set me apart. Things that attract attention from creatures of all kinds. It’s time for me to tell you what that really means to the rest of you.”

Chapter Twenty-One

It felt strange to be back at Lucy’s Lounge after spending so many nights at The Wicked Kiss. It was a foreign world, a primarily human one. It was nice to sit in the large corner booth with my friends and be able to enjoy the setting instead of being on the lookout for serious trouble.

Lucy’s Lounge was smaller than The Wicked Kiss, but it had an upper floor. There was nothing special about the small town club. It had somewhat of a country feel to it even though top 40 music pumped out of the speakers and everyone was dressed in club wear. I loved something about the small town vibe. It felt like home.

I was having a hard time relaxing despite the easygoing atmosphere. I glanced down at my attire, second guessing it even though it was too late for that. It was the fourteenth of June, my birthday, so I’d gone all out. It seemed like as good an excuse as any to go shopping.

The black and white knee-length dress encased my body like a glove. Nearly all white with a stripe of black that wound diagonally across the bodice and around to the hem of the skirt, the dress had caught my eye from a shop window. I had to have it. Jez had talked me out of my usual knee-high boots and into a pair of four-inch stilettos. With my long hair pinned up, I was feeling more feminine than I had in a long time.

“Aw, Jez, no. I told you guys not to get any gifts.” I protested when she slipped a box across the table to me.

“Too bad. You know I don’t do what I’m told. Besides, I made it myself so you have to accept it.” She shrugged and tossed a golden lock of hair out of her eyes. “Open it.”

I’d never been so happy to see Jez looking like herself again. She had recovered from Kale’s attack physically, but the emotional scars were there. In a tight leather skirt and a black bustier with those amazing red-painted lips, she looked great. But, I knew she was holding a grudge, and I couldn’t say I blamed her. I’d invited Kale to the party, but he had a tendency to avoid these things. I couldn’t help but think that might be best tonight for several reasons.

Kylarai and Zoey watched me untie the ribbon holding the box closed. I felt like I was being put on the spot. I’d specifically told everyone that I didn’t want any gifts.

I lifted the lid of the box, finding the most magnificent stake inside that I’d ever seen. It was made of cherry wood and had my name etched into it. It brought a smile to my face.

“Thank you, Jez. This is so cool of you. I can’t wait to use it.”

“I’m sure you’ll get your chance sooner than you think.” She smirked and reached for her glass, finding it empty. “Dammit. Where’s that wolf with our refills?”

I scanned the crowd near the bar for Shaz. “I’m sure it won’t be long. Calm down booze hound.”

“We got you something, too, Lex. It’s back at the house. Too big to carry in here. Want to know what it is or should we keep it a surprise?” Kylarai’s smile lit up her whole face. The pain was still there, in the depths of her eyes, but she wasn’t letting it define her every moment. I was glad to see the strength that I knew was inside her.

“No, don’t tell her,” Zoey interrupted. “It’s one of those things she just has to see.”

I was curious to see what kind of gift those two would come up with together. I sensed Shaz’s approach and looked up to find him juggling a tray laden with drinks. My heart skipped a beat as I drank him in.

His hair was stylishly spiked so that it went every which way. He was casual but sexy in blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a leather jacket, my favorite look for him. Watching him glide through the crowd, deftly maneuvering the tray to avoid any spills, I might have swooned a little. He could still make my heart race.

“It’s about time,” Jez proclaimed when he set the tray before us. She wasted no time setting tequila shots in front of each of us. With a wry smile she raised her shot in a toast. “To Alexa, for making it longer than I ever thought she would. Bottom’s up, my friends.”

I slid over in the booth so Shaz could sit beside me. His musky wolf and pine scent hit me, and I savored it. I still felt ill when I thought of what he’d been up to at The Wicked Kiss, but I knew I had to deal with it since I had gotten him wrapped up with vampires in the first damn place. All that mattered was that I needed him. We’d overcome so much already. We were strong enough to survive this, too.

I wrinkled my nose and grimaced even before the tequila hit my tongue. Drinking bathroom cleaner had to taste better than this. A slice of lime took the edge off, but it didn’t stop me from cursing at the empty shot glass.

“I don’t know how you can drink that shit, Jez. It’s a slap in the mouth.” Shuddering, I reached for a double shot of whiskey instead.

Jez helped herself to another tequila. “Don’t be so weak. This is the stuff that’ll show you what you’re made of.”

The table dissolved into a debate over the nastiest alcoholic drinks in existence. I was content to drink my whiskey and listen to them compare everything from moonshine to absinthe. It all sounded nasty to me.

Shaz leaned in close so I could feel his breath on my ear. “So, no Arys yet?”

“Not yet. He’ll be the last to arrive. Like always.” I couldn’t help but look toward the front entry even though I’d feel his arrival before I saw it.

I observed our fellow patrons with casual curiosity. I think I almost missed the place a little. At least I did until Casey walked in.

The tall, skinny brunette was Shaz’s neighbor. She was also interested in him, or she had been at one point. I watched her saunter through the club to the bar. She looked our way briefly, her gaze locking on Shaz. Oddly enough, I felt no real animosity toward her. All it took was remembering the vampiress that had sunk fangs into my white wolf to make Casey look like a child in comparison. All those times I’d felt threatened by her seemed so pitiful now.

Pretending not to notice Casey, I turned my attention back to the conversation. Somehow a body shots reference had steered the topic to sex and drunken one night stands. I didn’t have any one night stand experience myself.

“This one chick had a full dominatrix dungeon in her basement.” Jez said between shots. “But, I told her, no deal. I don’t play the submissive for anyone. If there’s going to be a top, it’ll be me.”

Though Shaz might never say so, I’m sure he would have been happy to listen to her sexcapades all night. Kylarai’s eyes widened slightly, and she blushed. This kind of blatant discussion wasn’t quite her style. I laughed, having heard far crazier stories from Jez than that. Zoey regarded her with a smirk. Her intense blue eyes showed intrigue.

“Oh, come on you guys.” Jez slapped a hand down on the table. “I can’t be the only one with crazy one night stand stories. Fess up.”

“None here,” I said truthfully.

“No,” her green cat eyes flashed with mischief. “But, I know you have some wild three-way stories. Do tell.”

I laughed, embarrassed as heat rushed to my cheeks. “Hell no. You’re doing a great job of entertaining us on your own.”

Shaz squirmed beside me. He was feeling the burn of being the only male in attendance. “Good Lord, I never thought I’d say this, but I almost wish Arys was here.” He laughed uncomfortably and sipped from his beer. As an afterthought he added, “And, don’t any of you dare tell him I said that.”

Kylarai tossed a lime wedge at him, aiming for his head. She missed. “I can’t believe you just said that. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“Trust me. You haven’t seen anything. Nothing has changed.” With an eye roll, Shaz downed the last of his beer and reached for a tequila shot. At the rate the booze was going down, this was going to be a hell of a birthday.

“Wait a minute.” Jez held up a hand, her grin growing wider. “Nothing? Are you saying you and the vampire don’t get a little kinky when you’re both with Alexa? Because I find that hard to believe.”

“Believe it.” Shaz spoke quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. “No kink. Ever.”

I was pretty sure he was stretching the truth on that, but I wasn’t going to say anything. It wasn’t at all what Jez was thinking, but there had been some intense moments between Arys and Shaz. Despite the fact that Shaz got off on a vampire’s bite, he clearly wasn’t ready to admit that it had all started with Arys.

After a few more shooters, I was laughing off Jez’s playful harassment of Shaz. Knowing she was making him uncomfortable only made her eager to continue. He shot me a questioning sidelong glance to which I just shrugged. He thought I had told her the dirty details of our encounters with Arys, but I hadn’t. She was just a clever cat.

The newest Lady Gaga song started, sending flocks of people to the dance floor. Jez was determined to be one of them. “Come on, Alexa. You have to dance with me. Anyone else coming?”

Zoey and Ky shuffled around to let her out of the booth. When I stood up to join her the tequila hit me, creating a warm tingle in my limbs. I waited for the others to join us, but they all shook their heads, happy to stay put.

Jez frowned at them, shaking her head. “Ok then party poopers. I expect to see a new batch of drinks at this table when we get back.”

Dancing with Jez felt so good after the recent chaos in my world. The dance floor was crowded, filling my nostrils with the scent of alcohol, sweat and a myriad of perfumes and cologne. Once I got moving to the rhythm of the music, I let go of everything that had happened over the past few weeks and just danced.

I hadn’t fully realized how much tension I’d been carrying around until it slipped away. I could always count on Jez to help me focus on having fun and letting loose. She was a dream. If I didn’t have her, I’d be so tightly wound that I would have spontaneously combusted long ago. I’d never been so grateful for my friends as I was right then.

We were having a great time, dancing and turning down advances from the few guys that dared to approach us. The evening was full of laughter, music and more booze than even Weres should consume. Though it wasn’t anything fancy or elaborate, our little party was a lot of fun. Until Kale showed up.

Jez stopped dancing the moment I sensed him. She stood stiffly beside me while the flailing bodies of other people bumped into us. Her smile vanished, a fierce glare in its place.

“What the hell is he doing here? Did you invite him?”

“Of course I did.” Taking hold of her arm, I led her off the dance floor to avoid getting trampled. “I didn’t expect him to show up. He never comes out with us.”

“He tried to kill me, Alexa. I’m not sure things will ever be the same between us.” Anger burned in her eyes.

I didn’t know what to say to that. I let my gaze roam over Kale, appreciating the sight of him dressed head to toe in black, his leather duster flowing behind him. I was relieved that the loud music muffled my small whimper.

“Well…” I zoned out, unable to tear my gaze from him.

His short brown hair was gelled in the front, just a little. It was simple and stylish without being overdone or dramatic. He stood near the entry, surveying the bar’s interior. No sooner had his gaze landed on us than Jez was stalking angrily across the room toward him. Oh, shit.

I hurried after her, knowing that a tequila-fueled Jez was likely to say or do something she’d regret later. I was right. Before I could stop her, she slapped Kale with enough force to make me wince. Her hand connected with his face hard enough to be heard despite the loud music. I caught her wrist before she could land another slap or decide to turn that open hand into a fist.

“What are you doing here?” She demanded as her fury burst forth.

Kale looked her evenly in the eye while lightly rubbing his jaw where she’d hit him. “I was invited.”

“Jez, come on,” I pleaded. “This isn’t the time or place for this. If you have something to say to Kale, it can wait until you’re sober and not about to ruin my birthday. Why don’t you go back to the table?”

I didn’t have to look at our table to know both Kylarai and Shaz had taken notice of Kale’s arrival. Geez, this was awkward for so many reasons.

“You shouldn’t have come, Kale,” she hissed, her tone filled with venom. Rage emanated from her, hot and tempting as it danced along my skin.

“Jez, go back to the table and turn all that hyped-up energy into something useful. Like getting to know Zoey a little better. Hmm?” I wasn’t suggesting; I was demanding. She had every right to be pissed at Kale, but she wasn’t going to take it out on him at my birthday party.

She looked at me with those flashing cat eyes, and I stared her down. Jez was feisty and daring, but she wasn’t stupid. She held my gaze for a moment before scoffing, “I don’t do crazy broads like Zoey.”

Stifling the urge to sigh, I gave her a gentle push toward the table. “Yes, you do. Now get your ass over there before I go a little crazy-broad myself.”

After a moment of consideration, she turned to go, but not before leaving Kale with one last remark. “You tried to kill me, Kale. I owe you an ass-kicking.”

He watched her go, a pensive look in his eyes. “I completely expected that. Actually, I expected worse.” Meeting my eyes, he shrugged and offered a forced smile. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come. She’s right. But, I’m not staying. I just wanted to give you this.”

From a pocket he produced a small box, covered in colorful birthday gift wrap. I was suddenly nervous when he pressed it into my hand. Our fingers touched briefly, and a spark of electricity passed between us before he pulled away.

“Oh, Kale you didn’t have to do this. Really.” I stared at the box, curious but tentative.

“Open it later. When you’re alone. And really, it’s no big deal. Just something I wanted you to have.” His gaze strayed past me to where Shaz watched from the table. He hesitated then pulled me into his arms. Holding me close for just a moment, he pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Happy birthday, Alexa. I wish you nothing but happiness.”

He turned to go, and though I wanted to stop him, I didn’t. Instead I turned the box over in my hands, certain that whatever was inside, it meant a lot to Kale. I returned to the table, hoping to avoid questions as I slipped the box into my purse. No such luck.

“A gift from Kale?” Kylarai inquired, her tone carefully neutral.

“Uh, yeah.” I didn’t want to look at either her or Shaz, but I didn’t have much choice. “It’s nothing, I’m sure. I’ll open it later.”

Shaz said nothing, but I didn’t miss the way his wolf seemed to creep up behind his eyes. I knew Kylarai well, and it was apparent to me there was something more she wanted to say, only Shaz’s presence stopped her.

I dove into another whiskey, seeking escape from the sudden discomfort. To my surprise Jez had slid in next to Zoey, and the two of them were leaning in close together so they could converse over the loud music. Soon Jez, with a bright pink drink clutched in one hand, dragged Zoey out to the dance floor. I was relieved to see that Jez hadn’t let Kale’s appearance ruin the whole evening.

“I’m going to reload the liquor supply and grab us a pool table. Sound good?” Shaz stood up to leave, and I moved to let him out of the booth.

Pool sounded like a good way to keep busy without awkward silences. I nodded my agreement and swallowed hard, knowing what was coming once he left. I sat there alone with Kylarai expectantly, but she only stared at me with stormy grey eyes.

“Ok, Ky. Just spit it out. I know there’s something you want to say.”

She tapped her long nails against her beer bottle, eyeing me thoughtfully. “Alright. I don’t want to make this weird, but I know about you and Kale. Shaz told me. Don’t be mad at him. He just needed someone to talk to. It came out the other day, after … after we lost Julian.”

I savored the taste of the whiskey, using it as a way to buy myself a few seconds before responding. I couldn’t be mad at Shaz. He had every right to confide in Kylarai. We were a tight-knit group. I just hated that he’d been the one to tell her. It should have been me. I should have had the guts to do it myself.

“I should have told you, Ky. I’m sorry. It was just once, and it won’t be happening again.”

She looked skeptical. “But he’s in love with you. I thought as much that night he helped us out after Zoey lost her mind. Seeing the way he looked at you tonight, I’m sure of it. So I have to ask, do you love him too?”

Choking on whiskey tends to hurt a little bit. I coughed it out, feeling embarrassed and completely put on the spot. Kylarai tried to hide a smirk as I regained my composure.

“That is not a yes or no answer. I wish it was. I feel something for Kale that is rooted in our friendship, in things we share. It’s confusing and hard to define, but it’s real. I don’t think I can give you a straight answer.”

She nodded knowingly. “So, that’s a yes.” I grimaced and she laughed. “It’s ok, Lex. I’m long over Kale. What we had was short-lived and never really got the chance to become more than deep affection. I just want him to be happy.”

Guilt rolled through me, and I sighed. “So do I.”

“Come on, let’s go kick Shaz’s ass at pool. We can team up against him.”

Doing something as mundane and human as shooting a game of pool was just what I needed. I’d been leery of Shaz’s insistence to celebrate my birthday. I didn’t think I could have an outing that wasn’t one supernatural incident after another, but this was nice. It was uneventful, for the most part, and I couldn’t have been happier with that.

It was well past one in the morning when I felt the thrilling rush of Arys’s presence. I was momentarily breathless, excited just by the sight of him. His hair was messier than usual, but it was no less sexy than any other time. I couldn’t wait to run my fingers through it. I couldn’t help but ogle his bare, muscular arms and the way his shirt defined his firm body. The dim lighting glinted off the silver rings in his nose and lip. The lusty urge to nibble the one in his lip was strong.

Arys swept past Shaz on his way to me, pausing long enough to smack the end of Shaz’s pool cue as he lined up his shot. Shaz’s cue slipped, knocking one of Kylarai’s balls into a nearby pocket. He whirled around to glare into Arys’s smirking face.

“Fuck you.” Shaz’s eyes flashed with a deadly light. Then a small grin broke over his handsome face, and he gave Arys a shove.

I couldn’t help but grow tense as I watched them. Though I’d never say it to either of them, part of me found it to be a bit of a turn on when they went at each other, as long as there was no real chance of anybody getting seriously hurt.

“What took you so long?” I demanded as Arys swept me into his arms.

He kissed me before I could utter another word. It stole my breath and left me weak in the knees.

“Happy birthday, my gorgeous wolf.” He chuckled, a low sensual sound that got my blood pumping. “You’ll get your gift later, back at your place. Which is what took me so long to get here.”

“Gift?” I raised a brow, suspicious and curious. “Why does nobody honor the no gift rule?”

“Trust me. You want this gift. Me and the wolf pup are even going to play nice tonight. Just for you.” The wink and the fang-revealing smile he gave me spoke volumes. “Are you ready to abandon the drunken human festivities yet? Looks like Shaz is about as drunk as I like him to be.”

Arys was in a devilish mood. It practically oozed from him. He didn’t even sound angry when he said, “Sinclair was here. I can smell him on you.”

“He was only here for a minute. Don’t you dare bite me in here.”

“No. I’ll save that for later.” Arys’s rare eagerness was refreshing and infectious.

Shaz and Arys locked eyes, sharing a look before Shaz turned back to his game. They had something planned. That much was apparent. I was intrigued. This didn’t happen often, not with Shaz’s personal issues regarding Arys and the intimacies that arose when the three of us were together. I was certainly looking forward to the rest of my evening.

Kylarai sunk the eight ball, and there was a whoop of boastful shouting as she celebrated her victory over Shaz. “You owe me a drink. I kicked your ass just like I told you I would.”

Shaz tossed his cue down on the table and feigned a dirty look. “No fair. My game was sabotaged by the asshole.”

“I’m almost ready to call it a night, Lex.” Ky sidled up next to me, nodding in greeting to Arys. “I’ll take the two crazies back to my place for the night. I assume you have plans with these two.”

I followed her gaze to where Zoey and Jez were challenging a table full of guys to a shot-for-shot contest. Those guys had no idea what they were up against. Jez would drink them all under the table and still be able to walk a straight line in her heels.

“Thanks for coming out, Ky. You’re a good friend.” I hugged her close, sensing the inner pain she was masking so well on the surface. What I wouldn’t have given to take it from her. “I love you. And again, I’m so sorry about Julian.”

“Forget it.” She waved me off, keeping that strong outward facade firmly in place. “I love you, too, Lex. I’m so happy to know you. You’re an amazing person. Even if you are a little scary sometimes.” Her laughter was musical, bringing a smile to my face. “I’ll go round up the rowdies. Come by tomorrow for your gift.”

After being forced into a few last birthday shooters and a series of last drunken birthday wishes, goodbyes were said, and my intoxicated friends made their way out. The DJ shouted that it was last call, sending a flock of people rushing up to the bar.

Arys turned to Shaz and me with fire in his eyes. “Now, if you two are successfully liquored up and finished with the meager entertainment,” he gestured to the dance floor and pool tables, “let’s go get the real party started.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

As I pushed open the door to my house, I was greeted by the warm glow of dozens of carefully placed candles. The front sitting room walls were decorated in shadows that danced with the flames from floor to ceiling. I paused to admire the welcoming warmth. It was serene and more than a little romantic.

A vase of wild flowers sat on the table near the door. I leaned in to smell them, savoring the heady scent. “Aw, did you guys do all this? It’s so sweet.”

“Arys did it, but it was my idea.” Shaz grinned and gave me a light smack on the rear.

I dropped my purse on the table and reached down to pull off my heels. Arys stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Leave them on.”

The desire in his midnight blue eyes made it impossible to deny his request. Leaving the stilettos on, I followed the candles through the house. It must have taken Arys hours to arrange them all. The aromatic concoction of cinnamon and vanilla was tantalizing. I had a weakness for the scent of vanilla.

The glow of the flames lit up the path to the bedroom downstairs, leaving everything outside the immediate area dark. It created an eerie contrast of light and dark that left me wanting to search the darkness though I knew nobody lurked within it.

In the doorway to the bedroom, I stopped and surveyed the mass of candles adorning every table top and dresser in there, too. The bed was layered in red, pink and white rose petals. Two bottles of champagne sat in a tub of ice on the dresser. The ridiculously cliché setup would normally have me laughing at the sappy romanticism of it. But, I seldom got the chance to be silly and cliché, so I was going to enjoy it.

“It’s totally cheesy, isn’t it?” Shaz slipped an arm around me from behind and kissed the back of my neck.

“Yes. I love it though.”

Arys swept past us, entering the room with a smooth glide. He regarded me for just a moment before reaching to free my hair from the pins that held it. Tossing them on the bedside table, he nodded his approval as my blonde locks tumbled down around me.

“Much better.” With a hand under my chin, Arys lightly kissed me, the briefest touch.

Standing between the two of them, the sensation of their bodies against mine taunted me. The promise of what was to come stirred the longing low in my core. It was good to be the birthday girl.

Sharing an intimate encounter together, the three of us, didn’t happen as often as Jez would like to imagine it did. It was a mind-blowing experience, to have them both at the same time. It was one of the few times the tension between Shaz and Arys slipped away completely.

“Champagne?” Arys was across the room popping the cork on the bottle before I could reply.

“No way,” Shaz shook his head and steered me toward the bed. “You’re not getting me drunk.”

“You’re already drunk. Besides, you process it fast.” Arys held a glass out to each of us. “Humor me.”

I hid a smile as I took the glass. Arys did prefer Shaz to be loosened up. It gave him greater allowance to push Shaz’s boundaries.

“So, do you want your gift now, or later?” Shaz sipped from the champagne glass, pointedly looking at Arys before abandoning it on the table.

“I thought you two were my gifts.” I glanced down at Shaz where he knelt at my feet. He ran a hand up the inside of my leg, toying with the ribbon from my heels that wound around my ankle.

“We are.” With predatory poise, Arys plucked the glass from my hand and watched Shaz slowly slide his hands further up my leg. “Just relax, Alexa, and let us celebrate you.”

I stepped carefully out of my dress, sliding it down my legs. My gaze met Arys’s. He watched with dark desire, looking me over like I was something to be feasted upon. It was a dangerous look, one that had me quivering. Anticipation built quickly.

With a small growl, Shaz nipped at the inside of my leg. I gasped when the warm flick of his tongue followed. His fingers found the soft stretchy material of my pink G-string. In an aggressive motion that sent a shock through me, he drew them aside and pressed his mouth to my most private region.

My fingers slid through his hair, and the sudden surprise of his tongue knocked me off-balance. Arys chuckled and came to stand behind me, encouraging me to lean back against him. Happy to allow him to support my weight, I felt the sharp touch of Shaz’s fangs, and I moaned.

Arys gazed down my body, watching Shaz. The wolf glanced up to lock eyes with the vampire, and there was an intensity so deep in his jade green eyes that I almost lost myself. I couldn’t read his expression, but I had a feeling that Arys could. Their best communication came in the form of silence and deep stares. I often felt like they were sharing something I wasn’t in on, but it never bothered me. Only in those times did I feel they were united.

Sweeping my hair off my neck, Arys bit lightly at the exposed vein there. A pleasurable tickle shot down my spine, making me giggle in a way that I hated but Arys loved. Gently, he reached around to cup my breasts. It didn’t match the aggressive attention I received from Shaz as he kissed and licked me with undeniable hunger. I groaned when Arys caressed my nipples until they stood firm, my fingers tightening in Shaz’s hair.

It didn’t take long for them to bring me to the brink of climax. Though when I expected to plunge over into that amazing abyss of ecstasy, Shaz denied me that glorious fall. Instead he pulled away, teasing me and ignoring my frustrated growl.

He slowly slid my panties down my legs before rising to his feet. Arys followed his lead, stripping me from the confines of my bra. I reached for Shaz, wanting to feel the silk of his hair between my fingers again, but he stepped just out of reach and began to disrobe.

His eyes were all wolf. It wouldn’t be long until he was all fangs and claws, just the way I liked him. Tearing my gaze from his, I appreciated his fine form, admiring the curves of his muscles, the way that little smattering of hair below his belly led to the finely sculpted organ that I ached for with anticipation.

The power between Arys and I flared to life with a staggering strength as he reacted to my growing passion. It flowed through the room with an almost audible whoosh, followed by a small gasp from Shaz as he felt it. I studied him, curious to see how it affected him.

Shaz reached for me with clawed hands that left faint bloody scratches where they touched my skin. Sliding one hand under my leg, he lifted it so that he could step in between my legs and easily slip inside me. He kissed me with a bruising ferocity that left small cuts on my lips and tongue from his fangs.

I could feel Arys’s growing intrigue as he stood behind me, his face just inches from Shaz’s over my shoulder. The press of his erection against my back was exciting. I reached back to play in the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

For one interesting moment, Shaz and Arys stared into one another, each of them on opposing sides of me. For just a second, I thought Arys was going to close the distance between them, but Shaz pulled away before it could happen. The memory of the one and only kiss they’d shared lingered in my mind. It had been extraordinarily sexy.

It had also been something that had pushed Shaz across his own boundary line. He would never give himself fully to Arys, whether or not the vampire desired such a thing. I knew that much. But, how much of himself was he willing to give? That remained to be seen.

As Shaz slowly loved me, Arys warmed until the heat rolled off him. He was feeding off of us, basking in our heady werewolf energy. I could feel him getting off on the spicy sexual energy we were creating, and I longed to feel it as he did.

Arys pulled away, leaving me void of his warmth. Shaz took the opportunity to turn us so the bed was behind him. Holding tightly to me, he fell back on the bed, pulling me down on top of him. For a humorous moment, I sprawled haphazardly atop him. We both laughed while Arys merely rolled his eyes at our drunken idiocy.

He stood near the foot of the bed, gazing down at us. He waited until my attention was on him before revealing his nakedness one piece of clothing at a time. I felt like a starved woman at a feast. I wanted him close again, so they both touched me. I craved it.

Shaz gave me a light slap on the ass, and I returned my attention to him. Guiding me carefully, he repositioned us so that we both sat facing one another on the bed, with me in charge as the one on top. I stared down into his beautiful eyes, seeing myself reflected in them.

The sitting position was nice. It forced us to press close, maintaining a deep level of intimacy as we moved together. It should have been a perfect moment of love, but an image flashed unbidden through my head, the black-haired vampiress with her lips on my white wolf, her fangs buried in his flesh. It stunned me, and I felt myself pulled from the magic of the moment.

“Lex?” Shaz whispered my name and pushed the hair back from my face. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” I said quickly, fighting not to let it show in my eyes. “Nothing wrong.”

Arys watched me with a peculiar certainty, and I was sure he’d seen the vision that had just flashed through my mind. He never said as much, just prowled closer to the bed with a sly, unnerving ease.

Shaz pressed his face to my throat, his lips warm against the pulsing vein there. I looked to Arys for help, seeking escape from the ugly images swirling in my thoughts. He slid onto the bed, coming to embrace me from behind.

Pressing soft kisses to my shoulders and the back of my neck, it surprised me when I heard his voice whisper through my mind, ‘I’ll kill her.’

Tension filled me, and I closed my eyes, focusing on their scents, refusing to allow this night to be ruined by my own insecurities.

‘No, Arys. That won’t help anything. She isn’t the real problem.’

The musky wolf scent of Shaz mingled with Arys’s hair products to create a comforting aroma that was just the two of them made one. It stirred a ravenous response that I could feel in the pit of my stomach.

Arys knelt behind me, stroking his hands over my body as I moved with Shaz. As Arys manipulated the powerful energy the three of us called, I was able to fall deeper into the two of them. Nothing else mattered right now other than this current moment. I had to let myself believe that.

Shaz twitched inside me. A tingle filled my belly as his approaching release encouraged my own pleasure. With Arys’s metaphysical guidance every sensation was heightened. Their hands were all over me, in my hair, on my breasts, gripping my hips. My breath came faster, and I clung to Shaz so tight my clawed nails left bloody trails in his skin.

The scent of his blood hit me, and the bloodlust crawled up within me, threatening to burst forth. A throaty snarl escaped me as Shaz pushed me over the edge of climax, and I was suddenly caught in the throes of ecstasy. Mixed with every amazing wave that rocked my body was the hunger, the desire to bite into the wolf beneath me. I wanted him.

Sensing my hunger, Shaz gazed at me with a yearning that almost matched my own. He wanted it, too. I’d gotten used to seeing wariness in his eyes when the bloodlust raised its ugly head. Finding his expression full of intrigue left me conflicted. I loved it as much as I hated it.

My lungs heaved as I caught my breath. I slid out from between them and collapsed in the middle of the bed. This left them staring at one another with a strange, even look. Shaz quickly put some space between them by reclining back on the bed and rolling onto his side next to me. However, his gaze remained fixed on Arys.

“You want something, wolf?” Arys’s pupils dilated as he taunted Shaz.

Shaz reached out to touch me, a gentle hand on my leg. He continued to watch the vampire, a darkness settling into his wolf eyes. My heart raced as I waited for Shaz to give voice to his wish.

Instead of replying, Shaz pushed himself up on his knees and reached for Arys. Though I couldn’t take my eyes off them, I groped blindly for the nearest champagne glass on the table. All the booze in the world wasn’t going to take the edge off. I knew what I was about to see, and it twisted my insides in a mass of confusion.

Arys wore a look of devious satisfaction as Shaz slid his hands into the vampire’s jet black hair. He curled his fingers into fists, holding tight to Arys’s locks. He leaned in close, his mouth hovering just inches from Arys’s. I held my breath, waiting and hoping, but for what I wasn’t sure.

With the barest brush of their lips, Shaz spoke softly. “Don’t turn this into a game. You know what I want.” For just a moment he nuzzled Arys, a strangely affectionate gesture for two men who couldn’t stand one another. Then Shaz tilted his head to the side, offering his neck to Arys.

I sat upright, a glass clutched in my hand. The intensity of the scene before me was rife with lust and power. It took concentration on my part not to shatter the glass with my grip. I watched my white wolf offer himself to Arys, and I was both horrified and madly turned on. As much as I wanted to watch Arys feed from Shaz, I knew that this more than anything showed how far into our world Shaz had fallen.

I didn’t expect Arys to look to me for permission. I saw the question in his eyes, and I stared back at him, giving no indication of what I preferred. This was between the two of them. And honestly, I didn’t know. I was merely a bystander.

Arys would never pass up an offer like this from Shaz. Though Shaz was taking a dominant stance, Arys was always the one in control. With a slight smirk, he bared his fangs and bit hard and fast into my wolf.

Shaz grunted slightly as he relaxed into the bite. His knuckles were white from gripping Arys’s hair so tightly, and the energy that rolled off him was thick with wanton desire. It struck me like a slap in the face, and I couldn’t help but respond with my own hunger for blood and sex.

The champagne in my hand quickly lost all appeal. I held the glass forgotten and watched as Arys tasted Shaz, his tongue gliding over the bloody wound. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears alerted me to the fact that I’d stopped breathing, frozen in the moment.

Goosebumps rose up on my skin as a rush of power crashed over me. Arys drove it, sweeping Shaz up in its thrall. His eyes closed, and he leaned into the vampire’s dizzying allure. Arys was carefully in control. He pulled back before taking too much. I tensed, waiting to see what would happen next.

For a brief, heart-stopping second, I thought Arys would push it further, as he had once before. Expecting that very thing, Shaz’s eyes opened in a glare, and he growled. His hands slipped from Arys’s hair, and he turned his head away before Arys could kiss him. Instead, my beautiful vampire leaned into Shaz and boldly ran his tongue along that soft spot beneath Shaz’s ear.

Shaz pulled away. His eyes were wild, pupils huge. He breathed hard, almost panting as the power in the room pulled him under like a deadly undertow. Soaring high on lust and werewolf blood, Arys was on me before I could blink.

Knocking the glass out of my hand, he pushed me down on my back and forced himself between my legs. It was rough and even a little painful when he reached one hand into my hair, pinning my head to the bed. Adrenaline burst through me. I was eager for him, crying out when he forcefully thrust inside me.

Pressing his lips to mine, Arys kissed me hungrily. I tasted Shaz’s blood in his mouth, and my pleasure was instantly heightened. White noise roared in my ears as our power flowed freely.

Arys rolled us onto our sides, so we lay facing one another. This allowed Shaz to align his body to mine from behind. With a clawed hand tightly gripping my waist, he bit the back of my neck with those four massive fangs.

I yelped and felt the telltale warmth of blood. Wolf fangs hurt worse than vampire fangs. They were fierce, made for shredding and tearing.

Even as careful as he’d been, the burning pain was shocking. The wolf inside me loved it. The savage touch of my mate was stimulating, banishing the human fear of pain and instead finding joy in it. The gentle touch of his tongue on the wound was as intimate as when he’d licked between my legs. Shaz tasted my blood, and it made me crazy.

Wrapped up in the two men I loved with all my heart, there was nowhere else on earth I’d have rather been. The give and take of love and pleasure was a rollercoaster of power, emotion and acceptance. Time ticked by as we all sought something in one another whether it be gratification, affection or simply acceptance. It was long after dawn by the time we lay sprawled on the bed in exhaustion.

My body was decorated in bloody scratches, bites and bruises. I didn’t attempt to get up. My heart hadn’t returned to its normal pace, and my breath still didn’t come easily.

Shaz fetched a pair of sweat pants from the drawer in my dresser where he kept some of his things and disappeared upstairs.

I lay in the disarray of the blankets, snuggled against Arys. He stroked a hand through my hair while we listened to Shaz slamming doors upstairs. It sounded like he went into the garage.

“That wolf needs to be careful.” Arys broke the silence with words that made me apprehensive. “He was far too willing to give his blood to me. That kind of behavior can lead to addictive tendencies.”

“What about you?” I countered. “You wanted him. I didn’t see you turn him down.”

Arys looked at me like I’d said something ridiculous. “Of course not. He still has a very firm guard up when it comes to me. If I see it fall for even a minute, I’m taking advantage of it.”

“I’m worried about him. He gets off on the rush. I don’t want to see him become a junkie for it.”

“Try not to worry about him too much. We won’t let our wolf become a blood whore. Besides, I think it’s you that stands the greatest risk of forming addictive tendencies.”

It was soothing to hear him call Shaz “our” wolf. But, that was overlooked when I heard what he had to say about me. “Hey! I do not have addictive tendencies.”

“Don’t you?”

Before I could toss a defensive retort back, Shaz entered the room carrying a shiny, black chrome rim with a big red ribbon tied around it. I sat up quickly, reaching to touch the smooth metal.

“Happy birthday, babe.” Fangs now absent, Shaz kissed me warmly. “The other three are in the garage. I hope you like them. I think they’ll look awesome on your car.”

“I love them! I can’t wait to get these on my beast.” I let out a girlish squeal. Brand new rims for my car might not seem like the most romantic gift, but coming from Shaz, it was perfect.

Arys propped himself up on an elbow, his hand under his head. He lay there on the bed in all his nude glory. “Nice choice, pup. Those will look great.” To me he added, “My gift to you is in the nightstand.”

I sprang at the nightstand like a rabid dog, eager to see what my vampire would choose to give me. I almost upset a few candles in my rush to get the drawer open. I had to dig through a pile of blue tissue paper before I found it, an incredibly old book. The leather cover was worn and thin; the pages had yellowed with time, and it had that musty book smell that all old books eventually have.

Lifting it carefully, I set it on my lap and opened it. It was a journal, Arys’s journal. The dates written in faded ink on the pages were shocking. There were journal entries from more than a hundred years ago.

“I know you have all of my memories,” Arys watched me flip through the pages, “but they’re mostly a mess of random images in your head. Yours are for me, too. I thought this might help. I wanted you to have it.”

I gazed at Arys in wonder. I never would have expected something so deeply personal from him. “Arys … thank you. This is so thoughtful. I don’t even know what to say. I really appreciate that you would be willing to give me this.”

I reached out to grasp his hand, hoping he saw the gratitude in my eyes. I gently replaced the journal back into the nightstand drawer. Arys smiled and pulled me back down on the bed beside him. I reached for Shaz who quickly joined us.

As tired as I was, I didn’t sleep. I waited for each of them to fall asleep, and then I carefully disentangled myself from their grasps and left the bed. Wrapping myself in the black robe that always hung on the back of the door, I glanced back at the two of them.

Shaz clutched his pillow, snoring softly. He was facing away from Arys, far enough out of reach to avoid accidentally touching. Arys had an arm up over his head, hiding his face from view. I wondered if he really was asleep at all. He didn’t sleep much, and when he did, it was light, like he was always partially alert.

Though they were only a few feet apart on the bed, it was like they were worlds away from one another. I linked them, and without me, they were nothing. I didn’t particularly want them to be close, but I didn’t want them to always be at odds either. I really didn’t think that would ever change.

I stepped lightly on the stairs as I made my way up to the main floor. Many of the candles had long since burnt out. I blew out the ones that remained lit as I followed them back to the front entry. My purse sat right where I’d left it, with Kale’s gift inside. My curiosity climbed.

I sat in a chair near the front window, my purse in hand. The blinds were drawn, but the brilliant glow of the sun beyond cast shards of light upon me. Taking the carefully wrapped box out, I turned it over a few times. Maybe it was nothing of extreme value. Perhaps I was over thinking this.

With a deep exhalation of breath, I tore off the paper and opened the box. A small note fell out into my lap, but before I could read it, my gaze landed on the silver cross pendant displayed on a bed of cotton. It was breathtaking.

It was old, possibly Elizabethan old. It had a slightly medieval look to it. There was a small black diamond in the center. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It had to be the oldest, most valuable item I’d ever held.

I picked up the note, finding it scrawled in Kale’s careful handwriting. It said only: It used to be my mother’s. Now it should be yours. Happy birthday.

Stunned didn’t even begin to cover it. Tears pricked the back of my eyes. A swell of emotion quickly overwhelmed me, and I choked back a sob. Kale had just given me his heart in more ways than one. I hadn’t asked for it, but here it was, lying in a box on my lap.

He had asked nothing in return, knowing that I couldn’t give him what he so freely gave to me. Staring into the box, running my fingers over the sleek silver cross, I knew with my whole being that I couldn’t love him. And yet, I knew that I did. So why did it feel so bad?

Chapter Twenty-Three

I couldn’t lie to myself. I was totally freaked out. As I got out of the car and stared across the street at the old church, an uneasy feeling gripped me. A shiver slithered down my spine. I didn’t like this one bit.

Shya had asked me to come. He was elusive but indicated he had something he wanted me to see. I shielded hard, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. Some things inside that church had never been human. I could feel them.

I glanced at Kale, seeking some kind of reassurance. His presence was a great relief. I wasn’t sure I’d have had the courage to walk in there alone.

In the car on the way over, I’d tried to thank him for his gift. I wanted to say so much more, but none of it was right for the situation. He’d waved me off, effectively keeping the conversation from taking a personal turn. That was likely for the best.

“Remember, we’re just here to observe.” Kale fell into step beside me as we crossed the street. “No matter what you see here, don’t get involved and don’t draw attention to yourself. Trust me. The less anyone knows about you, the better. Oh, and shield tighter than that. I can feel your apprehension.”

“Why did I agree to this again?” I muttered beneath my breath.

“Because you have power that puts you in a class all your own. It’s a good thing. It gives you leverage. Just use it carefully.”

I fell silent, slipping into stealth mode. The wolf inside was on full alert as I paid keen attention to my finely tuned senses. The scent of car exhaust lingered on the air. I saw no obvious sign that the church was occupied. As we drew closer, the atmosphere grew stifling with a strange energy I couldn’t identify.

I toyed with the idea of turning back before it was too late. Once I stepped foot through that door, I wouldn’t be able to change my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling that what I was about to encounter inside was going to strip away the last of my remaining illusions regarding the world I lived in.

Kale was calm, his walk confident. This wasn’t new to him. He cast one last look my way before reaching for the handle of one of the large, double wooden doors. A brief shadow of uncertainty flickered in his eyes, and then it was gone. I got the distinct feeling that he would have preferred me not to be there. It did nothing to ease my concern.

The inside of the church was smaller than it looked from the outside, almost cozy. It was dark, the only light provided by the glow of the moon beyond the stained glass windows and one lonely light over the altar.

I followed Kale’s lead, slipping into the darkness at the back of the church near the door. He was deathly still. I stood close, leaning into him more than I meant to. I might have been a bad-ass with the vampires and werewolves, but when my gaze took in those at the front near the altar, I was scared.

Shya loomed over a human man who knelt before him. Dressed in a simple dark suit, Shya didn’t so much as glance our way though I knew without a doubt that he was keenly aware of our arrival. He was intent on the man at his feet. What really stole my breath were the massive black wings extended behind him. I had to tear my gaze away.

Even from where I stood I could see that the man on the floor was trembling. He was also clearly a man of the cloth, a man of God. The stench of fear emanated from him, strong and inviting. I took shallow breaths, refusing to react to the taunting scent.

Aside from Shya, one other demon was present. He had no visible wings, but the dark power rolling off him gave his nature away. He stood off to the side, hands clasped, just watching the scene before him. Another human man stood next to him, his face revealing no emotion or thought. He had a poker face like nothing I’d ever seen. He was also dressed like a man of the cloth. The way he watched the man on the floor whimper without reaction made me go cold inside. What the hell was going on here?

“We don’t have to kill you, Jon. In fact, I’d honestly prefer not to.” Shya’s smooth, low voice was sinister. The air seemed to grow cold as he spoke. “But, I need to know where you found out about my little arrangement with your friend Evan here, because I think we have a traitor. And, I’m sure you understand that’s something I just can’t allow. Don’t you, Jon?”

Nodding his head, Jon stared at Shya’s feet, as if he couldn’t bring himself to look the demon in the face. I had no idea what was going on, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be in his place.

“I can’t,” Jon stammered, tears streaming down his cheeks. “I can’t. They’ll kill me.”

Shya stared at him, red eyes glinting with malice. “So will I. Make your choice.”

This was hard to watch. My palms were sweaty, and I fought the urge to fidget nervously. Kale stood stiffly next to me, watching with disinterest. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times he’d witnessed something like this.

I watched with uncertainty. Jon’s lips moved but no sound came out, a silent prayer. Then he looked up at Shya with venom in his eyes and spat, “Do what you will, demon. I don’t serve you.”

It was so quiet I could have heard a pin drop. I was tense, my focus on staying calm, hoping my shaky breaths didn’t sound as loud to everyone else as they did to me.

In a sudden swell of dark fury, Shya freely exuded the power of his anger. Despite how hard I was working to shield myself, the demon’s energy cut through me. I choked on a gasp as I tried not to react. It was unlike anything I’d ever been slapped with by a vampire. This hurt. Bad.

I was aware of how small of a wave I’d been hit with, and that nobody else seemed affected by it but me. If I hadn’t been afraid of Shya already, I would have been then.

Kale barely moved from his rigid stance, but with the slightest of movement, he slowly slipped his fingers between mine. I stiffened at first. Then almost instantly, the searing sensation left by Shya’s power dissipated as Kale added his strength to mine. It felt nice, strong, but it was missing that sense of true unity that I shared only with Arys, that sense of being one.

For a long, strained moment, Shya stared down the man who dared to defy him. It lasted only seconds though. Shya gave the barest nod, and an unseen figure stepped out from the darkness beyond the altar light. It startled me. I hadn’t seen nor sensed him. The dim glow of the light fell upon him, and I was stunned.

The angel moved swiftly, an upraised sword clutched in both hands, a blur of motion. The immense silvery grey wings cloaking his tall, darkly clad frame distinguished him from the demons. The faintest iridescent shimmer was visible in his wings as he brought the sword down with enough force to make the blade sing as it cut through the air. It sliced clean through Jon’s neck, taking his head off before I could look away.

This had to be a dream, a really ugly dream. The angel glanced at the remains with cold indifference etched in his fine features.

Shya turned away, directing an order to the other demon present. “Get this cleaned up.”

It all happened too fast to process. Before I could take it all in, Shya was heading our way, his face grim. Kale dropped my hand, and I faced Shya with a confidence I didn’t entirely feel.

“As you can see, there is a lot more to this than rogue creatures running amok.” With a dismissive wave of his hand, Shya gestured to the headless body near the altar. “Normally, I wouldn’t bother to deal with something so trivial myself. I would have one of my people do it. However, this time it was personal.”

The scent of blood and death grew heavy on the air. As horrified as I was by the entire situation, I couldn’t stop the bloodlust from rising. Though I was looking only at Shya, I could feel the watchful gaze of the angel upon me. It set loose a handful of butterflies in my stomach.

I forced myself to maintain steady eye contact with Shya. Looking into his intense red eyes was difficult. “Can I ask what this was all about?”

“Of course. You’re an important part of the team. You have every right to a few questions.” His interest was solely on me. Not once did he look at Kale or anyone else present. The undivided attention was unnerving. “Let me tell you one thing, Alexa. The most valuable power someone can possess is the right information. Jon had it. And, since he wouldn’t share that information, he had to be taken out of the equation.”

I wanted to ask how taking a man’s life could be so simple, just part of an equation that I didn’t fully understand. Instead I said, “But why? What could he have known that was worth his life?”

Shya eyed me appraisingly. He nodded slowly, as if in approval of my desire for an explanation. “I understand that in some ways you’re very much still human. You need to be able to justify death. Well, tell me, would you be able to justify it if you knew that the information he harbored could expose you? That it could land you in a lab where you’d be picked apart by human scientists in a vain attempt to find out what makes you what you are?”

My mouth went dry, and the blood drained from my face. What Shya described had always been one of my greatest fears. He had put me in a tough place. I didn’t believe that my life was more valuable than anyone else’s, but I did believe that mass public exposure of the supernatural was in nobody’s best interest.

“Point taken.” I nodded, having nothing else to offer. I was in no position to either condone or condemn what Shya had just done. I wasn’t sure what I would have done if it had been me. I hoped to never be the one who had to make that call.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, Alexa. I want you for the vampires and werewolves. For now anyway.”

That pretty little head comment would have earned anyone else a bitch slap or at least a seriously tongue lashing. I took it from Shya simply because I had to. He towered over me with those scarlet eyes and wings that went from shoulder to ankle, and I was overwhelmed.

“I’m not making any deals with you.” My voice wavered, but I meant it.

A grin lit up Shya’s face in a way that should have made him appear friendly but really just made him predatory. “I like you. You’re young yet, but you know what’s best for all of us. Kale assures me that I can trust you. Prove him right, and I’ll be happy not to have to kill the both of you.”

The way Shya spoke was so casual, like he was discussing the weather rather than threatening to kill us. All I could do was play along with a smile and a nod.

“So,” Shya clapped his hands together and smiled. It shone in his eyes, and he was suddenly a whole different persona than seconds ago. “State your terms. I assume you have some. You have genuine potential, and I will do anything to make you happy to work with me.”

My lips curved into a smile, but it didn’t feel natural. “Let’s start there. I work with you, not for you. I won’t be forced to do anything I don’t believe in.”

“Certainly.”

“I do things my way. And, my personal life stays personal. I won’t have my actions watched or judged.” I didn’t mean to sound bitchy, but I felt the need to show a little backbone. Something told me that with Shya, if I gave him an inch he’d take more than a mile. He’d likely take me to hell and back if he could.

“As long as you never betray me, Alexa, I really don’t give a damn what you and yours do.” Matter of fact and somewhat flippant, Shya shrugged.

“Fine. Thank you.” I wasn’t going to push things further. I’d address everything as it occurred. What mattered to me right then was that Shya knew I wasn’t going to be controlled.

The angel glided up next to Shya, but his pale silver gaze was on me. Blowing a shaggy lock of fair hair out of his eyes, he openly glowered. “So this is the one that will lead vampires and wolves. Doesn’t look like much. Kind of small. Cute I guess.”

My jaw dropped. He was an enigma, a being so enchanting that I was both in fear and awe of him. Unlike Shya, I couldn’t feel the angel’s power. I had a feeling it was simply because he didn’t want me to. But angel or not, who the hell was he to talk about me like that?

A retort burned on my lips, but before I could get it out, Shya cut in. “Piss off, Falon. Give Ms. O’Brien some respect. There is much more to her than it might appear.”

I was completely offended. Not only did I hate being spoken of as if I wasn’t present, I also hated being underestimated. Anyone who chose to use “cute” and “small” to describe me was immediately on my shit list.

Falon looked me over, his glower becoming a sneer. “Well, I should hope so.”

My wolf came snarling to the surface, and I growled. Satisfied with my reaction, Falon turned on his heel. Cloaked by his ethereal wings, he slipped through the large double doors and into the night. What an asshole.

“Pay no attention to Falon. He doesn’t think very highly of anyone.” Shya wasn’t apologetic, just matter of fact.

“That’s fine. I don’t think very highly of him, either.” It wasn’t often I developed a sudden dislike for someone within just minutes of being in their presence.

Shya cast a fleeting glance back toward the altar. “I won’t keep you any longer. I have some business to take care of here with my friend, Evan. We’ll speak soon. Please, both of you, have a lovely night.”

Just like that, we were effectively dismissed. Turning his back on us, Shya left us standing by the door. Kale snapped into motion, guiding me outside with a hand on my back. I saw no sign of Falon outside. He was long gone.

“What in the fuck was that?” Glad to be free of the confines of the church, my disbelief exploded out in a blast of incredulous diatribe. “He asked me here so I could watch a man be murdered and have an angel talk shit to me?”

“Fallen angel,” Kale corrected. With a jingle of keys he unlocked the passenger door of the Camaro, holding it open for me. “Only a fallen angel would be seen in the company of demons.”

I reached over to unlock Kale’s door, waiting for him to get in before continuing my rant. “Fallen angel? Are you kidding me? What makes him any different from a demon then? And, what’s with his attitude?”

“Whoa, one question at a time.” Kale laughed as he started the car and put it in gear. The engine roared, and we were on our way, leaving the church behind. I couldn’t possibly get away fast enough. “Demons are fallen angels. At least, they were once. But a fallen angel isn’t always a demon. They choose to fall. They don’t all choose to take it all the way.”

“They just linger in between? What’s the point? Why even fall if they aren’t going full demon with it?” I rolled down the window to let the summer night air caress my face. Now that I was out of the blood-filled building, the bloodlust was waning.

“You’re asking the wrong person, Alexa. I don’t know much about angels. It’s rare to even see one, especially one that hasn’t fallen.”

Like I didn’t have enough to occupy my thoughts these days. I had so many questions after what I’d just seen. Questions that would mostly go unanswered.

We rolled to a stop at a red light, and I glanced over at Kale. The glow of a streetlight fell upon him, illuminating his pale skin and sharp eyes. I wondered if he’d been killing recently, but I didn’t want to offend him by asking. I liked him better when he wasn’t.

“What’s wrong, Alexa?” He met my eyes briefly before turning his attention back to the road. “Is it Shya? You don’t have to worry about him. Keep your distance, don’t get tricked into anything, and it will be fine.”

“I wasn’t thinking about Shya, but now that you mention it, I’m more afraid of myself right now than I am of him. I killed Veryl, without a second thought, and I don’t regret it. Now, I’ve made an agreement with a demon, and I’m not even sure what he wants from me.” Suddenly panicked, I stared out the window at the dark storefronts and office buildings as we passed. “I’m afraid of turning into the same thing I’ve been killing all these years.”

Kale’s energy grew warm as his mood shifted. “That won’t happen. That’s not what you are. Shya believes you have power over both werewolves and vampires, and judging by the way your power can manipulate me, I’m inclined to agree with him.”

I flashed back to an incident at The Wicked Kiss a few months earlier. A vampire had attacked me with a stake, swearing to never bow down to me. I’m nobody’s slave, he’d said as he pressed a stake between my ribs.

“I feel like I’m living in denial, like everyone else knows more about me than I do. I’m not sure I know who I am anymore.” The confession fell from my lips. I doubt I would have said it to anyone else.

Kale reached over, and I thought he was going to take my hand. He seemed to think better of it and instead smoothed a strand of my hair back behind my ear. “You’ll find out. We all do eventually. Even if it takes five hundred years.”

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on the way the breeze streaming through the open window felt on my face. I wasn’t sure how to feel about Shya and the role he wanted me to play, his personal assassin, the one who would keep the vampires and werewolves in line. It sounded huge.

I was wary. However, I did believe that creatures of the night needed to stay in the dark. Much of our power lies in the myth that we don’t exist. It had to stay that way. Otherwise, all hell would break loose. I was willing to do my part to keep that from happening. All I could do was pray that I never had to become a monster to do it.

Too late. I ignored the ugly voice of guilt that taunted me. Kale was right. Things to come would show me who I really was, one day at a time. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was just another one of the bad guys.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Are you sure about this?” I couldn’t sit still. Squirming on my seat with discomfort, I started to question my decision to listen to Arys.

He sat next to me, an untouched martini in front of him. He kept trying to slide it in front of me, and I slid it right back. I wasn’t touching a drop of alcohol, not with what he had in mind.

“Relax, Alexa. Enjoy the buildup. It’s like foreplay. No need to be impatient.”

“I’m not impatient. I’m nervous and starting to change my mind.”

Tearing his gaze from the interior of the martini lounge, he fixed me with a daring stare. “Oh no, you’re not. I told you, I’m not going to let you be bloodlust’s bitch anymore. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You’ll see.”

He hadn’t let go of his intent for us to hunt together. It made me uncomfortable in more ways than I could count. I’d seen Arys in action. It was both thrilling and frightening. But, to accompany him? It didn’t sit well with me.

“You damn hypocrite.” I ran a finger along the top of my sparkling water glass. I felt too nervous to drink it. “You live by the rule of all or nothing. Isn’t that why you look down on the vampires that feed at The Kiss?”

“This isn’t about them. It’s about you. You try to hide that it drives you crazy, but then you break down and slaughter someone. You’re not cut out to live my lifestyle. The guilt would eat you alive.” He offered me the olive from his drink, and I grimaced at the smell. “Besides, I don’t take the kill every time. Just more often than not. Every now and then, I like the tease of resistance.”

I didn’t know what to expect from a hunt with Arys. I’d half expected to stalk helpless victims in dark back alleys. When I’d voiced that very thing to Arys, he’d both scowled and laughed at me. Instead we’d ended up in a martini bar on the main floor of a five-star hotel with a key to a room upstairs. It seemed like excessive work to me though Arys shrugged it off as no big deal.

I watched Arys as he scanned the lounge for the right victim. I was impatient and wanted to get this over quickly if I had to do it at all. But, he was calm, like the fox in the hen-house, deciding which one he liked the most.

“So, what are we waiting for? Can’t we just do this already?”

He frowned and ran his tongue over his lips. Just watching him perform the casual action made my stomach tighten.

“Patience, my wolf. Don’t be so quick to act. If you’re stuck with the bloodlust, you might as well learn to enjoy it. It doesn’t have to all be bad.”

“That’s the problem. I want to hate it, but once I’m caught up in the moment, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. And, that’s what I hate.”

Arys took my hand and lightly ran a finger over the back of it. His touch stirred my longing. The bloodlust was running high. Arys had wanted me to be at its mercy. I couldn’t say I was loving it. My senses were on fire. Every touch and smell was amplified. All I could focus on was the tingle in my loins as he stroked a finger up my bare arm and the thick scent of human blood. It begged for my attention, making it hard to acknowledge any other smells in the lounge.

“That one, right there.” Arys drew my attention to a woman sitting alone at a table on the opposite side of the room. “She’s perfect. Do you want her?”

She was a leggy brunette in a designer dress, staring intently at her cell phone. Nothing distinguished her from any other woman in the lounge except for the fact that she was alone.

“A woman, huh?” I teased. “I guess that’s fair considering I’m usually the only woman present.”

Arys grinned, but his eyes glinted seriously. “Alexa, I don’t mind sharing you with the wolf pup. You seem to think I do, but sharing you with him means not having to share you with anyone else. Simple logic but it works.”

I thought it over, finding his logic to be a tad skewed like usual, but somehow, it made sense this time. “Alright. You want her, that’s fine with me.”

I was uneasy, but Arys had promised me that we weren’t killing anyone tonight. This was about finding the balance I needed to appease the bloodlust without taking the kill.

Tipping my head up with a hand under my chin, Arys kissed me lightly. “Stay here until I give you a signal.”

He slid off his stool and was gone before I could change my mind. The sound of my heart beating was suddenly deafening in my ears. I clutched my purse tightly and fidgeted with my short skirt. I couldn’t tear my gaze off Arys as he sauntered through the room like a wolf stalking prey. As I watched him go, the nerves melted away, replaced by a hungry anticipation.

Arys was a vision of sensuality. He moved through the room with dark intentions, drawing the attention of several women as he passed. It was impossible not to look at him. From head to toe the man oozed sex. It didn’t come as a surprise that the majority of other women thought so, too.

At his approach, his intended victim glanced up from her cell phone. She looked wary, but once Arys started talking, she smiled. I would have loved to hear what he was saying. The grin he beamed at her was downright seductive. I was falling for it from where I sat. So when she gestured to the chair next to her, I wasn’t surprised. Actually, I was a little turned on watching Arys work his magic, although a little part of me wondered if I was as easy a target as this woman was turning out to be.

Watching Arys seduce our victim made me ache for satisfaction. My growing hunger was testing the limits of my control. I’d questioned his intent to lure her upstairs to the room, but my patience was slipping. Now, I just wanted to make it happen.

The brunette leaned into Arys as they talked. Something in her eyes, a strange glazed look, indicated Arys’s influence over her. That had been easy. Not many vampires had that ability to make people want to surrender, happily accepting that he would drain their life away. I was painfully aware that, because I loved him, I often forgot how very dangerous Arys really was.

Catching my eye, Arys nodded ever so slightly toward the door. With eager anticipation, I picked the olive out of his abandoned glass and tossed back the contents. Then, I made my way out of the lounge and up to our room.

I was a mess waiting for them. I paced the small but nicely kept hotel room, unable to sit or stand still. I turned on the gas fireplace but then turned it off. Finally, I went to stare out the window at the street below.

By the time Arys opened the door, I was gripping the window sill so hard my clawed nails left gouges in the wood. I whirled around to face him. I hadn’t sated the bloodlust in days. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. He had wanted me to be pushed to the breaking point. It was nearing quickly.

“Alexa, this is Roxanne. She was supposed to meet a blind date in the bar, but lucky us, she has agreed to keep us company.” Arys flashed me a smug smile and a wink. He ushered Roxanne into the room and locked the door. She didn’t seem to notice.

She stared at me with a big smile plastered on her pink lips. The spellbound expression she wore was unsettling. I didn’t like it. The vampire in me thought back to something Kale had once said. He preferred it when they knew it was coming, when they begged and screamed. If this mesmerized complacency was the alternative, I’d prefer the screams, too.

No sooner had that thought crossed my mind than I wondered what it would take to make Roxanne scream. My fangs filled my mouth, four brutal points that I ached to sink into her. I moved toward her, and Arys stepped in between us.

He must have seen the intent in my eyes because he smiled and shook his head. “Patience, my love. This is about satisfaction through control, not weakness because of the loss of it. Follow my lead.”

Roxanne stood there like a human doll, waiting for us to play with her. It was disturbing to see someone so completely lost in the thrall of a powerful vampire. I hated that I kind of liked it.

“Roxanne, sweetheart,” Arys purred, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “We won’t keep you long. Just a little taste, alright my dear?”

She didn’t even speak. Gazing up at him with those glazed eyes, she merely smiled timidly and nodded. Arys kissed his way up her bare arm, and she giggled. I waited for jealousy to hit, but it never did. I wanted to watch him in his element. The seduction and the hunt, that was Arys at his best, and I wanted to see it.

He took his time, making his way from her wrist to her neck. Her eyes closed, and her head fell back. Desire flowed from her, tantalizing and hot. My grip was slipping, and I knew I couldn’t cling to sanity much longer. The bloodlust was a powerful master, and once again, it had made me its slave.

His lips on her skin, the scent of her growing desire, and the sound of her heart beat growing louder in my ears, it all came at me in a rush, driving me into a frenzy. Arys, being the incubus he was, manipulated her sexual response to him, encouraging it to flow freely as he fed upon it.

The energy in the room became suffocating. I snarled, baring my fangs. Arys lifted his head to find me on the edge of the abyss, about to step past the point of no return. He gripped her forearm, and with a sudden aggression that spoke to the wolf in me, Arys bit into her wrist.

Blood spilled forth, and I was ravenous. I lunged at them, willing to knock Arys aside to get to that glorious red stream. He held me back with a hand on my throat, cutting off my air supply just enough to shake some sense back into me.

“You can’t bite her, Alexa. You’ll turn her or kill her. That’s not what you want.”

I wasn’t listening. I was staring at the blood that ran down Roxanne’s hand to drip off the tips of her fingers. It was all I could smell, all I could focus on.

Arys sat Roxanne on the end of the bed. Her eyes fluttered open and then closed again. She sighed softly. Gripping both of my arms tightly, Arys forced me to look into his eyes.

“It will always be part of you, but it doesn’t have to own you. You can control this.” He shook me when I growled at him. “Stop giving in so easily. You’re stronger than that.”

Then he slapped me.

It was startling. The sound of his hand hitting my cheek was loud in the quiet room. I laughed. It earned me a glare.

“Let me have her. Just this once.” I was detached, hearing myself talk but not fully aware it was me.

The power flared between us as Arys struggled to get through to me. “You will master this or else it masters you. Got it? Is that what you want? To be just another killer?”

“Why not?” I snapped. “It seems to be good enough for you.”

Arys dragged me close and pressed his forehead to mine. His eyes closed, and I felt the warm push of calming energy. It filled me from head to toe, bringing me back to myself. I hovered precariously in that awkward place between who I was and what I had become.

His voice low, almost a whisper, Arys loosened his grip. “You are the light in my darkness. I can’t watch you become something you will grow to hate.”

Something in his tone struck a nerve deep down. I blinked a few times, and the bloodlust cleared from my vision. “Arys…”

Opening his eyes, he gazed deep into me, and then he released me entirely. Together we approached the bed where Roxanne sat in a deep thrall. I could do this. I had to. I was stronger than the bloodlust.

Arys watched me as I sat on the floor before her and took her bloody wrist in my hands. The scent of her blood filled my lungs, and it tore at my fragile control. I ran my tongue over her smooth, lightly tanned skin. The urge to rush into the kill was strong, but I wasn’t giving in this time. I slowly licked the red rivulets that dripped into the palm of her hand. No words could describe the way it felt; orgasmic, pure bliss, they didn’t even come close. Tasting her was like finding a peace I never knew existed. It felt right, like I was finally whole. And, I knew it was all a lie.

As I drank the blood from Arys’s bite, I saw it all so clearly. We were all creatures in unbearable pain, always seeking escape from something, even if we didn’t know it at the time. Every one of us found our moment of peace in something dark and twisted. This was mine.

On the bed, Arys knelt beside our victim. I could see them from where I sat. He bit into her neck, and she gasped. Or had it been me? I wasn’t sure.

A roar filled my ears as the power Arys and I shared grew to an explosive level. He reached out for me, his hand seeking mine. I surrendered it to him, crying out when a hot jolt of electricity burned my skin where it touched his.

Blood in my mouth and Arys’s skin on mine stirred my longing. Heat flooded my loins as I watched his lips against her skin, his tongue running over the wound. It wasn’t enough. The hunger grew, and my moment of peace was shattered.

Arys must have felt me slip because he stopped me from doing something I would deeply regret. With a snarl, I bared my fangs, craving the sensation of having them buried in flesh. The blood wasn’t enough. The need to tear into Roxanne was driven by more than the bloodlust. Caught up in the throes of power and hunger, my wolf struggled to break free.

I was on my ass across the room before I had a chance to hurt her. Trapped by Arys’s energy wall, there was a sense of déjà vu as I remembered how recently this had happened in the bathroom at The Wicked Kiss. One day, Arys wouldn’t be there to save me from myself.

With a hand on Roxanne’s face, he got her up on her feet. Her eyes were open but unfocused. Stuffing some cash into her hand, Arys spoke slow and clear. “Go downstairs, get into the first cab you see and go straight home. You won’t ever tell anyone anything you might remember because they would never believe you. There is no such thing as vampires.”

She nodded and allowed Arys to lead her to the door. I was intent on the barrier he’d thrown at me. Like the last time, I was certain I could bend it to my will. Instead of fighting it, I concentrated on pulling it into me and making it mine. A strange, almost sick feeling hit my stomach as the barrier broke. I couldn’t breathe as it rushed into me, becoming one with my power.

It was easier than I’d expected. It also proved what I’d suspected for a while. Arys and I could turn our power on one another, but we could also take that power into ourselves. His power was mine, and therefore, he couldn’t truly harm me, not if I took the control back from him.

Free of his hold on me, I lunged at the door as Arys closed it behind her. Astonished but alert, he reacted quickly. Arys shoved me back, blocking my path to the door. I wanted her, and he had just let her go.

“Come on, Alexa.” He taunted me, curling a finger in invitation. “You have some aggression to unleash. Let’s have it.”

He was right. I had a burning need for violence and gratification. Licking the blood from my lips, I advanced on him with a wicked yearning clawing at my insides.

The fire in Arys’s midnight eyes brought a naughty smile to my face. Pressing my body against his, I grasped a handful of his hair and pulled his head down to mine. I licked his bottom lip before nipping it with my upper fangs. Sucking it into my mouth, I delighted in the spicy taste of his blood.

I kissed him, seeking to feel his tongue on mine. It was a hard and bruising kiss. I wanted to devour him. Arys groaned, his hands sliding to my waist. Our power was heightened, creating a dizzying storm that I could feel both in and out. Urgency gripped me.

I clawed Arys’s arms and chest in my haste to tear his shirt off, leaving bloody scratches behind. I wanted him, and I didn’t want to wait. I ran a finger through a crimson smear on his abdomen, pausing to taste it. It fueled my desire for him.

I slipped my underwear down from under my skirt, kicking them off. “I need you now.”

A wolf-like growl came from Arys. He grabbed me roughly. His fingers dug into my arms as he slid my top up and over my head. Undeniably, he felt it, too, the rabid need that drove me. Shoving me on the bed, Arys pressed his face into the swell of my cleavage and bit into my left breast.

I made a pained noise that fed his voracious appetite. His mouth was hot and wet against my sensitive flesh as he sucked at the bleeding wound. Blood seeped from the bite, escaping him to stain the soft material of my white bra.

Arys pushed my skirt up, exposing me to him. In our struggle for dominance, he pinned me to the bed with strong hands on my hips before lowering his head to the cleft between my legs. The velvet touch of his tongue had me quivering.

Riding the high of the bloodlust and power, my every sense was amplified. Arys attacked me with a wild passion. The sharp sting of fangs on the inside of my thigh was shocking splendor. I reveled in the way his head of silky hair felt nestled between my legs.

With a hungry fervor he consumed both my blood and my pleasure. I found myself spiraling into that wonderful state of bliss where both mind and body was his to command. I writhed on the bed as he brought me to a glorious climax.

It did nothing to sate my desire for him. I was just getting started. Impatience gripped me when Arys paused to remove the last of his clothing. I couldn’t calm the beast inside me that, when paired with the hungers of the vampire, knew no restraint.

I was sticky with blood. It decorated me in splashes of scarlet, like crude body art. The scent of it was heavy on the air. I reached for Arys with the intent to spill his, too. I wanted to bask in every part of him.

Capturing one of my bloodstained hands in his, he turned me around and forced me up on my knees. I was pressed against the headboard so my back was to him. Lifting my skirt so it bunched up around my waist, he held firmly to my hips and entered me from behind.

I cried out as he thrust roughly into me. Every stroke was ecstasy. I hated that I couldn’t look into his eyes, but I loved the raw, carnal way in which he took me. I braced myself against the wall above the headboard, my fingers slipping to leave bloody handprints.

Our lovemaking grew into a high-paced, tense fervor. The metaphysical power we created broke free of our hold. It seemed to feed upon the both of us. The lights dimmed to almost complete darkness before surging again. I felt the effect ripple throughout the entire hotel.

I waited until I was sure Arys was close to the peak of pleasure, and then I turned slightly so I could shove him off me. I forced him down on the bed, straddling him but careful not to give him what he wanted. Not just yet.

Raking my claws down his chest, I delighted in the red ribbons that blossomed in my wake. I dipped my head to glide my tongue along a fresh scratch as I rubbed my groin against his. Tauntingly slow, I took him inside me just enough to make him groan before releasing him from the warmth of my body.

He grabbed my hair in a grip that was excitingly painful and threw me down so that I was beneath him. “You little tease.”

I laughed, a throaty sound that was laced with a growl. Forcing my legs apart, Arys took me again, unleashing any hold he might have maintained on rationale and control. With eyes flashing dangerously, he bit deep into my neck, hard enough to make me shriek.

I felt the telltale warmth of blood trickling down my shoulder to the bed below. I held tight to Arys, blood pooling beneath my nails as we moved together as one. The power we commanded was like a steadily growing wind whipping through the room. In the distance, I heard thunder, and I wondered if we’d somehow caused it.

The bed was a mess of crimson. When at last we lay entangled among the blankets, exhausted and fulfilled, I groaned as the euphoria ebbed and the pain set in. My head spun, and my mouth was thick with the taste of blood. Nobody had ever loved me the wild, crazed way that Arys did. I adored every moment of it.

I lay curled in Arys’s warm embrace, basking in the afterglow. Maybe it wasn’t the right time to bring it up, but I wanted to take advantage of having him in a position where he couldn’t dodge my questions.

“So now seems like a good time for you to shed a little light on what Maxwell said. I think I deserve to know, Arys.”

“Really?” He groaned and rolled his eyes. “You want to do this now?”

“I do. Start talking. No lies and no avoidance. Tell me what he meant when he said that I was the one you’d been waiting for.”

“It’s a long story. Too long to go into right now.”

I fixed him with a fierce stare. I was not going to let up on this. “Scratch the surface.”

Arys forced a dramatic, exasperated sigh and propped himself up on one arm. “Here’s the quick version. A little more than a century ago, I was told by a witch that she could see my other half. She could see you, the one who would complete me. Lena was right when she told you we were two souls cut from the same magical cloth. We were always meant to be one. I didn’t believe it until I met you. Actually, I didn’t even let myself believe it then, not until it became impossible to deny.”

“And, you never thought to tell me this? Goddammit, I suspected you of keeping something from me months ago. I didn’t expect to be right. There has to be more to it. Keep talking.”

“It’s rare for a connection like ours to actually be made. If I’d lived and died as human, we never would have met. Most people bound the way we are never meet.” His expression grew dark, and I got the feeling he would have done anything to avoid having this conversation. “Yin and yang. You know how that works? Well, that’s us. Two sides of the same coin but neither alike. Together we create something new, something powerful.”

My thoughts raced as I tried to piece it together. “Alright. That fits with a lot of what Lena said. But still … what does it really mean? And, why didn’t you want to tell me?”

Arys reached to take my hand with his free one. “That’s exactly why I didn’t tell you. I don’t know what it means. All I know is that I am the dark and you are the light. And, it’s only a matter of time until my darkness consumes you. When it does, we both die.”

“No way.” I sat up quickly, tossing the bloodstained blanket aside. “If I’ve learned anything in the past year, it’s that nothing is what it seems. There has to be a reason for it all.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I could see in Arys’s eyes that he really believed what he’d said, which explained why he’d been unwilling to share it earlier. Still, something didn’t add up. It didn’t entirely make sense.

“I’m sure there is a reason,” Arys offered, attempting to provide some comfort. “We have only just begun to realize what we can do together. We were bound before you were even born. Nothing was going to change that. But, I have to admit, sometimes I wish I hadn’t blood bonded you. It’s tainted you with parts of me that you should never have to deal with.”

“Is that why you were so adamant about tonight? Controlling the bloodlust didn’t work out so well.” I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror on the bureau, and I cringed. I looked like hell with blood and bruises covering more of me than unblemished skin. “If you didn’t bind me to you, someone else would have. You know that. Things would be worse if we hadn’t done it. Don’t waste time on regrets.”

“Alexa, be careful. Shya knows about us. That’s why he wanted me, too. You have a role to play there, but don’t let him exploit you.”

My head was starting to ache. I needed a shower, but the questions wouldn’t stop coming. “I still think there’s more to it. What aren’t you telling me? And, how did Maxwell know about this?”

Arys stroked a hand down my cheek before pulling me back down beside him. “Harley made him, too. Don’t worry about this stuff, ok? We’re strong together. I’d walk into the sun before I’d let anything happen to you. Read the journal I gave you. Then we’ll talk further.”

He hugged me close, an action that silenced my further questions. Arys believed we were made for each other, and he believed it would destroy us both. Rather than push the subject the way I wanted to, I clung to him in quiet contemplation.

I couldn’t stop thinking about what I’d just heard. Pieces were missing, I was sure of it. I needed to read Arys’s journal sooner rather than later.

Replaying the events of the evening in my mind, I was faced with the raw truth of what had really occurred. Arys’s intent had been for me to develop control, to conquer the undeniable call of the bloodlust before it devoured me. I had failed.

I should have been content to be there with him in that moment, but I was worried. Arys had stopped me from killing more than once. I couldn’t always rely on him to fix my mistakes before I made them.

This was bad. I was slipping further into the clutches of a weakness I now knew we both feared. I couldn’t let it claim me, but I was running out of time. Every time I gave in to the welcoming splendor of the bloodlust, I lost a bit more of what little humanity I had left. Arys’s words echoed inside my head. Master it or it masters you.

Epilogue

It was as close to normal as I was going to get. I had the house to myself, a rarity. I didn’t like to think about it much, but I still wasn’t comfortable being in Raoul’s house alone. With an episode of Castle on television and the scent of pizza permeating the house, I curled up on the couch with a coffee in hand.

My laptop sat next to me on the middle cushion. I glared at it and clicked a few things randomly. Though I hadn’t had much time to break my way into Veryl’s files, I wasn’t having any luck. At all.

Setting my mug on the coffee table, I took a bite of pizza before typing “open password protected files” into Google. The results were repetitive. Sites trying to sell me software or the same bits of information that were getting me nowhere. I needed to find a professional to do it for me, one who would keep his or her mouth shut.

One thing at a time.

I glanced at the old, leather journal where it sat on the far end of the coffee table. I hadn’t opened it yet despite how badly I wanted to know what was inside. It felt good to sit on my couch and watch TV like a normal person. I didn’t get to do this enough. I wanted to savor it. The moment I opened that book, it would all end, and I’d be faced with reality again.

I laughed at a quip on the show, glancing up to re-immerse myself in the fictional on-screen world. I couldn’t look at the television without my gaze straying to the large, framed photo above it. It felt surreal to stare into my own eyes without recognition.

The gift I’d received from Kylarai and Zoey had been a photo of Shaz and me. Kylarai had captured it with her camera early one morning as we’d been trotting through the farmer’s field to her backyard.

In the picture, I was staring off into the distance while Shaz leaned into me, his face rubbing alongside mine. It was really weird to see myself as a wolf. I never did, not like this. Shaz stood out brilliantly next to me with his bright green eyes and white fur. My ash blonde fur and dark eyes weren’t quite as striking, but I had to admit, together we looked good. Maybe even beautiful.

It was one of the most meaningful gifts I’d ever gotten. I’d cried a little when I first saw it. It symbolized a side of me that I saw less frequently these days. It also made me ache for Shaz.

I was expecting him close to dawn. Until then it was just me, my locked files and Arys’s journal. More than enough to keep me busy.

While munching on pizza I made a few more feeble attempts at busting into Veryl’s files. I didn’t want to give up, but I was getting nowhere. I was also using it as a way to procrastinate on the journal. Whatever was in the files could wait. I couldn’t access it, and anything inside had been hidden from me for a while now. Arys’s journal was right there, waiting for me to open it.

Since our night at the hotel a week ago, he had done all he could to avoid talking about it further. He thought he was going to destroy me, thereby destroying us both. I understood his concern, but I was skeptical. I’d come close to death enough times to know that it could never be so cut and dry.

So some witch had been able to see that Arys wasn’t a lone soul? So what? It didn’t mean we were destined to self-destruct. Lena, too, had been aware there was something big between us, but she’d never spoken of doom and gloom, although she had been full of warnings.

I missed her. It hurt to think about her, flashing back to the night she died. I still wished I could have made Maxwell suffer. However, I had a renewed confidence since I’d killed him. I’d said that if anyone had a right to Harley’s place in Vegas, it was me. Knowing that to be true, I didn’t fear anyone or anything coming out of Sin City now. If they came, I’d be ready.

I couldn’t say that I missed Veryl. He was one individual I simply couldn’t mourn. If that made me a bad person, then so be it.

Since his death Lilah had taken over the office. We hadn’t spoken about it much. I didn’t know whether or not the information he had on her had been leaked. I didn’t ask.

Everything else functioned like usual. Jez was back at it, hunting the newborn vamps and Weres that I’d tired of. She enjoyed it, and someone had to take care of that stuff. Kale, like me, had joined Shya’s personal team. I had yet to hear from the demon since the last time I’d seen him. I was still reeling from that night.

I didn’t trust Shya. At this point, I had no reason to. But, I couldn’t shake the feeling that working with him was the right thing to do. If there were forces out there, other supernaturals that were working to expose us all on a grand scale then I had to be involved. My own ass was on the line.

Jez had been going out of her way to avoid Kale. I’d suggested that they talk about it, but she’d declared she wasn’t ready and might never be. When I’d pushed her on it, she had promptly asked if I’d be on her side if she had been the one in love with me instead of Kale. I let it go. I felt bad for Kale, but he’d really fucked up. Jez would either come around or not.

Abandoning my laptop for the night, I clutched my coffee cup in both hands and watched the rest of the show. It felt weird to just sit and do nothing. I couldn’t help but feel like I should be looking over my shoulder for danger or babysitting the assholes at The Wicked Kiss. Being in the comfort of my own home, doing something other than sleeping, felt really nice. I needed more of this.

The pizza was good, but it wasn’t what I really wanted. The bloodlust lurked deep inside. It would be unbearable within the next night or two. I didn’t intend to let it reach that point. When Shaz arrived, I would take blood from him. I’d done it before. He could defend himself from me in ways a human couldn’t, a relief, but it wasn’t enough. I still hungered for the kill.

Once I started thinking about it, my moment of normalcy was over. Arys feared the darkness he saw growing within me, his darkness. I had to win this battle.

With a sigh I set my coffee aside and reached for Arys’s journal. Having a written account of events from his life before me was almost too good to be true. What I found inside could open the door to memories locked in my subconscious. I remembered enough of Arys’s memories to know that some were better left hidden from my conscious mind, but it was too late for that. We were part of one another.

I ran a finger over the plain cover. It had worn thin in places and bore the marks of decades of wear. I was nervous and had to laugh at myself. Part of me was afraid to open it and see what was on the first page.

Curiosity and the need to know won out. So much lay ahead. I had to be prepared to take on whatever came our way. Reading this journal could help me do that. Swallowing my hesitation, I bit the bullet and opened the cover.

The first page was written in faded ink. Arys had done a remarkable job preserving it. The date at the top of the page was October, 1849. My gaze fell upon the first line, and my heart dropped.

I saw her again in my dreams, the wolf.

I was shocked, so much so that I had to pause before I could continue. It was almost too much to wrap my mind around, and I’d barely begun. The fact that Arys had never told me this said more about him than I think he’d ever want to admit. He had a vulnerability, and I was it.

I held the journal carefully, as if it would crumble to dust if I gripped it too hard. Taking a few calming breaths, I leaned back on the couch and began to read.

Alexa O’Brien Huntress Series Book Five: Death Wish

Somebody wants Alexa O’Brien dead. A dangerous werewolf, she’s got a shady reputation due to the immense power and unbreakable bond she shares with vampire, Arys Knight. It’s a union that joins light to darkness and life to death. A bond that threatens to consume them both. As Alexa evades attempts on her life, she discovers the source of her power and the torment that lies ahead.

The bombshells keep dropping when she learns someone she believed to be long dead is very much alive. Hidden truths come to light and it’s more than some people can take. As one person walks back into her life, another walks out.

After an especially traumatic close call, Alexa is determined to make it known that she is a hunter that refuses to become the hunted. Unfortunately, the problem with enemies is that sometimes they wear the face of allies.

Read CH 1 at TrinaMLee.com

About the Author

Trina M. Lee was born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Writing fiction since childhood, a fascination with the supernatural developed in her early teen years and an immersion in paranormal fiction began. Trina enjoys hearing from readers and has an active social media presence.

Website: TrinaMLee.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorTrinaMLee
Twitter: Twitter.com/TrinaMLee

Table of Contents

- Book 1: Once Bitten
- Book 2: The Wicked Kiss
- Book 3: Only Vampires Cry Blood
- Book 4: Blonde & Blue