I looked at both brothers like they had just lost their minds. “Um, yeah, not really that kind of girl.”
The angelic one leaned a hip against the rail, as if he was enjoying his brother’s discomfort.
Scowling, CG started again. “I apologize. What I should have said is, it is imperative that we go somewhere to talk. This is a very time sensitive matter, and unfortunately what we need to talk to you about cannot wait.”
I studied CG. His aura was many different colors, so beautiful I wanted to touch it. The colors swirled to me and I inhaled deeply. Was that normal? What was normal anymore? That was a better question. I needed to leave immediately. I could feel panic bubbling up inside me as I started edging around CG to stop a few feet away from the door. My nostrils flared. “What is that sweet smell?”
The dark one cocked his head. “All I can smell is your fear.”
Just great, I was siphoning off of them. I didn’t even know how I was doing it, so I sure as heck couldn’t stop. Whatever they were, they could smell my fear. So much for trying to put up a brave front. I tried to calm my heartbeat and build my walls.
I slowly headed towards the door leading back to the party, where there were people also known as eyewitnesses. “Well, guys, thanks for stopping by. Make sure to take a piece of Granny’s famous strawberry cake with y’all when you go.” I reached for the doorknob when the blond lightly grabbed my elbow. That was when the other one growled.
The angel dropped my elbow, sending a knowing smile to his brother. “I can only imagine what you are thinking right now, but you must know that just like us, the Degenerates have their own soothsayers and seers. They know what it is going to take to stop the Lux from getting their hands on the keys. Just as we know that you will play a part in winning this war, they do, too, and I can promise you that if they aren’t here now, they will be soon.”
CG nodded. “You will be safer with us.”
“You know, that is a great offer, but I’m going to have to sleep on it. If you boys have maybe a card, you can leave it by the snack table, and I’ll be sure to pick it up later.”
With my hand on the knob, I was so dang close to being away from hotter and hottest when the, “I’m bad, and I know it,” one shook his head at me. His black hair fell over his forehead, and my hand froze. In a menacing tone, he said, “You are making a mistake. The others that come for you will not be as kind as me.”
I could think of a thousand words to describe that man, but kind wasn’t one of them. Kind was something I associated with soft and nurturing. He was neither. I didn’t run back to the party, but I definitely walked as fast as I could because if he was part of the good guys, I didn’t want to see how fierce the bad guys looked. My mouth was suddenly dry, so I headed for the punch bowl. I looked over my shoulder to see hotter and hottest walk in the building and take a seat at one of the empty tables. Guess some people couldn’t take no for an answer. Go with them? Yeah, probably not. Hadn’t they ever seen Forensic Files? Or Date Line? Both were Granny’s favorite shows. Come to think of it, Granny might have some serious issues, but I would worry about her mental health later. I currently had more pressing problems.
Chapter Eight
I almost tripped when I saw what awaited me at the punch bowl. It sure as heck wasn’t Michael. My whole life, I grew up around cute, all-American boys. Now all in one night, I saw three men that looked like they could be in any cologne ad in a high-end magazine. This man was not quite as tall as the brothers, but he was still every bit of six feet. He had perfectly mussed, rich brown hair and big brown eyes that were currently boring a hole right through me. I finally got my feet to start walking again properly. I picked up a glass off the table and avoided his eyes.
I poured some green punch, doing my best to not cave under the intense gaze of the model in front of me. “You are even more beautiful in person, Miss Grey.”
“How do you know my name, Mr.…?”
He smiled at me, and Lord help me, he had dimples. “Just call me Stephan. I hear that they are soon going to start dancing. Would you save me a dance? I promise to answer all of your questions.”
This man oozed charm. I had no clue why I said, “Sure,” but I did. He smiled at me like he wanted to devour me before he left me standing all alone at the punch bowl.
Jo came trotting over with a lopsided grin on her face. “It’s like a smorgasbord of hotness in here. So, care to tell me who all your little friends are?”
I gave her an exasperated look. “Jo, I’m sure you know exactly who they all are, but I’ll play your game. The hot, mysterious one over there by the snack table is Stephan.”
Jo sighed. “Holy crap. He is the hottest thing I have ever seen this side of the Mississippi.”
I laughed. “Just wait.” I scanned the room until my eyes landed on a little checkered table. There I saw the angel sitting with my Granny of all people. “And the angel over there flirting with Granny is James, but I have dubbed him ‘hotter’ because he is about hotter than anything I have ever seen.”
Jo’s eyes darted from Stephan to James. All she came up with was, “Damn.”
I searched for the other one and finally found him leaning up against a wall with one foot propped up and his hands in his pockets. That hoochie, Stacy, was all in his personal space, laughing and twirling her hair. I turned back to Jo and pointed behind me with my thumb. “And that one over there is hottest. Also known as CG something or another.”
Jo looked behind me and said, “Oh, the one that is currently staring at the back of your head?”
It took everything I had not to turn around. Bonus points for me. Jo still stared at CG.
“I don’t know if one is technically hotter than any of the others. I would have to see them head to toe naked before I made that kind of judgment call.”
She might have a point.
“Remember, build your walls. You can do it.” I was about to ask her about the crazy vision I had outside when she grabbed my cup from me. “Here, let me hold that for you.”
My eyebrows drew together. “Why?”
“For the dance, silly.”
A couple of seconds later, some music started up, and Stephan walked over to claim me. I thought of an indestructible wall. When his hand landed on the small of my back, I sighed with relief. Jo was right; I could do this. If I could keep up with my Granny’s crazy lingo, I could build a stupid wall. I was concentrating so hard on my wall that it took me a second to realize I was dancing. I gazed into Stephan’s eyes as he slow danced with me around the floor, and I had to break the awkward silence. “You’re not from around here. Let me guess; you think that I can help win the war in some way, and you need me to help you.”
Stephan pulled me in just a little closer. “Smart and gorgeous. I came here tonight to see which side you’re going to be batting for.”
I looked into his puppy dog eyes and asked, “Which team are you on, Stephan? The good guys or the bad guys?”
He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Whichever one suits me best at the time. I’m a selfish bastard.”
I glanced back at him and laughed. “Well, at least you’re honest.” I gazed around the room, seeing the angel still talking with my Granny, and he looked up at me and smiled. I immediately sought out his brother. I found him frowning at me from the same place I saw him last time, with the same ho draped all over him. Stacy. Ugh.
Stephan said, “Do not worry about him. He always has a murderous look on his face.”
“What do you know about the brothers?”
Stephan pursed his lips, as if he was in deep thought. “I know that honor boringly binds them. They have an overzealous sense of justice. I can assure you without a doubt they are here to get your help to rescue a key. I’m intrigued to know who they will get the key from.”
“They don’t look like they need my help. Why me?”
“I wish I knew. I do know that you have been marked as one of the players and because of that, you wil
l need protection.”
I was so wrapped up in what Stephan was saying I barely noticed the band had started playing another song. “Whether you want to be involved in this war or not, you will be. I came here tonight to offer you protection,” he said.
There seemed to be a lot of that going around, but who would protect me from the protectors? I pushed back from him a little bit. “I appreciate the offer, but I barely know you. If I must be involved in this war, the best thing for me to do is to get prepared. I can at least trust myself.”
Stephan stopped dancing but kept his arms around me. “When you need me, call me, and I will be there.”
He gave me a white card. The only thing on the card was a phone number written in small, black numbers. Then he leaned in like he was about to kiss me, and two things happened at once. I accidentally let my walls down, and his aura hit me like a freight train. It exploded from him, red as blood, which meant I siphoned off of him. I felt a huge power surge. As I closed my eyes, I could hear things I shouldn’t be able to hear, and I wanted... blood? As I was trying to come to terms with Stephan being a vampire, the second thing happened, also known as hottest. He was in between us so fast I didn’t see him coming.
CG said, “It’s about time for you to leave, isn’t it, neck biter?”
Stephan backed up two feet with his hands in the air. He looked over at me and winked. “You let your walls down. It was a rush, was it not?” Then his eyes roamed over my body. “You know where to find me.” He turned around and walked out the front door.
“People are starting to stare, and we don’t want that, do we?” CG pulled me into his arms. I immediately stiffened, and he whispered, “Relax, I don’t bite. The last one did but I don’t.”
I glanced up into his beautiful face. “Not sure if that was supposed to be a joke or not. It is tough to tell with that serious look on your face.”
CG smiled, and my heart skipped a beat. “It’s been a hard night for me, too. I assumed that when I came here, you would understand that it’s imperative you leave with me for the safety of you and your family. And if I hear the phrase, ‘bless your heart’ one more time, I might just throw up.”
“What do you mean, the safety of my family and me? Are you threatening me?”
CG let out a frustrated sigh. “No, I’m not threatening you or your loved ones. But there will be those that come after you who see you as a means to an end. They don’t care what they have to do to secure a blood oath from you, which binds you to fight on their side.”
There was a lot that had happened to me in a short time. I should be completely out of my mind with fear but I wasn’t. I was scared for sure, but not freaking out. It could be because even though Jo couldn’t tell me my future, she wouldn’t have let me dance with either boy if they were ax murderers. Not to mention the fact that I’d caught a couple of glimpses of her, and she was wearing a goofy grin while giving me a thumbs up.
I tried to get my thoughts in order while trying not to think about how muscular his arms were underneath my hands, but I was having a hard time focusing. This creature holding me ever so gently had my hormones in overdrive.
“Mr. Bradford, I need you to understand that before today, I had no powers. None. I had heard rumors of the war and had basic knowledge of the keys, but I am, by no means, a fountain of knowledge when it comes to the Lux or the Degenerates. I need time to think about my options.”
“But—”
I shook my head. “Thank you for the dance.”
As I tried to extract myself from him, his grip tightened. “Don’t think too long, Miss. Grey.”
I patted his shoulder and shook my head. “Bless your heart.” I swear I heard him laugh as I walked away.
Three mysterious, handsome strangers in our small town. I knew tongues were wagging, and fingers were pointing, but I also knew the reason the three strangers were allowed to stay in our town was because of Jo. She must have foreseen something and ran it by my dad because he wasn’t threatening to kill anyone. Plus, the three strangers made it past our magic barriers. Someone had to agree to let them in. Dad walked across the floor where I had left hottest and was in a deep conversation with CG, patting him on the shoulder and smiling. What in the world was going on? I felt like everyone was in on a dirty little secret I wasn’t privy to. Jo had definitely told my father something. I was so tempted to corner them both, but I knew it would be a complete waste of time. I wasn’t a diary writing kind of girl, but if I kept one, I would definitely title this day, “weirdest day ever.”
Chapter Nine
As I lay awake in my twin bed, I couldn’t help but think what a crazy day I’d had. The dud had finally received her powers, but not just any powers, the best power to obtain ever. And who did I find this out from? My dead mom. Seeing three hot guys in my podunk town, much less at a birthday party for yours truly, was ludicrous, to say the least. But the real nail in the coffin? I’d been marked as a player in a game I knew nothing about. Being part of a community that had mostly witch-like powers meant I had never been around other factions. To come into contact with a vampire, and whatever the brothers were, almost felt surreal. All three gentlemen, and I used that term loosely, wanted to use me to find one of the seven keys. I had apparently lived a very sheltered life, which was okay when you were a dud. And to top off my night, my best friend had just disappeared. I came home to an empty trailer and found a note on the fridge.
It said, Scared you will ask too many questions, and I won’t be able to fend you off. Happy Birthday. Love, Jo.
What a coward. I mean, of course, I was going to ask her questions, but it wasn’t like I was going to duct tape her to the wall and torture her until she gave me some answers. At least I don’t think I would have because I didn’t have any duct tape on me, which was an outright sin in the South. It was in the top five things for a redneck to have when in survival mode.
I tossed and turned until I realized sleep was just not going to happen for me anytime soon. I threw the covers off of me and headed toward the kitchen in search of some pie. It wouldn’t help me sleep, but at least I would enjoy being up. As I reached the kitchen table, I glanced out the window and realized my night was about to get worse. A black aura emerged from the ground and headed towards me from the forest. My head started swimming, and my knees almost gave out, as I reached for the back of the kitchen chair to steady myself. I could feel the excitement of hearing my heartbeat. But it wasn’t my excitement. It was someone else’s, and they were also using all of their senses to pinpoint where I was in the trailer, which could only mean I was freaking channeling someone. And they were coming this way. I grabbed a kitchen knife and ran as fast as I could. Diving to the back of my closet, I hid behind some long dresses and prayed they would cover all of me. I barely had time to sit when I heard the screen door suddenly squeak open.
I heard a laugh then a deep rumble. He was speaking in some sort of foreign language, but for whatever reason, I could understand him. “Hmm. I hear a fast heartbeat and smell fear. I guess someone knows that I’m here. Shall we make this easier by you coming to me?” I heard a couple of footsteps in the tiny living room before he stopped. “No? Fine. Stay where you are, and I’ll find you. Or better yet, get up and run. I love a good chase.”
I tried as hard as I could to calm my beating heart, but having something evil searching for your crappy hiding spot was not a calming thought. Before I could even come up with a plan, I was snatched out of my closet by my hair. My feet dangled three inches off the ground, and I cried out in pain and terror because the thing in front of me was a demon. I wish that I would have paid more attention to what Mr. Boring had said about demons! This one was almost as wide as he was tall, and he was pretty dang tall. With two black horns growing out of his head, he stared at me with onyx eyes that were utterly soulless.
“Found you.” His head cocked to the side. “The boss man is going to love you in so many ways. Pretty.”
The shock wore off and p
anic set in, and I started kicking and punching. I remembered the knife I still held in my hand and rammed it into his stomach. With his free hand, he pulled the knife out of him and tossed it to the floor. Well, that didn’t work out too great.
My weak attempt must have amused him because he laughed. “I like that you’re feisty.” He threw me across the room like a ragdoll. My head cracked into the wall, and I briefly saw stars.
Slowly, he walked over to me. I was barely holding on to consciousness as he gripped my ankle and started dragging me through the trailer. I grabbed onto everything I could, but it didn’t stop him—it didn’t even slow him down. He walked right out the front door, hauling me down all three steps, my head hitting each one.
Just as I thought this was it for me, and I was going to die at the hands of some ugly, two-horned freak, I heard, “Let her go, and I promise I won’t torture you before you die.”
The demon released my foot, and I crawled backwards on the grass as far away from him as I could. A man stepped out of the shadows. One that I didn’t think I would see again so soon. CG glanced my way, and his face hardened even more, if that was possible. “Never mind, demon. I will play with you before you die.”
The demon laughed. “You are too late. She’s mine.” He turned his back on CG and attempted to grab me. Quicker than the eye could trace, CG appeared behind him, punching the demon in his kidney. The demon whirled around to attack, but he swung at nothing but air. CG tapped the demon on his shoulder, and the demon turned around once more to find a different version of the dark stranger. CG had morphed into something larger. I had never seen a werewolf up close before, but the pictures in the textbooks didn’t do them justice. I should be terrified, but I found myself enamored instead. Every inch of him had elongated, and he was so much larger. CG grabbed the demon by his throat and slung him fifteen feet into the air. The demon made contact with an old oak tree and slid all the way down.
The Werewolf Queen Page 4
