“Sally, no. Whatever it is you’re thinking, no. The last time you had that look, I snorted salt up my nose on a dare.”
Sally pouted and crossed her arms on the table. “You’re no fun.”
Just then, someone came to a stop next their table, and Colleen’s nose filled with the most delicious scent. It was like dark chocolate and raspberry. The two women peered up at the man standing beside them. Up close, Viktor Azimov literally took Colleen’s breath away. His skin was flawless perfection. His lips were full, his cheekbones sharp, and his eyes hypnotizing. Once she met his gaze, she couldn’t look away.
“Dance with me?” he asked and held out a hand to her. “In the Still of the Night” had just started playing on the jukebox. An internal voice urged her to look away and to decline his offer. She opened her mouth, starting to form the word no, when Sally answered for her.
“She’d love to. I was just telling her she needs to live a little.”
Viktor smiled, exposing a glimpse of really bright teeth. They practically reflected the light.
“No. I really can’t.” Colleen managed to break eye contact and nervously fidgeted with the napkin on her lap.
“One dance can’t hurt, Colleen. Go. I dare you.” Sally winked at her, and Colleen sighed dramatically.
“Fine.” She tossed the napkin on the table and slid out of the booth. “One dance.” She placed her hand in Viktor’s and almost yanked it back. His skin was ice cold. Before she could pull away, his fingers wrapped around hers, and he was tugging her over to a small area where tables had been moved to the side to make room for dancing.
Viktor moved in close and placed his hands on Colleen’s hips. She put her hands on his shoulders. He was much taller than her, and she had to shuffle a bit closer to ease the stretch in her arms. His dark hair was just long enough to brush along the tops of her hands. Chocolate, raspberry, and the heavy scent of leather from his jacket washed over her, and Colleen closed her eyes. She didn’t realize she was nuzzling his neck until the music switched to “Tutti Frutti.” The upbeat tempo and Little Richard’s raspy howl broke through her haze. Her heart was beating so fast, and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. Viktor looked at her like he wanted to devour her, the way she had looked at her cheeseburger.
“Come with me,” Viktor said. His voice was clear as day over the music, yet she could have sworn his full lips hadn’t moved. Dazed, she nodded and turned to say goodbye to Sally, who was staring at them like the Cheshire cat.
“Go live a little, Colleen. Be unpredictable.”
Viktor led her through the crowded restaurant and outside. The cool night air was a relief against her hot cheeks, and she took a few deep breaths that helped to clear her head. She came to a stop, and Viktor’s hand almost slipped from hers, but he clamped down at the last second and turned to look at her. Once again, their eyes met, and any doubts about leaving with Viktor disappeared. Tucked in the back corner of the parking lot, a black Corvette shone in the moonlight. Had it been a cloudy night, the convertible would have been camouflaged in the shadows of two cottonwood trees.
Viktor held the door open for her, and Colleen sunk down onto red leather. The convertible top was down, and Colleen held her hair back to keep it from blowing in her face. Taking a left on Farnsworth Road, just before the turnoff to Blackstone Road, Viktor sped along until he reached the covered bridge. The road led to an abandoned mine and was hardly ever used. Inside the bridge, the sound of rushing water from Mathews River was amplified. Leaving the radio and headlights on, Viktor put the car in park and in one swift movement, wrapped his arm around Colleen’s shoulders and leaned in close.
“You smell amazing,” he said and buried his nose in her hair. “Did you know hamburgers are a good source of iron?”
What a strange thing to say, she thought, but was immediately distracted when Viktor slid a hand beneath her top and skimmed his fingers along her back, his icy touch making her shiver.
“Let me kiss you,” he breathed in her ear. “I need to taste you.” The longing in his voice made her breath hitch. Her thoughts weren’t her own from that point on.
“Yes, please. Kiss me,” she practically begged, slamming an imaginary door on the inner voice that was screaming in her head, telling her to run, effectively reducing it to muffled sounds of protest.
Viktor’s mouth descended upon hers. His tongue teased the seam of her lips, and she opened for him. His tongue was cool at first, but after a few seconds of the deeper kiss, everything warmed up. He sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, and she gasped at the pinching sensation, but the pain quickly changed to pleasure that traveled down deep. He sucked and sucked. With each pull on her lip, something built inside of her that felt incredibly wrong, but also so good.
A sharp cry of a hawk pierced the night, startling Colleen. The way the call echoed, it sounded close, like the hawk was under the covered bridge with them. It startled her enough that she pulled away. Viktor released her lip with a pop, and she scooted away from him, appalled at her brazen behavior. Raising her fingers to her lips, she discovered they were hot and swollen to the touch. Viktor’s eyes looked almost completely black. Blaming it on a trick of the shadows, she quickly looked away.
“I’d like to go home now,” she said, her voice huskier than usual. Viktor brushed her hair away from her cheek, his hand much warmer than before, and she felt him observing her as if waiting for her to change her mind. She refused to look at him, afraid of losing control again. Sally wanted Colleen to live a little; well, this definitely had to count. She licked her lips, tasting chocolate and something rich, almost metallic.
Honoring her request, Viktor drove her home. They didn’t say anything to each other, and as soon as he pulled up in front of her house, she climbed out of the car and ran up the brick walkway to the front porch. She heard the low purr of the Corvette as he left, and she ducked inside her house, staying in the foyer until her breathing and her pulse were under control. It was after eleven, and her family was already asleep. She quietly climbed the stairs, avoiding the spot that always squeaked, and once Colleen was in her bedroom with the door closed, she collapsed on the bed. Touching her lips again, she discovered they were still swollen and a little sore. Shame washed over her when she realized she had never even properly introduced herself to Viktor. He didn’t know her name. They didn’t know anything about each other, and she let him paw at her like she was easy pickings. A vision of Daniel popped into her head, and the sense of shame deepened, as if she had actually been unfaithful to yet another man who was a stranger.
“I’m losing my mind,” she whispered and curled up in a ball in the middle of her bed, where she fell into a fitful sleep.
Chapter 8
Just as Daniel had climbed into bed, ready to get some sleep for his long drive back to Fort Collins the next morning, there was a sharp knock on the front door. He looked at his clock. It was almost eleven, and since he didn’t know too many people in town, he had no idea who was paying him a visit. Lifting his nose in the air, he breathed in deep, separating the layers of scents around him and picking up on a familiar one: Mickey.
He opened the door to find Mickey wearing shorts and nothing else. His hair was free of the leather band he usually tied it back with when they were working. It hung loose in thick dark waves around his broad shoulders. Sensing agitation rolling off his friend, Daniel quickly invited him in.
“What’s going on?”
“The other night you said your mate was Colleen Campbell, right?”
“Yes, why?”
Mickey paced the tiny living room, his heavy footsteps causing the hardwood floor to vibrate.
“She was making out with Viktor Asimov. He was feeding off of her.”
Daniel’s blood ran cold, and he placed his hands on Mickey’s shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing.
“Who is Viktor, and what the hell do you mean he was feeding?”
“Viktor is the head of the Gothic vampire
nest here in Havenwood Falls. I think he compelled her to go with him.”
“Tell me everything,” Daniel demanded. His hands curled into fists. Claws burst through the tips of his fingers, piercing his palms, the pain helping him to keep from shifting as Mickey told him he had been flying overhead. That’s what he did—he was a watcher and kept watch from above. He saw Colleen leave Burger Bar with the vampire. He followed them to the covered bridge. His cry had interrupted them when things were getting hot and heavy.
“When they drove away, I flew right here. If she’s your fated mate, you need to know. Viktor tends to lure humans in and make them his blood slaves.”
“The Court allows this?”
Mickey shrugged. “He doesn’t kill them, and he needs blood to survive. He might be looking to recruit Colleen.”
Daniel growled, which his inner cat echoed. Stripping out of his underwear, he let his mountain lion free and shifted there in the living room. He didn’t even feel the pain this time, he was so focused on getting to Colleen and making sure she was safe. He bounded out the front door and heard a hawk cry overhead. Looking up, he barely made out Mickey’s dark wings against the night sky.
Daniel ran along the river until he reached the trees that surrounded Colleen’s backyard. He paused, ears flicking back and forth as he listened for any witnesses or threats. All was quiet except for the rustle of feathers as Mickey settled on a branch above his head. Crouched down low and alert, he stole forward and approached the back of the house. A faint trace of vampire scent was in the air, and he followed it around the side of the house to the curb. The vampire hadn’t breached the walls. This was good.
Mine ran on repeat in his head at the idea of a vampire touching his mate, taking her blood. His cat wanted to send a message, and before Daniel could assert his will over his animal, he was spraying the front bushes and proceeded to spray the perimeter of the house, marking his territory with musky urine. Daniel ran back into the woods and traced his steps back to the cabin, with Mickey following him. As soon as he was inside his cabin, he shifted back to his human form. Mickey flew in behind and shifted mid-air, coming to a running stop like a skydiver. He doubled over laughing, slapping at his bare thigh.
“You peed on her bushes! That’s a riot!”
“Just staking my claim.”
“So, you’ve decided then, you’re going to pursue her?” Mickey asked as he pulled on his shorts that had been left on the floor.
“Yeah, I am.” At that proclamation, his inner cat let out a contented purr and settled down. His reaction to another supernatural sniffing around his mate made it clear, and he couldn’t deny it any longer. As far as Colleen being a human, he’d have to find a way to make it work.
Daniel bent over and picked up his underwear and slipped them on, covering up his nakedness. Nudity didn’t bother shifters, though, so he wasn’t uncomfortable around Mickey. He understood.
“All right, I need to get some shut-eye. It’s at least a seven-hour drive tomorrow.”
“So, are you going to stay on as foreman, run things until Mr. Ross is back?”
Daniel nodded. “I’m going to get my mom. She needs to see Havenwood Falls. I think she’ll be happy here. We’ll be back sometime Sunday.”
“See you then.”
As Mickey turned to leave, Daniel called to him. “Thanks for looking out for Colleen. Do you mind keeping an eye on her while I’m gone?”
Mickey grinned. “That’s what friends are for.” With a final wave, he slipped out into the night.
Shutting the door behind his friend, Daniel smiled. Assimilating to life in Havenwood Falls was surprisingly easy. Mickey was proving to be a loyal friend, already looking out for his interests. It had been a long time since Daniel allowed himself the luxury of friendship.
Chapter 9
Something hit the side of the house beneath Colleen’s bedroom window, waking her up. Sunlight streamed in through her windows, the pink gingham curtains blowing in a light breeze. She climbed out of bed and crossed her room to see what hit the house. Looking down on the backyard below, she saw her mom, hose in hand, spraying down her roses. The sound that had woken Colleen was the water hitting the house.
Colleen quickly showered and dressed for work before going downstairs. Her mom had left a place setting at the small dinette table, which was located in the far corner of the kitchen, close to the back door. She poured some Chex in a bowl and grabbed a bottle of milk from the refrigerator. Taking her breakfast with her outside, she discovered her sister was sitting on the small deck, reading.
“Mom, didn’t you water the roses yesterday?” Colleen asked, taking a seat next to her sister.
Her mom stopped the spray of water and glanced up, tilting her wide brimmed gardening hat away from her eyes so she could see.
“I did, but some animal sprayed them last night—sprayed around the entire house—and it smells awful.”
Colleen sniffed the air and shrugged. “It doesn’t smell bad, almost like cinnamon or cloves.”
Kelly snorted. “Cinnamon? Have you gone mad? It smells like a bunch of feral cats had a party last night.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t David, Mom? You know he liked to pee in the backyard when he was little. What if the neighbors saw him?” Kelly hid her laughing face behind her book.
“Girls,” their mom responded with a shake of her head, “I’m pretty sure I would have heard about your brother peeing in the bushes by now. Especially since I already heard about you leaving Burger Bar with Viktor Asimov last night.”
Her mom stood with her hands on her hips. She was still holding the hose in one hand, looped out from her side like a lasso.
“Really?” Kelly’s eyes were huge as she leaned toward her sister.
Colleen blushed and groaned. “Honestly, this town. Rumors spread faster than wildfire. It’s just like Peyton Place. It’s a wonder anyone can keep a secret around here!”
“Are you and Viktor in looooove?” Kelly asked, making kissy sounds at her.
“No. It was one kiss, and I don’t plan on seeing him again.”
“Good,” her mom said. “I won’t have any of my daughters running around with strange men. Your father and I didn’t raise you to be that way.”
“Ugh, honestly, mother, you think anyone who dresses differently and who doesn’t attend at least one church social is strange.” Colleen stood up, her empty bowl in hand. “I’m going to be late for work.” She stomped across the deck, kissy sounds following her into the house.
Pedaling her bicycle to work helped to calm her down, and by the time she was propping her bike up against the lamppost in front of the store, she had a genuine smile on her face.
How quickly that smile faded when she overheard several of the ladies who were in her mother’s bridge club gossiping about Daniel. Two of the women, Melba Ferguson and Hilary Monroe, were full of information. Apparently, Melba had gone over to the cabin where Daniel was staying with one of her famous apple pies to welcome him to Havenwood Falls, but was too late. She saw him loading a suitcase into his truck right before he drove out of town.
“Such a shame,” Melba said. “I’m beginning to wonder if Miller’s Plaza will ever be built.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, Melba,” Patty Parker chimed in. She reached across Hilary and plucked a can of Kitchen Klenzer off the shelf. She briefly examined the label before placing the can in her basket. “I have it on good authority that Daniel is staying on as foreman. He just went to go pick up his mother to bring her here for a visit.”
“So he does have family?” Hilary asked.
“Yes, it’s just him and his mother. His father died a few years ago. He’s been taking care of her ever since—he simply dotes on her.”
“Oh, the poor dear.”
“So tragic,” Hilary said with a sigh.
“She’s lucky to have such a devoted son,” Mrs. Wilson said with a sniff. Her son, Wally, had left Havenwood Falls right after he graduated hig
h school and never came back.
“He isn’t married. I wonder who we can introduce him to? He’d make a fine match for someone.”
The ladies moved to the next aisle, and Colleen strained to hear who they were hypothesizing about. The very idea of them playing matchmaker with Daniel made her want to yell at them to mind their own business, that Daniel was hers. Surprised at the possessiveness of her thoughts, Colleen ground her teeth together to avoid an embarrassing outburst and regarded the gossipers through narrow eyes. Patty stepped forward to the register, setting her basket down on the counter.
“Relax, dear.” She placed her hand on top of Colleen’s, which was curled into a tight fist. “You have nothing to worry about,” she said cryptically and winked.
Before Colleen could ask her what she meant, Patty was walking away, the brown paper grocery bag tucked against her hip like she was carrying a child.
That afternoon was busy since it was the second Saturday of the month, which was when Movies in the Park took place. Havenwood Falls was too small to justify a drive-in movie theater, so the city council and local businesses created the next best thing. Practically the whole town gathered to watch a recent family-friendly flick, and then adults and teenagers stayed for the second movie. That weekend they were showing Tarzan and the Lost Safari first, followed by I Was a Teenage Werewolf. The latter had created quite the buzz with all of the female high school students because the actor, Michael Landon, was positively dreamy. Colleen laughed out loud when she realized that what her brother David and his friend saw by the river the other day wasn’t a wolf with glowing eyes, but just a figment of their imagination. They had been obsessed with this movie. Hollywood and books featured creatures of the night and shape-shifting beasts, but she knew they didn’t exist in real life.
The market usually closed at seven, but by six thirty it was dead, so her dad decided to close early. Colleen stayed at the front of the store cleaning and straightening for over an hour while her dad went to the back office to do some paperwork. When she was done, she peeked her head in his office and waited until he finished counting out a stack of money before telling him goodbye.
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