Lucian curled his lip, displaying his fangs. It was enough.
Ian sobered. “Sorry, Luc, but you know I’m right.”
When he suddenly smiled, Ian glanced behind him. Looking left and then right, he frowned. “What’s so damned funny?”
Lucian began to laugh, enjoying his friend’s discomfort. “Your day is coming, and I’ll be the first one in line to watch how deeply your mate burrows under your skin.”
Shrugging, Ian lifted his beer, unconcerned. “Then it’s a good thing you age well, ‘cause you’ll be waiting a long time for that pleasure.”
Chapter Three
When the next evening arrived, Lucian awoke quickly, having slept very little. The night couldn’t come soon enough as far as his peace of mind was concerned. He had to prove what his instincts already seemed to know; that Rana Sterling was Elizabeth.
Before he’d gone to bed, he’d waited until the funeral home opened. The curator couldn’t resist his hypnotic voice, and he gave Lucian the information he sought. Armed with Rana’s address, Lucian shapeshifted into a raven in mere seconds and took off in the dark of night, heading toward his destiny.
Without a sound, he folded his raven’s wings and landed on her balcony. Shifting into mist, he slid between the French doors and materialized near her bed.
She stirred and turned toward him. Even though his night vision allowed him to see her features perfectly, he moved so the moonlight shined on her face, its gentle glow accentuating her rosy, sleep-warmed skin.
He recognized the heart-shaped face, high cheekbones and full lips as the woman he’d seen a week ago—the one who’d slammed him with intense physical awareness with only a brush of her shoulder.
He wanted to run his fingers through the ash-blond hair splayed across her pillow, to touch her moist lips, curved in sleep as if she were smiling at something or someone.
Her hand rested on the pillow near her cheek, the ring’s stones catching the moon’s bright light. Lucian couldn’t resist touching his creation. The ring, made of a special amalgam he’d had created by a gypsy metallurgist, was meant to absorb its wearer’s scent. His heart pounded and blood rushed to fill his erection, making him more aware of his naked state. He’d been so enthralled with seeing Rana again, he hadn’t thought to create the illusion of clothes once he’d shifted to human form.
Sinking to his knees beside the bed, he gently lifted her hand and brought it to his nose, inhaling. Peace washed over him. After seventy years of waiting, he’d finally found her. The scent was his, mixed with hers—different than he remembered Elizabeth’s to be, because now the ring was starting to absorb Rana’s own special smell—sweet, with a hint of citrus.
This woman’s alluring fragrance magnified tenfold the response he’d had to Elizabeth. He hadn’t anticipated how keenly it would affect him. The fire in his veins burned intensely. Lucian closed his eyes, thankful for a second chance.
Looking at her face once more, so beautiful and peaceful in sleep, his chest contracted with love. He heard her heart beating, the rush of her warm blood coursing through her veins, calling to him.
He imagined her writhing under him, arching her back, baring her neck. “Make love to me, Lucian,” she’d call out, frantic for him. The fantasy brought a smile to his lips. He touched her hair and whispered, “Soon, my love.” Turning, he shimmered into mist, then left the way he came.
*
Lucian stood outside the Lion’s Lair, waiting for Kraid to exit. He’d seen the vamp seducing two young women on the dance floor. Although he knew it wouldn’t be long before Kraid led the women outside, frustration mounted as he leaned against the wall. Tonight was about setting the vamp straight, but he’d fight him if it came to that.
Kraid exited the club, nuzzling the neck of one of the blondes. Her twin, flanking his other side, ran long red nails down his chest.
Lucian stepped out of the shadows, blocking his path.
“We need to talk.”
Kraid laughed dismissively. “Later.”
“Now, Kraid.” Lucian didn’t move. He looked at the women and compelled them. “You’re tired and you want to go home.”
“No.” Kraid tightened his grip on their waists.
One woman speared her fingers through his short, spiky brown hair, saying, “I’m really tired, Kraid. I’ll see you later, okay?” She turned and walked off toward her car. The other kissed his cheek, then followed her sister, blowing him a goodbye kiss.
Kraid snorted at Lucian, then started to follow them, but Lucian put his hand on his chest. “I said now.”
“What do you want?” Kraid snapped, his green eyes cutting back to him.
“I want you to keep your clan in line. I heard about the killings.” Lucian fixed his longtime rival with a steely stare. “That’s unacceptable.”
Kraid elevated his chin. “Who are you to tell me what’s acceptable?”
“I’m taking the Vité position.” Lucian gave him a lazy, confident smile. “I have every right.”
Surprise flashed in Kraid’s eyes, then pure hatred followed before the vamp masked it with an assured smile. “The vote has to be unanimous. I won’t vote for you.”
Lucian ignored his comment. “I’m here to talk about the humans who were killed.”
Kraid buffed his nails on his jacket’s lapel, affecting a bored expression. “The human I killed was a vampire hunter. He deserved to die.” Lifting his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, he plucked unseen lint from the dark fabric. “I’m not sure about the other two.”
Lucian clenched his jaw. The man’s complete lack of responsibility proved how poorly he led his clan. “You’ll answer to the council for your actions. Punish the other offenders in your clan or I will.”
“Why are you acting like I’ve committed some crime?” Kraid gritted his teeth in anger. “The man was a hunter.”
“You’re the leader of your clan, Kraid. You’re responsible for the Rueans’ actions. All of them.”
“I’ll run my clan how I see fit. I don’t need your interference. I didn’t eighty years ago and certainly not fucking now!”
Lucian took a step closer and leaned toward Kraid with menace. “When you and some of your clan members’ stupidity puts us all in danger, I have every fucking right!” He flung his arm out toward the open parking lot, his anger rising. “There are vampire hunters out there who’re just waiting for us to overplay our hand, and they’ll be ready to swoop in and annihilate us all. We’re the minority. We must learn to live among humans as best we can.” He saved the best for last as he pinned Kraid with a meaningful stare. “If you can’t curb your clan, Ian will take your place.”
Veins bulged on Kraid’s temples like sausages boiling on a grill. Finally, his contorted face settled to mere irritation as he cocked his head to the side. “Why the sudden interest in the Vité position?”
Before he could respond, Kraid’s eyes lit with mockery. “Don’t tell me you’ve found your mate?” He laughed heartily as he had done for many years at what he considered Lucian’s softness.
Lucian kept his expression carefully dispassionate.
Kraid inhaled deeply. “I smell her weak human smell on you.” Flaring his nostrils, he slid his tongue across his teeth. “The scent is pure, untainted by another vamp.” He smiled, showing his fangs. “Maybe I’ll have a go at her.”
Blind red rage encompassed Lucian. He grabbed Kraid by the neck and slammed him up against the wall, baring his fangs with a guttural growl. “Go anywhere near her, and I’ll rip your black heart out and shove it down your throat.”
Lucian ignored Kraid’s attempts to loosen his hand. Instead, he tightened it around the bastard’s windpipe. Even though vampires only took a few breaths per minute, he only had to hold him long enough to cut off his air. Coiled with fury, Lucian finished in a deadly voice, “Am I making myself clear?”
When Kraid managed a strangled affirmative noise, he let him drop to the ground. While Kraid gasped for breath, L
ucian said, “Get your clan in order. You’ll have to answer to the council in three days.”
As he walked back toward the nightclub’s entrance, Kraid taunted in a strangled rasp, “Why would you taint the Kantré bloodline with an insignificant human?”
Lucian didn’t dignify his question with an answer. Kraid would never understand, because he’d never loved anyone more than himself.
*
Rana awoke to the blaring beep of her alarm clock. She moaned and hit the snooze button with her palm. Ten minutes later, the offending noise sounded again. She grimaced and pulled herself out of bed, looking longingly at her novel that had fallen to the floor last night.
She’d never been much of a morning person, always preferring to stay up late, reading into the wee hours. Splaying her fingers against her scalp, she combed through the tangled mass and stared bleary-eyed at herself in the mirror. “Ugh! I need a shower,” she mumbled, drawing her hands over her face to wake herself up.
The scent of lavender, strong and sweet tickled her nostrils. Rana tilted her hand and sniffed the ring on her finger. The odor was strong and clean and now included a citrus smell as well. It was definitely coming from the ring. Odd. How long could a ring carry the previous owner’s scent? She really liked the perfume. Maybe she’d stop by the department store at lunch and see if they recognized the flowery aroma.
Worried she’d wash the scent away in the shower, she started to remove the ring from her finger but found it lodged in place. No matter how hard she tugged, it wouldn’t budge. With a huff, she stopped trying, feeling oddly comforted by the fact the ring seemed to have become a part of her.
*
As Rana opened the door to her bookstore, she inhaled the comforting smell of books. She’d missed this place. Lifting the ring to her nose, she sniffed, yep, citrusy-lavender smell still there. Two wonderful smells to carry her through her first day back. This was better than relaxation aromatherapy candles.
Inside, she snapped the shades up and turned the Closed sign to Open. As the sunlight shined across the rows of oak bookshelves, the heavy aroma of polished wood and new and used books greeted her like an old friend.
When she’d set up Sterling’s Bookshop, she done so with more than just browsing in mind. She’d added an elevated area right next to the big picture window to be used as a reading corner. Brightly colored oversized pillows and cushioned chairs sat in a cozy carpeted corner, waiting for readers to enjoy a good book. Twice a month, she brought in cookies and coffee (and juice) for her customers, encouraging them to stay and read while in her store.
The bell above the door chimed announcing David’s arrival. His parents owned Sheffield’s Bakery a couple streets over, and he was in her store so often, recommending books to customers that she offered to let him hang with her whenever he was off from school. In return, he got all the books he could read and some unofficial cash on the side. As David would say, “Win-win!”
He called to her from behind a potted plant sporting a red bow. “Welcome back, Rana.”
“Good morning, David. Enjoying your fall break?”
He nodded, his curly blond hair falling into his eyes as he approached her. “I’m sorry about your grandfather.”
Tears stung. No, not here. She wasn’t going to cry. She needed to be strong. Rana gave David a tremulous smile and took the plant he held out to her. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
The silence stretched out between them until David began to shift uncomfortably from one foot to the next, his Chucks making squeaking sounds on the wood floor.
With an inward smile, Rana put the poor guy out of his misery. “Jack left me his ‘Vette.”
David’s eyes lit up. “That’s your car out front? Your grandfather was so cool.”
She smiled a little. “He was. I’m going to have to move it around back, but I wanted to bring in a new box of books.”
“Got any on werewolves?” he asked eagerly.
Rana shook her head. “Not in these new books. I’ll try to remember for next time.”
At David’s crestfallen expression, she pointed to two boxes in front of the counter. “I’d just bought a slew of used ones, before Jack…” her breath hitched, but she managed to continue, “You could go through them and see if there’s anything in there.”
David’s eyes lit up. “Awesome. I’ll catalogue them while I’m at it.”
“That’d be great, and whatever you find on werewolves you can keep.”
David grinned and began opening the boxes.
They worked in companionable silence for a couple of hours, pulling out, tagging and cataloging the new and used books for the bookshelves.
“Ah, ha.” Rana lifted a book, then walked over to swing it enticingly underneath his nose. “What about a book on vampires?”
David shrugged. “No thanks. I only want ones on werewolves.”
“So picky,” she said with a chuckle, continuing on with her work.
As lunchtime approached, David rose and stretched. “I’ve finished these two boxes. I have an errand to run. I’ll be back in an hour to finish this last box up, okay?”
Rana couldn’t help but smile at his business-like tone. Towering over her by a good four inches, David might look and act sixteen, but he was just a very precocious thirteen-year-old. “See you then.”
After David left, she locked up her store. As she walked the five blocks to Bennett’s department store, she could hear Jack snorting his displeasure, “Why aren’t you driving my car? She needs attention, you know.”
When she reached the store, Rana headed straight for the perfume counter and said to the petite blonde salesgirl, “Hi, I’m trying to find a particular scent.”
“Sure.” The bubbly woman smiled. “What’s the name?”
Rana gave an apologetic smile. “I don’t know.” She tried to pull off the ring once more, but the darn thing may as well have been welded to her finger. Finally, she lifted her hand toward the woman, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “It smells like…well, this ring.”
Candice, or so her nametag read, eyed her, then leaned forward and sniffed the ring. Leaning back, she said politely, “I don’t smell anything.”
Rana frowned and smelled the ring once more. As strong as could be, the ring radiated a citrus-lavender fragrance.
“What does it smell like to you?” Candice offered.
Rana looked at her and said absently, “Oh, the closest I could get to describing the scent would be lavender with a hint of citrus.”
Candice opened the glass cabinet in front of her and pulled out two bottles of perfume. “This one has lavender and this one has lemons and oranges. We don’t have any that have both.” She grinned. “Though it does sound like an intriguing combination.”
Rana picked up one and then the other, but neither smelled at all like her ring. Giving them back to the woman, she sighed. “Thanks, I think I’ll keep looking.”
As she walked out of the store, she couldn’t understand why the girl behind the counter couldn’t detect the scent on her ring. Maybe being surrounded by all those fragrances dulled her sense of smell. She lifted the ring to her nose once more. The metal still smelled like lavender, but now the citrus seemed more pronounced. Weird. On the bright side, if the ring continued to emit this scent so strongly, she wouldn’t need any perfume anyway.
*
Later in the day, while Rana rang up a customer’s purchase, David let out a hoot of excitement and jumped up from the floor. “I’ve got one.”
“Found a book on werewolves?” Rana loved the elation in his eyes. Seeing people get excited about books made her day.
“Can I take it home after I finish these last couple of books?”
He looked so expectant, Rana waved him on. “You can go now. It’s almost time to close up anyway.”
The customer, an older lady, tried to read the title of David’s book as she followed him out of the store. Guess you’re never too old to like werewolf stories. Ra
na snickered and glanced at her watch. Ten more minutes and it’s quittin’ time.
She’d just picked up a stack of books needing to be re-shelved when the bell chimed. “I’ll be with you in a minute,” she called out to the tall man browsing through a shelf of autobiographies.
“Take your time,” he said, causing her to glance up and inspect him closer while his gaze was averted. He looked to be in his mid-thirties with short-cropped midnight hair. High cheekbones flowed into a straight nose, but it was his strong jaw line that held her attention. The sharp edge defined his face, the kind of face artists loved.
His black trench coat hid his build, though its length accentuated his height, which she guessed to be about six-three. The cut of his white dress shirt and charcoal gray slacks screamed custom made. What was he doing in her small out-of-the-way bookstore? He had the look of a Barrett’s shopper.
She quickly glanced over her chocolate brown sweater and long black skirt. Note to self: your clothes suck! Update them and for the love of Jimmy, get some color. With a wry smile, she squared her shoulders. “Can I help you with something?”
He turned and white teeth gleamed in a charming grin. “I’m just looking.”
His devastating smile sent her heart flopping around like a beached fish. It did a triple somersault when she met his metallic gaze and realized he was the man from the cemetery. Gulping back a gasp, Rana worked hard to keep her voice steady. “Let me know if you need anything.”
As she put one book on the shelf, she noticed the other hadn’t been tagged. Once she tagged the book, she approached the bookshelf where the man stood.
He was inspecting the titles with a thoughtful look. “How old are these books? Some of the titles appear to go back decades.”
His pale gray eyes met hers and her pulse skittered. She let out a nervous, throaty laugh. “Yes, some of the books on the left date back to as early as 1930. Are you looking for first editions?”
The sensual curve of his mouth and the warmth of his smile, took her breath away. “I’m a collector of sorts, seeking items from the past is…a passion of mine.”
Love's First Bite: Bad Boys and Alpha Vampires Boxed Set (6 book bundle) Page 47
