West (A Darkness Series Novel)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  I sensed they were human, and humans didn’t normally worry me. What could they really do to me? But now my instincts were ringing with alarm.

  I tracked them walking away from the front desk and up the grand staircase. My feet hit the floor, and I tossed money at the bar as I raced after the men.

  I took the steps two at a time, not even pausing at the second floor, my legs hauling me to the third. With every step, my nerves trembled and my legs moved faster. The itch grew stronger, like hundreds of tiny spiders crawled up and down my neck.

  I reached our floor, scanning each direction of the hallway. At the far end, a shoulder of one of the men disappeared around the connecting corridor, heading to the section where Rez and I roomed. The beast lunged against its cage, causing my heart to beat faster. Protect. The beast growled, pulsing my muscles into motion. The pattern of the carpet blurred under my feet as I rushed down the hall.

  I curved around the corner and came to a dead stop, my heart hammering in my chest. The three men were heading straight for Rez’s room. My body coiled with rage. How did I let her talk me out of rooming near her? My hands curled into fists as I barreled toward the three men. I knew I could be a scary fucker without trying, and I wasn’t holding back.

  The bearded man suddenly shifted his direction, looking at the card key in his hands. He angled himself for the door next to Rez’s and stopped.

  I did too.

  He unlatched and opened the door, letting the other two in. As he looked back at his buddies, he caught sight of me: the menacing figure in the hallway, poised to tear him in half. His eyes widened. Letting out a tiny yelp and shuffling into the room, he slammed the door shut.

  The sound of the bolt sliding into place echoed down the quiet corridor, sending a rush of chagrin through me. Holy fuck, West. You are such a paranoid ass. These human guys were probably innocently heading to their room, and I practically jumped them, wanting to beat the crap out of them in a five-star hotel.

  Air huffed out of my lungs, and my shoulders drooped as I scrubbed at my face. With a turn, I moved in the opposite direction to my room, shaking my head. I really couldn’t be taken off my leash, could I? My quick temper, paranoia, and stress were a formula for catastrophe. When I snapped, I only hoped no one innocent was in my path.

  I slammed into my room, pissed as hell, throwing myself back on the enormous Tempur-Pedic bed. The alcohol was supposed to ease my tension, but I was more restless and irritable than before.

  I could think of only three ways to release this type of aggression. Shifting. Can’t. Fight someone till you’re bloody messes and can’t lift your muscles anymore. Probably frowned upon here. Or fuck someone senseless. Uhhh. Options slightly limited, unless I departed the premises, which I’d never do, leaving Rez unprotected.

  I rose from the bed and moved toward the shower, tearing off my clothes along the way. Under the spray of the steam shower, I tried to relieve some of the pressure, but every time I closed my eyes, Rez appeared. The curve of her neck, the roundness of her ass, the fullness of her tits. Her lips, eyes, voice...everything. Imagining her on her knees in front of me.

  I lurched, anger rising. There were a million gorgeous girls I could be thinking of. Hell, most of the time I didn’t even need a face. The memory of my many encounters with water fairies usually did the trick. Tonight nothing else turned me on. Typical. She was the one woman I couldn’t have so I wanted her. Nothing more than my beast’s instinct to conquer. My need would probably dissipate after I screwed her.

  Still I wouldn’t allow myself to picture her. And in the end I was left unsatisfied. Naked, I headed for the minibar. An awfully poor substitute. Each tiny bottle was a fortune, but I didn’t give a shit. It was on Lars’s bill. He forced me on this trip, and I would take advantage. I drank every bottle till I stumbled to my bed, landed face first and naked, and then passed out.

  A hammering in my head rattled me out of a dead sleep. Pulsing, throbbing pain drove nails into my brain. My lids struggled to lift. The insistent pounding wouldn’t stop, and it took me a moment to realize it wasn’t only in my head. The door to my room thudded with harsh knocks.

  I groaned and lifted my head. Heavy curtains kept my room dark. Only a sliver of light around the edge of the window squeezed through. I winced as another round of drumming hit the door, sending shockwaves into my skull.

  “Yeah. Yeah…I’m coming.” I slowly put my feet on the ground, though the room kept spinning. I used the nightstand to gain my balance. “Stop the fuckin’ knocking already.”

  My feet shuffled across the carpet, and I slapped at my cheeks, trying to wake up. At last I made it to the door and unlocked it. My eyes flinched at the onslaught of light, and I put my hand up to shade them.

  “Yeah, what the hell do you want?” My bleary gaze cleared the moment I saw the person on the other side.

  “Oh.” Rez’s gaze traveled down my body then she quickly snapped her face to the side, a deep red blushing her cheeks.

  What? Oh right. I was naked.

  Rez’s head jerked around trying to look at something else other than my body, and let’s be honest, my dick. It was up greeting her this morning, too. So polite of it.

  “What can I do for you, darlin’?” A mischievous grin engulfed my face. Was I in the presence of the one fae embarrassed by nakedness?

  “Get dressed, for one.” The flush in her cheeks creeped down her neck.

  “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”

  “Yes…but…well…not exactly…” She rolled her lips together, stopping whatever she was going to say. Her eyes briefly darted to my crotch then down the hall.

  “You’re the one who woke me up. I always sleep naked.” I tried to grip the door and missed, stumbling to the side.

  “Are you drunk?”

  “That’s an extremely good possibility.” I grinned, regaining my hold.

  “It is already past nine, and the car is here. We need to get going.” She huffed then shifted her weight. Watching her squirm helped my hangover. My playful smile only seemed to grow the more flustered she got.

  “No, we really don’t. Cahersiveen won’t be going anywhere. I promise it will still be there an hour after you dictated.”

  She leaned back to glower at me.

  Today her silky, dark brown hair hung to the middle of her back. She had on a cream-colored, fuzzy-looking sweater, cashmere I think, and heeled black boots. Dark designer jeans were tailored to fit every curve of her body but looked more chic than any jeans needed to be. She looked like she should be shopping on streets in Paris, not going to humble fishing villages on the coast of Ireland.

  “Is that what you are wearing?”

  She folded her arms, her eyes tapering. “Yes. Is that what you’re wearing?”

  “If you want it to be.”

  Rez actually rolled her eyes, her frustration with me mounting. Damn, she made this easy.

  “Meet me downstairs in ten, Mr. Moseley.” She swung around and marched down the hallway. I loved how I turned to “Mr. Moseley” when she was pissed with me, which was more often than not.

  I splashed cold water on my face and quickly grabbed my clothes, my hangover already easing. In an hour it would be gone totally. Perk of being fae.

  Once dressed, with my duffle bag slung over my shoulder, I proceeded downstairs. Rez was sitting on the edge of her seat in the lobby sipping from a delicate flowery china cup, her knee bouncing. I was going to have to work on this control issue of hers. She really didn’t like her time schedule being off, but to me schedules were meant to be thrown into disarray.

  My stomach growled. I was ready for an enormous breakfast with several cups of coffee.

  “You hungry?” I pointed at the dining room, the scent of eggs, sausage, and coffee making my mouth water.

  “I already ate.” She stood, her long legs drawing her up to my eye level. “I was down here at eight like we planned. I had the most delicious spinach-and-cheese omelet. They had the
se hot scones with homemade cream and jam, which melted on my tongue, fresh-squeezed orange juice. And the coffee…oh, don’t get me started. Dark and rich.” She emphasized each description, her voice low and sexy, her eyes rolling back like she was about to have an orgasm.

  Now I was extra hungry and even hornier. “Evil, darlin’.” I shook my head.

  She grinned impishly, then grabbed her rolling suitcase and headed out the front door.

  Yeah. Trouble. If I were a smart man, I’d back away and stop playing this game.

  Too bad I wasn’t a smart man.

  A silver Range Rover Sport waited for us in the parking lot. Rez had done all the booking for our trip, but she didn’t comprehend the concept of blending in. Or maybe this was her version of it. Still it made me feel like a yuppie ass. I shoved her suitcase in the back. “Don’t tell me the few things you brought are similar to this.” I motioned to her outfit. “And those definitely have to go.” I pointed at her boots.

  She glanced at her feet. “Are you telling me how to dress?”

  “No. I’m saving your ankles from breaking. You can’t hike or run in those,” I exclaimed. “I’m also saving my back from having to carry you because your feet are aching.”

  “I’m not an idiot. I have a pair of flats in there,” she said.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Fine, they’re ballet flats, but I can run if needed.”

  “Oh, sweetheart.” I clicked my tongue, shutting the hatchback. “Think we’re gonna have to do a little shopping on our way out. You haven’t quite grasped how to be one of us mere mortals.”

  “You’re not mortal.”

  “A technicality.”

  “I’m in jeans and a sweater.”

  I burst out laughing at how plain she made her outfit sound.

  Hurt flickered over her face, and she looked down.

  “Hey.” I instinctively reached out for her face, pulling it up. “Darlin’, you don’t understand. You already stand out. You are the most stunning woman there is, without the fancy clothes. We need any help we can to go unnoticed. At least as much as a siren and a dweller can.”

  Rez’s breath faltered, and I felt a catch in my chest. The intimate moment stifled the cold morning air. What was I doing touching her? Especially like this? I backed away, pushing my hands in my jeans pockets.

  “We should get on the road. Keys?” I held out one hand.

  She blinked, then jerked open her bag, which held all the paperwork, took out a set of keys, and placed them in my open palm.

  “Okay. Let’s get this shit show on the road.” I forced myself to smile cheekily, trying to break the strange energy, and went for the driver’s side.

  Flirting with women, taken or single, came so naturally to me it was like breathing. Safe. Fun. But with Rez I was all too aware I was doing it. The moment she called me out in the kitchen the night before we left, I had become conscious of it. All I should see when I looked at her was the face of the man she crawled into bed with each night looming over me, threatening death. Even flirting harmlessly with her could get me killed.

  “Are you planning to drive?”

  “Uh. Yeah.” I grabbed the door handle.

  “Good luck with that.”

  I swung the door open.

  Shit. “Right.” I smirked. “Wrong side.”

  She chuckled, grabbed the door from me, and hopped into the passenger side.

  Walking to the driver’s side, a gust of unease blew over me, as though we were being watched. I halted, my eyes drifting around. Only one other couple was outside, but they weren’t looking at us. I gazed at the windows of the manor. Not a whisper of fabric moved or a person stood looking out, so I sought out the room where the three men had slipped unwittingly out of my dangerous path last night, but no sign of life showed behind the heavy drapes covering the window.

  I shook my head and climbed into the car. Even if it were only my paranoia, I wanted to put some major distance between us and this hotel.

  “Here, try this on too.” I handed Rez a fake-fur-lined puffy coat. Winter in Ireland was freezing at best, but along the water, with the wind, rain, and thick mist, it could be downright arctic.

  Rez stared at the items in her hands, a crease lining her forehead.

  “Sorry, darlin’. No designer clothes here.” I grinned. We found a sports-and-camping shop where she could at least get the basics: boots, cargo-style pants, couple of wool sweaters, and a jacket. “You will thank me later, I swear.” I winked at her.

  “Never did I think you’d be picking out clothes for me.” Bemusement twisted her mouth. She turned to one of the dressing rooms with several outfits draped over her arm. It was a small shop with only two changing stalls. I trailed behind, sipping the coffee I’d picked up next door. I’d already demolished the bacon-and-egg sandwich.

  Sitting in a chair across from her tiny curtained room, I took another swallow of coffee and almost choked. The coffee burned up my nose as I struggled to keep it from spraying all over the floor. An inch of curtain was not pulled all the way to the wall. The mirror on the other side reflected Rez inside, tugging her sweater over her head. Her long hair pulled through the fabric and tumbled down her bare waist. My gaze latched on her, unable to part from the sight of her smooth olive skin and her black lace bra cupping her exquisite breasts. My shoulders were peppered with sweat. My breath faltered at the tousled mop of her hair, which looked uncannily like she’d been fucked. Really good.

  I couldn’t stop the image that popped into my head, even though I should have. I wanted to be in the dressing room with her groaning and gasping, legs wrapped around my waist, hair getting more ruffled every time she slid up and down the wall as I thrust deep into her.

  West. Stop!

  It was too late. The beast flared to the surface with a crash, and my muscles reflexively tried to change. I shot out of my chair, falling to the ground on all fours, the coffee splashing over the floor as it hit. A grunt gouged my throat under the sudden onslaught of pain.

  “West?” The curtain whipped open. She stood there holding a sweater to cover up. Her eyes grew large, and she dropped the sweater to rush to my side. “West? What’s wrong?”

  Her half-naked body rubbed against mine, only slamming the beast more into primal mode. Dammit, woman. Not helping. My hands curled into the rug, digging into the fibers damp with my coffee. My spine curved up, elongating, my body ready for the change. Except nothing happened. Torture tore through my veins and guttural noises climbed up my throat. My muscles contracted and locked and my whole body cramped, firing razors through my nerves. The longer I went without changing, the more intense the pain grew.

  “Miss, what’s going on?” The plump, blond storekeeper walked over. “Is he all right?”

  A growl of warning vibrated in my throat. Rez grabbed my face, forcing me not to turn to the lady.

  “Yes. Please, stay back. He has these fits occasionally.”

  “Do I need to call the paramedics?”

  “No!” Rez yelped. “Needs some space. He’ll be fine soon.”

  The woman nodded and retreated to the front of the store.

  “West, listen to my voice. Just breathe in and out.” Rez rubbed her fingers over my temples and hair, easing the needles of fire weaving down my body. Her boobs were right in my face so I closed my eyes and focused on her voice. “I need you to calm down. Your irises are bright red and your pupils are horizontal. Seeing you like this might give the clerk a heart attack.”

  She kept talking, a soothing hum to her voice. The siren’s gift began to center me, calming the beast, and the pain eased with it. I took in labored breaths and eased back on my heels. Slowly I opened my lids. Rez sat in front of me, her face lined with worry.

  “Jesus, woman, put a top on,” I grumbled through my teeth.

  “Thought people being naked didn’t bother you,” she quipped back, but hurriedly pulled on the sweater lying on the floor next to her.

  “Nor
mally it doesn’t,” I whispered and glanced away. Naked women turned me on like it did any other man, but she was far more than merely any woman.

  The beast had never responded like that, but right now everything was new territory for me. It was a good possibility the longer I wasn’t able to turn, the more “fits” might happen. Danger had always turned the beast loose, but never desire. No woman had ever meant enough. Well, except one. And the beast had calmed around her; it hadn’t gone ballistic.

  “What happened?”

  I shook my head, feeling anger warm my ears. My weakness was showing itself. And I hated it.

  “West, talk to me. You were in a lot of pain.”

  “Nothing,” I snapped and rose abruptly. Rez didn’t need to know about my bestial dysfunction. “You ready to go?”

  She stood, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her critical gaze roamed over me, lids narrowing.

  “Come on. We’re already off your schedule by two hours.” I turned for the front, walking to the counter, and threw down my credit card. “Whatever she wants.”

  Bursting out the door, I walked into the chilly morning air, heading for the car.

  This was starting off to be a wonderful day.

  The first part of the car ride was tense, but when I turned up the music and started singing at the top of my lungs, I finally got a smile out of Rez.

  “You know you don’t have one lyric right?” Rez shook her head, turning to look at me.

  “Mine are better.” I leaned my head her way and grinned. “Come on, sing with me.”

  “No.” Her head swung back and forth. “No way.”

  “Why?” I kept my head straight but flicked my eyes to her. “I doubt sirens have to worry about having a bad voice.”