by Kym Grosso
“No, and frankly I don’t care whether it’s a man or woman. Whoever torched my club knowingly started a pack war. That being said, I’m interested in how you procured her. How do you know she was there?”
Alexandra admired her long nails, preparing to boast about her extraordinary hunting skills. “My strong Alpha, you do know just how important your little club is to me and my vampires. While you may not appreciate my interest in your venture, you know that I’ve always wanted you.”
Tristan rolled his eyes. “Yes, tell me something I don’t know.”
“My vampires. They do treasure being able to go to the club for a bite to eat and to seek carnal pleasure. They watch. They protect what they value.”
“You have surveillance on my club?” Tristan could hardly believe she’d go so far as to stalk him, but at this point, he just wanted answers.
“Please, darling, don’t make it sound so crass. They weren’t spying on you,” she countered defensively. “They were merely making their rounds, making sure our ranks were behaving. They are my eyes and ears. As their leader, I’m acutely aware of their activities. One must keep vampires in line.”
“Yeah right,” Logan grunted under his breath. He didn’t trust a single word that came out of those finely painted lips.
“Did you have to bring him?” Alexandra asked Tristan, quite annoyed that Logan was allowed to speak in her presence.
Tristan shot him a pleading look as if to ask him to curb his anger. He knew Logan didn’t do diplomacy, whereas the Alpha was trying to get as much information as possible about what had happened. The last thing he needed was war with the vampires, as he might need their help with whoever had attacked the pack.
“Please go on,” Tristan encouraged.
Alexandra huffed, smoothing her hair. “The day of the fire they were merely doing rounds of the city. All they saw was her leaving with that dreadful snake of yours in tow. Honestly, I don’t know why you even kept that vile reptile.” She rolled her black eyes in disgust. “But I digress. Long story short, we tailed her then snapped her up a few days later in a parking garage.”
“What else did your workers see that night? Did they actually see her set the fire? Was she with anyone?”
“No, they did not see her set the fire, nor did they see anyone else. Please, Tristan. As if I would lie to you.” She batted her heavily mascaraed eyelashes at him. “Now that I’ve already told you what they knew, can we please go into the parlor and sit like civilized people? I’d love to hear all the details about your new club,” she pleaded, and turned to walk away.
“What do you mean by ‘knew’? I want to talk to the vampires who saw her that day and the ones who captured her,” he demanded. “They might be able to tell me something you overlooked.”
She stopped in her tracks, slowly turning around with a cold sneer plastered across her face. “I’m afraid that’s not possible, as they are no longer with us. The vampires who saw her and took her were one and the same. Unfortunately for them, they did not understand the meaning of ‘do not touch’ and tried to play with my new toy.” Vampire justice was swift and merciless.
“Okay then. Since we are about to do a transport, I need to know if the woman’s supernatural,” Tristan inquired. He stoically waited for answers that did not come, while Logan began to pace.
“From what I can tell, she is not of a supernatural origin, now please, let’s just go sit down and…”
“Alexandra, I don’t have all day. If you have no further information, then we’ve got to get going. Where is she? Oh and she’d better be alive,” Tristan snapped. He was growing impatient.
“Mouse? Don’t worry, I didn’t kill her,” she scoffed. “I merely played with my toy. But if you are in such a hurry, I’ll ask James to bring her down to you. Honestly, I’ll be glad to be rid of the nasty little thing. I’ll tell you this, my dear Alpha, the twit may not be supernatural, but I’m not convinced she’s entirely human, either. Never in all my years has a human tasted so foul.”
Kalli heard voices. Her beast had risen for mere seconds only to cower inward. Even though her medicine was starting to wear off, it wasn’t enough to allow a transformation. After opening herself to what lay within, she’d hoped she’d have more energy. She was grateful that she could at least walk, which was more than she could have managed earlier. Slowly, she turned the door handle, sensing there were no guards. As she peeked around the corner, she spied the staircase.
She hesitated and looked down at her bare feet. What the hell had they done with her shoes? And even though they’d left her in her jeans, they’d torn her sleeveless turtleneck, exposing her bra. Out of modesty, she tried gathering the material together, softly gliding her fingers over the welts on her neck in the process. It was September, so she wouldn’t freeze. Kalli made a split second decision; she needed to leave. It was either flee or die. A coward she wasn’t.
She quietly padded down the long hallway, cringing at every little creak her feet made on the old hardwood floor. A shiver ran down her spine when she heard the demon female voice she’d come to know the past few days. Startled at the sound of a man’s voice raised in anger, she jumped. Had she brought more vampires here? Were they here for her? She had to get out quickly. She’d die if she lost any more blood.
As she intrepidly descended the stairs, she found they led into a kitchen. Kalli caught sight of a backdoor only twenty feet away; freedom was so close she could taste it. A few steps more and she could reach the handle. She didn’t see or hear anyone and darted for the door.
Pain seared through her body as a pair of large hands wrapped around the loose tendrils of her hair, yanking her backward toward the floor. Choked in fear, she gasped for air as vomit rose in her throat. A gut-wrenching scream tore from her lungs as the man dragged her flailing body along the stained wooden planks. Although fraught with confusion and despair, she took note of his perplexing attire; a clown? No, it was another monster, a vampire. His fangs bared, he silently continued to pull her toward the voices. Thrashing about, she grabbed onto his hands, trying to free herself from his iron grip. A flash of the vampire who’d bitten her and two strange men crossed her vision. Saviors?
“Please! Help me! They’re going to kill me!” she cried out, begging for rescue. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried kicking her abductor in an attempt to escape the bloodthirsty, fanged savages who’d been holding her hostage.
Breaking his silence, the harlequin man stopped and straddled her. “Silence! The mistress wants her mouse quiet!” She recoiled as he raised the back of his hand to hit her.
As Tristan heard the screams, he caught a glimpse of the evil smile blooming across Alexandra’s face. Growling, he rushed the vampire who sat atop the young woman, shoving him so hard that he flew across the room and smashed into a wall. Tristan cradled the woman’s head in his lap, while Logan blocked Alexandra.
Tristan looked down at the battered woman, who looked emaciated and bloodied. Dark raven curls covered her face. Gently, he pushed the strands of hair aside. She whimpered and cringed in fear, balling herself into a fetal position. At first sight, Tristan found it hard to believe that such a vulnerable creature could be involved with starting a pack war.
“Logan, coat!” Tristan barked. He would have given her his own but he refused to let go of the woman for fear that she’d run. Obediently, Logan removed his tuxedo jacket and placed it over her quivering body, never taking his eyes off of Alexandra.
Even though one of his best friends was a vampire, Tristan was irate as he saw the puncture marks all over her skin. Animals. She might be a suspect in the fire, but he didn’t condone torture. He scooped her small body up in his arms, and stood.
Without another word to Alexandra, Logan opened the door for Tristan, protectively shielding him. He slammed the door as they left, pissed at the vampire. Rage rolled off his Alpha, nearly making him tremble. If it hadn’t been for the abused woman lying on the floor needing aid, he was fairly su
re Tristan would have killed Alexandra. And he would have gladly helped.
Chapter Three
“That went well,” Logan quipped from the driver’s seat. He’d settled Tristan and the stranger into the back seat; she was tightly curled on her side, lying in his lap. Her eyes were still closed and she was breathing in soft, rapid pants.
“What a clusterfuck,” Tristan responded. “I swear to God, I’d like to kill that bitch. Look at what she’s done to this girl.”
“Tris, hate to point out the obvious. But number one, Alexandra has been and will always be a bloodsucking monstrosity. And number two, the girl, as you put it, could have been involved with starting the fire. She could be involved with the wolves who killed Paul. So if it makes you feel any better, that woman back there may not be all that innocent.”
“Goddamn Alexandra. It’s not her place to do this,” he snarled angrily, waving his hand over Kalli. “This…this is torture. And it will never, ever be condoned by me or anyone in my pack, understood?”
Logan solemnly considered his words, knowing that this woman was about to change everything, regardless of her culpability in any crime.
“Just playing devil’s advocate. You know I’d like nothing more than to take that vamp’s head. And I’d smile doing it,” Logan affirmed. “So…how’s the girl? She doesn’t look too good.”
“Still breathing at least, but she’s going to need to be cleaned up.” Mentally and physically, Tristan thought to himself. His wolf stirred, intrigued by the human nestled in his lap. He absentmindedly stroked a finger across her scratched forehead. She was beautiful, even with the bruise that was starting to form above her left eye. How did she get mixed up in this nastiness?
Kalli first became aware that she was no longer in the house when she felt the movement of the car beneath her. The scent of two different males roused her wolf. God, she needed her pills; she was losing control. She thought she must be dreaming. She could feel the dominant male calling to her. He’d come for her wolf, and she wouldn’t be denied. Kalli clutched his jacket, pulling it up to her face, breathing in pure maleness. She needed more. Seeking comfort, she turned her nose into the soft material couched underneath her head, snuggling against the warmth. Where am I?
Tristan shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the female turned towards him, settling her head well into his crotch. He took a deep breath, praying Logan wouldn’t look back and see what was happening. Not that he usually minded a woman with her lips on his zipper, but this was all wrong. Regardless of what he knew should not happen, his cock, apparently having a mind of its own, jerked in response to the pressure. There was no denying the warm sensation of her breath on his groin; her nose pressed against him. He tried to back into the seat, slightly moving her to relieve the pressure. Of all the things he’d expected on the car ride back to his condo, this wasn’t one of them.
A gentle push on her shoulders roused her senses. Forcing her eyes to open, her vision came into focus, and she was shocked to see a belt buckle. What the hell? As she turned her head, golden eyes locked on hers. He was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen, but it was the sheer amount of energy that took her breath away. Authority. Domination. Alpha. Even though it had been years since she’d been around an Alpha wolf, there was no denying the infinite potency emitting from this man. Her wolf sang for it, while her mind panicked.
Kalli started to shake uncontrollably as her wolf fought to emerge. Oh God, this cannot be happening. I need my medicine.
“Please,” she begged, gasping for air.
“Calm down, now. You’re safe,” he assured her. She’d thankfully moved away from his zipper, but now was starting to climb up toward his face.
Kalli writhed in his lap, trying to fight the change. She found herself clawing at his shirt, placing her forehead against his chest. Her wolf wanted at this strange man, and she couldn’t let that happen.
“Please. I need…I need my pills. The hospital. I’m sick,” she lied. But Kalli considered changing a worse fate than being ill. She was content living her life as a human in hiding. She couldn’t risk having others finding out she was still alive.
“The hospital? Sorry, ma chère. We’ll tend to you when we arrive at the club.” If they took her to the hospital, it was likely she’d try to escape. She was a bit scraped up and very much needed food. He’d have his healers tend to her once they got home.
“No, you don’t understand. The University Veterinary Hospital. Garage, third floor. My pills are in the car,” she cried, digging her fingernails into his chest.
Tristan remembered Alexandra saying something about how she tasted “foul”. Perhaps it was whatever medication she’d been taking. Was she really sick? He needed her alive if he was going to get information out of her. Erring on the side of caution, he decided a quick detour couldn’t hurt. Perhaps they could get her identification or other information from her car.
“Logan, drive over to UVH. We can check out the car while we’re there. It’ll only take a minute,” Tristan called over to him. She stopped rubbing herself against his chest, and dropped back into his lap again. Here we go again.
“Got it, boss. What kind of car are we looking for?” he asked.
“Black. Black convertible. BMW,” she replied, her voice starting to calm. Out of exhaustion she laid back onto Tristan. Thank God he’d agreed to take her to the car. She’d get her pills and regain control. Again she pulled the black fabric to her body, pressing it over her mouth in an effort to hide her face. Tired, hungry and weak, she knew there was no way she’d escape an Alpha wolf. But if she took her antidote, she’d get well and bide her time until she could escape him. Kalli wasn’t sure why he’d saved her or what he wanted, but there was something about him. He wasn’t hurting her; it appeared that he needed her for some reason. For what, she had no idea.
As Logan pulled into the garage, he glanced back at the girl who was still wrapped round his Alpha. Seeing her face, he knew for certain she was the one from his dreams. Poor Tristan. He silently groaned, knowing Tristan would have his hide once he found out the truth about the girl, and worse, found out that he’d seen it. But he wasn’t sure how it all fit together with the fire or the death of the driver in New Orleans. Sure, the girl looked innocent, but he knew better than to trust a woman based on looks.
Logan navigated up to the third level, slowing as he approached what he assumed to be the car. All four tires had been slashed, presumably in an attempt to prevent her from getting away during her abduction.
“This it?” Logan asked, knowing it was more of a confirmation of what he already knew.
Kalli reached forward with both arms until she found the door. Slowly she rose, sliding up until her fingertips reached the lip of the car window. She moaned, unable to go any further.
“Hold on there. Let me help you.” Tristan carefully slid his hands underneath her torso; one hand supported her just above her waist and another under the swell of her breasts.
She peered over the window’s horizon to see her little convertible. Breathing a sigh of relief, a rush of hope washed over her. The silly car had been the one extravagance she’d allowed herself after she left. The hospital, where it was parked, was her home; it was everything to her. But would she ever get her life back now that an Alpha had her in his grip?
“My pills are in the center console,” she cried, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Let me down. I won’t run.” She let her body go limp and fell onto her back, staring blindly up at the leather ceiling.
Tristan heard a resigned acceptance in her voice. It was better this way. Guilty or not, she had stepped into his world, and one simply didn’t walk away after becoming a person of interest in a territorial war. He looked down into her sky blue eyes, realizing she’d disconnected from him. She needed time before he’d be able to get all the answers he needed.
Logan got out of the car, fully prepared to break open a window. Looking to get lucky, he tried the car handle but both doo
rs were locked. Circling the car, he noticed a pair of shoes thrown against the concrete wall. He squatted to inspect them, and guessed that they belonged to their girl. As he stood, he noticed metal glinting underneath the front rear tire. A silver keychain, shaped as a dove. He picked it up and looked at the writing, ‘Libre Volonté’. Free will? From what or whom was she fleeing? Clicking the key, the car locks clicked open.
“Look at that,” he commented, smiling over at Tristan who was watching him. “I’m good.”
Tristan rolled down the window. “Yes you are. Now move your ass, Logan. There’s something not right with this girl. Did you find her pills?”
Logan held up a brown tube and shook it. “Got it.” He rummaged through the car a few minutes more, before he got out and shut the door.
“Took you long enough,” Tristan commented as Logan handed him the bottle of pills. “Water?” he asked, hoping for the impossible.
“Sorry, man. I’ve got nothin’. Can’t she just chew it?”
“Guess that’s how it’s going to have to be. Come on, ma chère. We’ve got your pills.” Tristan opened the unmarked bottle, and he wondered what kind of medication it was. Even though he wasn’t human and didn’t use their pharmacies, he knew for certain that most pharmaceuticals were labeled. It seemed strange, but she obviously needed the pills.
“Please, just one,” she whispered, her eyes locking on his.
Tristan took out a white chalky tablet and placed it on her tongue. She closed her eyes in relief while her lips sealed around his finger. The sweet bitterness burned her throat. Thank you, God. Her wolf whined in grief as she was pushed to the back of Kalli’s psyche, jailed yet again.
A small sigh escaped as he pulled his wet digit out of her mouth. Goddammit. The woman was scratched and sick, possibly his enemy, and he was thinking of a damn blow job. Shit, he needed to get back to the condo, and fuck something, even if it was his own hand. The pressure of helping Kade, then the fire, his sister; it was getting to be too much. Something had to give.
