“Don’t,” was all Mary Alice said.
“I see I’ve been replaced in your affections.”
“You were never in my affections.”
A growl rumbled through Ruri’s chest. Her wolf didn’t like the competition the vampire alluded to. It seemed like it had been a couple of weeks since Ruri was in full agreement with her wolf, but on this one they were of the same mind. Mary Alice was hers. She didn’t care how powerful the vampire thought she was. If this Carla thought she was going to take her mate away, she would find out how difficult it was to function without a face.
“Lord,” one of Carla’s bodyguards said. He stood next to his chair, though Ruri hadn’t seen him get up. “That one is ready.”
Carla looked down at her and Ruri saw a flash of scarlet in the depths of her pupils. She seemed delighted and negligently reclaimed her hand from Mary Alice’s grasp. “You don’t like me touching your mate, do you, puppy?”
“Mate?” Stiletto stepped forward.
“And your partner didn’t know?” Carla clapped her hands. “This really is wonderful. How many more secrets are you holding onto, Malice?”
The vampire held her hand tantalizingly in front of Ruri’s nose and though her wolf urged her to bite it, she tamped down the urge to snap. She had to trust Mary Alice knew what she was doing.
“I’m tired of playing with you, Carla,” Mary Alice said. “I have business to discuss. If you’re not interested, I’ll find someone else who can answer my questions.”
“Darling, really.” Carla crossed the room and settled herself on a dark red settee. She crossed her legs demurely and regarded them with only the barest hint of mischief about her. “If it’s that important to you, tell me what brings you here at this dreadful hour.”
“I need a couple of things, maybe.” Mary Alice abruptly smelled uncertain, though nothing about her demeanor changed.
Ruri leaned against her hip. I’m here, she thought at the Hunter.
“You know my policy, Malice. Payment comes first, then you can ask.”
“Not this time.” Mary Alice held up her hand to forestall the vampire’s protest. “Technically you’ve already answered this question. I need to find the former North Side pack.”
“Again?” Carla shook her head. “Darling, did you lose them already?”
“I’ve had things on my mind.”
“Family is such a pesky thing, isn’t it? Still, they do have their uses, especially when they become more.”
Ruri kept herself from shifting at the dig. It was impossible to tell what Mary Alice thought of it, but the implication was clear. If her Hunter had thought she could keep the business with Cassidy a secret, it was already too late.
“Does that mean you don’t know where they’ve ended up this time?”
“I didn’t say that. Patience, my dear.”
“That’s exactly what I’m out of. Either we deal now, or I’m done with you. You know what that means.”
Carla clearly did, but Ruri was mystified. They had some sort of understanding, that much was clear. Ruri would have given a lot to find out how far it went.
“Very well. I will tell you, but I’ll be taking my payment from her.” Carla’s perfectly manicured fingernail pointed directly at Ruri, who stared at it as though it was a rattlesnake coiled to strike. It certainly carried the same amount of menace along with it.
“Absolutely not.”
“There’s nothing else you can offer me. Good luck finding out where they are from one of your other ‘brokers.’” Carla’s lips curled when she used the term. Even that looked lovely on her face. “The new Alpha has no compunction about eliminating what he perceives as a threat. I doubt you’ll find anyone willing to put themselves on his radar.”
“And you’ll allow that kind of threat to your power base?” Stiletto’s question was as pointed as it was surprising. Ruri didn’t know how the Hunter could think that strategically, not smelling of arousal as she did. “It seems to me removing someone who can consolidate that kind of influence would be to your advantage.”
“Your partner has a point,” Carla said. She sat back and regarded the three of them over interlaced fingers. She looked Stiletto in the eye. “Very well, I’ll tell you in exchange for your blood.”
“Stiletto, you don’t have to do this,” Mary Alice said.
Ruri wasn’t so sure. The Hunter’s heartbeat was loud enough that she could hear it from ten feet away. It had picked up as soon as Carla had pointed at her. Stiletto knew what she was doing. She’d courted Carla’s attention on purpose.
“I know I don’t, but this isn’t my first tango with a vamp.” Stiletto looked back at Carla. The sweet smell of anticipation practically dripped from her now. “It’s a deal.”
Carla patted the seat next to her. “Then come here, my lovely morsel.” Her teeth protruded even further now, sliding over lips red as rubies. Carla didn’t have to open her mouth for them to be visible. Her bodyguards were suddenly at her back. Like the vampire lord’s, their pupils had swallowed the iris and most of the whites in their eyes. They stared at Stiletto as she walked slowly over to the vampire.
“She doesn’t have to drink right from you,” Mary Alice said loudly.
“For this information, I insist upon it,” Carla said.
Stiletto shook her head and looked down her nose at the vampire. “No mind games. I want to be completely aware when you bite me. I won’t have you clouding my thoughts.”
“It’s your decision, my sweet, and I certainly won’t complain. You’ll taste sweeter for the pain, though you’ll enjoy it less.” At Stiletto’s shudder, Carla smiled. “Then again, maybe not.”
Ruri’s wolf paced back and forth in front of Mary Alice, agitated by the scent of Stiletto’s excitement. Mary Alice smelled of purpose and a bit of vague concern. If there ever had been anything between her and the vampire, she gave no indication that any feelings remained.
Stiletto opened the front of her shirt and sat stoically as Carla ran her fingertips lightly over the exposed skin. She dawdled over the sternum, skirting delicately around the little bit of cleavage that was exposed. Slowly, lingeringly, she traced the outline of Stiletto’s collarbone before lowering her head.
Her fangs sinking into the Hunter’s flesh made almost no noise nor did the sucking sound as she drew forth Stiletto’s blood. Iron and salt hung heavy in the air, as did the smell of Stiletto’s excited sex. The bodyguard vamps hovered protectively over their lord while she drank. Slowly the smell of arousal abated, and all that was left was discomfort. Ruri whined uncertainly. The vampire had been feasting at Stiletto for a while, and Mary Alice didn’t seem too concerned.
As if the mournful sound had brought Mary Alice back to herself, she shook her head and stepped forward.
“Stay back,” their guide said. “She feeds yet.”
“She’s had enough. If she takes much more, Stiletto will be of no use to me.”
“The lord will decide when she’s had enough, not some half-rate dhampir.”
“What did you just call me?” Strangely, Ruri didn’t think Mary Alice’s question was asked in anger. Rather she seemed genuinely curious. The intent had assuredly been to insult her, but she shrugged off the denigration.
Dhampir. It wasn’t a word Ruri was familiar with either, but there were more important issues at hand.
“Stand down, Gunther.” Carla sat back, sighing contentedly. Blood smeared her face and the front of her bare chest. Ruri had missed that; when had she opened up her blouse? “You may both clean me.”
A strangled choke from Mary Alice betrayed her revulsion, but Ruri understood what the vampire lord was doing. Blood like Stiletto’s was far too valuable to waste. Carla’s vampires may have appeared subservient as they kneeled to bathe her skin with their tongues, but they were being rewarded. Carla watched them over the two heads that lavished her with attention. The look on her face was that of ecstasy, though it was impossible to tell if it was fro
m the blood or the ministrations of her minions. If Ruri had to guess, she would have said both.
“The pack you seek is working out of a warehouse in the Armitage industrial area.” She threw back her head, eyes closed, and cried out in the final pangs of pleasure. The spasm that wracked her frame lasted for long seconds to the observers. Finally, she pushed her attendants back and sat before them, breasts bare and still heaving in the blood-streaked blouse. “They’re living in abandoned row houses on North Mayfield.”
“Then I have something else I need to ask of you,” Mary Alice said.
“What is it, darling?” Carla stretched like a cat waking up from a long nap. Her bodyguards stood behind her again. They paid no attention to Stiletto as she moved away from the settee, her movements slow.
“I need a favor.”
Carla’s laughter filled the space until the shadows seemed to pulse with her delight. “A favor? How delicious. You will find those don’t come cheaply, little Hunter.”
“I know what I’m doing and what I need. It’s to your advantage as well.” Mary Alice paused and Ruri heard her swallow before she continued. “We don’t have the numbers to take on MacTavish alone. I need to get him out of his den and to a place where we can take him on and soon. He’s a loose cannon and is going to expose his people and yours if he isn’t stopped. On his own turf, he’ll be too hard to kill, especially with his pack around him. Unless you want a mess of government special forces running around your city, that is. If we can’t get him alone, I’ll need to call in the cavalry and risk exposure.”
“And if the only way I would do that was with a drink from your little pet there?”
“It’s not going to happen, Carla. You will not touch her. If that ever happens, I will forget every understanding we’ve come to.”
“You would never survive attacking me.” Not the least bit concerned, Carla lounged back on her seat.
“Neither would you.”
The vampire watched them both. Her eyes had returned to their normal state, though her bodyguards were still in a state of heightened awareness. There was no hint of fang on her either. For all her words, she wasn’t worried.
“Very well, but only because the rogue’s actions can’t be permitted to continue.” She chewed delicately on her lower lip. “I need to think on it and will contact you with the details.”
“Sooner would be better.”
“So hasty. And yet, MacTavish has been allowed to flourish long enough. One of my people will reach out to you soon.”
“Thank you.”
Carla’s face split with a wide grin. Though her teeth no longer extended beyond her lips, the smile was predatory in the extreme. “You may not be thanking me when I call in your favor.”
Mary Alice nodded, her face betraying nothing to the vampire. Her scent was no help to Ruri either. She didn’t smell worried, though by all rights she should have been. If anything, she smelled resolved, like she’d been loosed at a target and would damn well make sure she took it out.
“Let’s go.” Stiletto stood by the door. She’d shaken off her mild stupor and the only thing that betrayed what had happened was a lingering odor of uncertainty.
“You’ll call and soon?” Mary Alice wouldn’t let Carla off the hook.
“We got what we needed. What does it matter when they call?” A tapping foot betrayed Stiletto’s impatience and the scent of mild uncertainty was growing stronger. If Ruri hadn’t known better, she would have said the Hunter was on the edge of a panic attack.
The finger that Mary Alice held up to forestall Stiletto didn’t assuage her. Mary Alice had locked eyes with the vampire lord and refused to look away.
“Yes, Malice,” Carla finally said. The small smile still lurking around her lips made a mockery of her easy acquiescence. “You’ll hear from us within twenty-four hours, if not less.”
“Very well.” Now wearing a veneer of unconcern, Mary Alice dipped her head.
Their guide appeared by the door. Ruri had been watching for him this time and was able to track his movements. They were quick in the extreme, and he seemed to blur around the edges. There was more to vampires than insanely quick reflexes, and she wondered if they were a little out of phase with reality. It would explain the lack of scent.
With no further word to Carla or amongst themselves, they headed back home.
Chapter Thirty-Six
It was very warm in the bed, and Cassidy tossed, trying to push the blankets down from her shoulders. They didn’t budge and she pushed on them harder and was rewarded by the sound of tearing fabric. That roused her all the way. She sat up and blinked blearily around her. The bodies surrounding her definitely hadn’t been there when she went to bed. It seemed half the pack had decided to nap with her.
Somehow, she’d managed to find a whole new family. How would her mom react to that? she wondered. Her eyes moved from one form to another, not really seeing any of them. Mom. How would she explain any of this to her? How could she even try? Mary never had, and the more she thought about it, the better the idea sounded.
I can’t lose my mommy. Cassidy pulled in on herself, tucking her knees up under her chin. I can’t lose my new family either. There had to be an answer there somewhere. She reached out and placed a gentle hand upon the nearest furry shoulder. Instantly her racing thoughts slowed. It would all work out. She would see to it.
The wolven slept soundly about her, dead to the world. Most of them were in human form, but a few of them had opted to shift and slept with tails tucked over muzzles in tight balls between their packmates. She cocked her head, listening for sounds in the house. All was quiet or at least nearly so. They’d eaten a lot before she’d decided she needed to lie down for a bit. Her bank account was now hurting from the cost of feeding ten hungry wolven mouths. That definitely wasn’t sustainable and Cassidy wondered how a pack of wolven stayed fed.
She extricated herself from the crowded bed, taking care not to jostle or wake anyone. She was successful and they slumbered along without her. The house felt like it slept with them, as if they all breathed with the same steady exhalations. Everything felt as if it was one. Cassidy stood in the doorway to the bedroom, soaking it all in. If she’d wanted to, she thought she could have reached out inside her head and touched any one of the sleeping wolven. They glowed as soft points in her awareness. Those must be the sleeping ones. A few of them glittered in sharp contrast, and she assumed those were still awake.
Cassidy couldn’t share in their peace. Every brush of her finger on bare skin ratcheted up her internal thermostat. What was wrong with her? There hadn’t been the time to ask Ruri, and she didn’t know who else she could trust. How was she supposed to tell someone she’d just met that she was ready to jump on pretty much anyone who looked at her sideways. If only she had someone to talk to. The glowing points in her head made that a cruel mockery. She was never by herself, but in that moment she felt acutely alone.
Luther was one of those points, she could tell by the feel of it. He seemed to be pulling at her from the general area of the kitchen. That was as good a place to go as any, and she padded softly down the stairs.
“Alpha,” Luther said. He drank from a glass of water as he gazed out the window over the sink. From there he had a great view of the depressing back yard. Mary Alice had kept up the front yard enough that the house didn’t look abandoned, but she hadn’t done the same for the back.
Something to drink sounded like a good idea. Cassidy joined the grizzled wolven. As she filled a glass, she looked out over the same dead overgrowth he stared at. A small garage took up half the yard. It wasn’t falling down, but one window was missing a couple panes.
“We’ll need to clear the grass and weeds,” Luther said. “Too many hiding places.”
“Are we going to stay here long enough to make that worth the trouble?” Cassidy took a long gulp of her water, trying to distract herself from the way his ass looked in his jeans. “I don’t think this place is going
to work very well over the long run.”
“If you say so, Alpha.” He sounded politely doubtful.
“What do you suggest?”
“Have some of the wolven clear it anyway. It’ll give them something to do while you figure out our next move. It really does need to be chopped back.”
“I wanted to talk to you about that anyway. My next move, I mean.” Cassidy paused, unsure how to go one. Was she going to look weak in front of him? That was a big deal for him.
“What are you thinking?”
“More wondering, right now. How did your last Alpha figure out how to provide for you all? Was he independently wealthy or something?”
Luther looked down at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. The laugh that issued from him surprised them both. Cassidy had yet to see a smile cross his face, let alone a full belly laugh. It was the hottest thing she’d ever heard.
“I don’t think Dean had worked in decades. He certainly hadn’t come into a large inheritance.”
“Did he find buried treasure, then? There has to be something he did to keep you all fed. Lunch almost tapped me out. I’m not sure what I’ll do for dinner.”
“The members of a healthy pack contribute their own earnings and food for the good of the whole.” All trace of amusement disappeared from Luther’s face. “We haven’t been a healthy pack since Dean was murdered.”
“That’s a relief.” Realizing how that had sounded, Cassidy hastened to clarify. “That I won’t be expected to support everyone, I mean. I haven’t even finished my degree, so that wouldn’t happen any time soon.”
“We can always stretch our food supplies by hunting. That’ll also help bind the pack even tighter to you. Lead them in the hunt a few times, and they’ll follow you anywhere.”
Cassidy lowered her voice and leaned in toward him. “I don’t know if I’m cut out to be Alpha.”
“You defeated Lewis in challenge, you are the Alpha.” A muscle jumped in his jaw, but his voice never changed. “You are the strongest, therefore you lead.”
“I don’t know how. I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Five Moons Rising Page 31
