Midnight Guardian

by Tamara White

Adrian nods and leaves the room. Tristan’s suite is in the back with only one entrance or exit—the laundry door.

  Adrian suddenly comes running back into the kitchen with wide, frantic eyes. “He’s not in there. I looked everywhere, Quinn. Tristan is gone.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Isobel

  The thrill of the hunt only gets better. A lion shifter is leaving his trail all over town as I hunt him. I slept longer than I expected, and because of my exhaustion, I slept way more than I should have, which resulted in this shifter causing a massacre in town. Four people dead, their flesh stripped from their bodies. And he’s still not done.

  Police are patrolling the streets, the radio chatter making it clear this shifter has gone rabid. I’m unsure just how many other people he’s attacked, but from the fear in the streets, I think it has to be double numbers.

  I stick to the shadows, my gun drawn and pressed against my thigh. I could have kept it holstered, but if this animal is fully rabid, it’s going to be fast as hell. Even with the lethality of my bullets, I don’t think one is going to take him down but hopefully it will slow him down enough for me to feed on him.

  The visual trail of blood isn’t much to go on, which I guess is why the police are scrambling to find the person responsible. However, for a supe, the scent is there, and I’m fucking hungry, so it’s very easy to follow.

  After an hour of patrolling the streets, I finally catch the lion’s trail. But when I appear down the hidden alley, what I find has me stalling.

  A girl, no older than eighteen, is huddled on the ground naked. She’s shivering, her arms wrapped around her body as if to shield herself from the cold. Fuck. It’s the only word that goes through my mind at being faced with such a scene. I should have known there would be a time I would come across a situation like this, but in my two years in this world and after six months of hunting supes, I’ve never come across a newly turned who’d gone rabid.

  I stare at the girl, unsure what to do. Normally, I’d kill without remorse, but I’ve been in her shoes. I know what it’s like to turn and have no clue how to curb the desires within me. if I hadn’t been locked away, who knows what I would have done.

  I holster my gun on my outer thigh, leaving the safety off. Just because the girl looks weak doesn’t mean she isn’t also strong. She could just be pretending, so it’s best to be careful.

  I crouch down, feeling bad that I don’t have anything to cover her with. “What’s your name?” I inquire softly, trying not to spook her into reacting badly.

  Her wild eyes snap to mine, and she stares at me with nothing but terror. “Claire,” she rasps. “What’s happening to me?” She pushes the palms of her hands into her eyes as if she can clear away all the images in her mind. “Why did I kill those people? Why did I like it?”

  The growl in her voice tells me that her animal is just under the surface, ready to break free at a moment’s notice. “What do you remember?”

  She pulls her hands away, her eyes turning the amber hue of the lion shifter. “I’m still hungry,” she moans, slowly getting to her feet. Her eyes are fixed on me as she stumbles a step closer.

  “I don’t want to kill you, Claire. I want to help you. But for me to help you, you need to focus. You need to find the balance with your lion.”

  “So hungry...” She staggers and falls to her knees, and I see the moment the rabidness of the animal has won. She starts to groan as the shift overtakes her, and I pull the gun from the holster, feeling horrible I have to kill someone who basically had no choice in this situation. She was turned, and whoever the fuck made her into this monster just abandoned her to a life of pain and misery.

  “I’m sorry.” I aim and fire the shot. Immediately, her body falls back, caught between human and lion. She’s dead, but her body will still remain if I don’t dispose of it, so I do something that causes bile to rise up my throat. I feed on her blood. It’s still warm, but without the life flowing through her, it doesn’t taste good, nor does it provide much nourishment. It may satiate the bloodlust a little, but it’s life energy I need to feed on tonight.

  When I feel whatever it is inside me that makes a body turn to dust working its magic, I let go and rise to my feet. I wipe the back of my hand over my mouth to get rid of any bloody evidence and fight the urge to throw up.

  Taking the life of a monster is easy, taking an innocent life is not.

  “You did the right thing, you know.”

  I look up, not even remotely surprised to see Tristan leaning over the edge of the roof. I thought I felt him a while back, but when I couldn’t catch a glimpse of him, I assumed it was just me foolishly thinking of him more than I should.

  Sighing, I holster my gun. “I know it was the right thing, but it doesn’t make it any easier. She was innocent in all of this.”

  Tristan drops to the ground lightly. “I’m sorry you had to kill her.”

  “Me too. I just wish supes would be more careful with whom they turn. It’s not like it’s hard to turn humans. One bite and bam, a new supe is out in the world. It’s why I police them so vigilantly. I’m sick of seeing such senseless killing.”

  “You know you could always stop being the vigilante in the shadows and actually take a leading role, right? You are our Supreme Alpha. The bite on your ankle is a clear indication, so no one could refute your claim.”

  I sigh, unsure how to explain to him just why I can’t do that yet. I don’t want to lead a group of people doing these things, and I wouldn’t have the first clue how to ensure my rulings were followed. It’s why I started planning to takeover the right way. But to do that, I need to meet other Alpha’s. To make friends with them, especially those who don’t like the council. I need support because I can guarantee the council won’t just let me walk back in and claim what is rightfully mine.

  “It’s not that simple, Tristan. While I may be the rightful Supreme Alpha, the council has such a deep reach that I couldn’t just step up and say, ‘right, the council’s out and I’m in,’ because I guarantee those in love with the way the council runs things would make it fucking hard as hell. At least doing what I do every day, I’m weeding the bad from society while also feeding the part of me that needs to be fed.”

  He nods slowly, mulling it over. “Fair enough. So do you have any kind of plan then? I mean, this is a good plan for now, and it gives you a name among us before you confront the council, but you don’t really think you can do this forever, right?”

  I turn away from him, because I honestly don’t want to tell him my plan. I’m winging it at the moment, which is just how I like it. They are hunting me, and I know sooner or later they will catch up to me, but hopefully, by then, I’ll be ready to deal with them.

  Every time I think of the council, I’m immediately thrown into the feelings I went through after I left. I don’t know whether it was stress, whether there were other circumstances that led to me losing my baby, but I’ll always hate the council for it. They manipulated me. They threw Drake in my path and he was so damn charming that of course, I fell for him.

  “What’s wrong?” Tristan is suddenly in front of me, his hands cupping my cheeks.

  I back up a step, wiping away the tear that fell. Bury the pain. That’s the only way to keep going. If I let it out, I’ll be useless. I can’t be useless.

  I plaster a smile on my face. “Nothing, I was just thinking of a time when I was human.”

  He gives me a disbelieving look. “You were feeling sorrow and anguish because you thought about your time as a human?”

  Fuck, how could he know what I was feeling?

  “For your information, my whole family died when I was turned. I was thinking of them and how much I wish they were here,” I lie through my teeth, hating myself for it.

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  I shrug and start walking, intent on finding another kill for the night. I may have fed on the girl I killed, but I still need energy.

  Tristan steps up to m
y side, remaining quiet, and suddenly a thought occurs to me. “Hey, where are your keepers?”

  I let my senses roam out, wondering how close by they are because there’s no way they’d let him out on his own. When I don’t feel anyone but us, I halt, turning to him with a raised brow. “Tristan? Where are they?”

  He grins at me, his eyes twinkling in delight. “Probably at home. I kinda slipped out while they were all talking about you.”

  They were talking about me? Huh, I don’t know whether to be pissed they’re all talking about me behind my back, or whether to be proud that Tristan snuck out.

  “So why did you come stalk me then?”

  He grins wider. “Well, you need to hunt, and so do I. I thought maybe we could hunt together. Kinda like a date,” he replies, his smile so large his cheeks must be hurting.

  “Your idea of a date is hunting? What about flowers, chocolates, and all that? Shouldn’t you, I don’t know, woo me or something?”

  He grabs my hand and pulls me to a stop, turning me to face him. “If you want flowers, I can make them from the intestines of those I kill. If you want chocolates, I’ll make you brownies and use blood instead of milk. If you want me to woo you, then this is it, me as I am. I will take you here and now if that’s what you want, but I’m not gonna waste my time. You are mine. You will always be mine. The sooner you accept it, the quicker we can move on to the fun stuff.”

  I’m not even going to lie, that totally turned me on more than it should have. I’m so damn curious if blood brownies are even a thing, because they actually sound delicious.

  “And what makes you think I’m yours?”

  He growls softly and steps into my personal bubble, his hand sliding down to tenderly cup my hip. He walks us back until I’m pressed against the wall. He’s flush against me, and I can feel the erection straining against his pants. My heart is beating erratically, the arousal in the air palpable. I want him, I do. I should feel horrible for wanting him when I fucked his friend earlier in the day, but part of me doesn’t care.

  I just want to be free. To do whatever the hell I want with whoever I want. To not be tied down by emotions like guilt.

  I’m the one to make the first move. I rise up and snare his bottom lip between my teeth. The hungry growl that vibrates in his chest is the only warning I get before his lips slam down on mine, and all thoughts of why I should not be doing this are out the window.

  One hand cups my neck, holding me in place while he devours my lips like they are forbidden fruit. His touch moves from my hip to my ass and he squeezes gently. He breaks the kiss to stare down at me, his brown eyes going from the brown of his human to the blood-red of his vampire.

  “Pants off.”

  I smirk and push him back far enough to slowly take my jeans off, glad I’m going commando tonight.

  I take my time, careful not to rip my holster off. It’s fucking expensive to replace them.

  “If we had more time, I would ravish you and make you scream my name a thousand times over,” he mutters, his voice filled with desire. His eyes flash from his normal brown to vibrant red and back again, his vampire coming to the surface. He reaches down and frees his cock from the confines of his cargo pants. In a move too quick for my eyes to follow, his hands grab me by the ass and hoist me up against the wall, his erection pushing against my center.

  My pussy is throbbing excitedly, and my nipples are so hard in my bra it’s almost painful. He slowly eases himself inside me, groaning lowly. I bite my lip to keep from crying out. Just because we’re still in the alley doesn’t mean others won’t hear us.

  “Yes,” I hiss, when he’s fully sheathed within me. He grips my hips and lifts me up, thrusting at a higher angle and drawing a groan from us both.

  “You’re mine, Isobel. Say it,” Tristan growls as he starts to move slowly, drawing all kinds of tingles from me. I ignore what he said until he suddenly stops.

  I meet his eyes, and there’s a seriousness in his gaze. “I’m yours. From the moment I saw you kill another, I knew I would sacrifice everything if it meant being with you. My vampire knows you’re ours. The sooner you admit it, the better things will go for you.”

  I know what he’s talking about. The connection between us is there, but do I want to admit that? I don’t want an emotional attachment, just a sexual release. Does he really expect me to claim him as mine? Or me as his?

  “I’m not yours, Tristan,” I finally answer, unable to stop the words. I don’t want to be owned. I want to be loved, but I won’t let myself fall down that rabbit hole so soon. I just met him. Even if my body tells me I’ve known him for a lifetime, I won’t get involved without trust.

  He studies me for a moment, and I wonder if he’s going to back off and end this here and now, but he just grins smugly. “Fine, you’re not mine now. But you will be.”

  I open my mouth to respond, but he thrusts himself inside me balls deep. I moan as his lips come back to mine and he fucks me against the alley wall, making me feel like nothing but a slut. And it feels fucking amazing, so freeing. No emotion, no ties, just sex. Wild and freeing sex.

  In the heat of the moment, Tristan tilts his head, offering me his neck, and my pussy trembles. Blood during sex is amazing. Something I haven’t had in a long time. I don’t hesitate to sink my fangs into his neck, suckling on the blood that wells like it’s a drug. As I feed, Tristan’s rhythm loses its pace, and I know he’s close.

  I release his neck and tilt my own. “Bite me. Make me come for you, Tristan,” I murmur, my body pulsing with need. He hesitates for a second before licking a line along my neck. His moan echoes in the alley, and the second his teeth sink in, my body explodes with fireworks from the force of the orgasm that rocks through me.

  I should be concerned that our shared blood will create a connection like with Jesse but that was mainly power shared with blood, this is only blood.

  My body trembles as Tristan stills, crying out from his own release. He lets go of my neck, his breaths coming in short pants. I smile against his shoulder, a sense of satisfaction coming over me. He may have been the possessive one at the start, but there’s a part of me that’s very happy to have claimed him in such a way, that my scent, my blood, and my energy can be felt all over him.

  Once Tristan has caught his breath, he withdraws from my body, kissing my lips softly. “Let’s go hunt.”

  I smile, glad he didn’t make this awkward. He simply acted as if it’s an everyday occurrence. Which, for all I know, it could be, but I doubt it. He’s claimed me in some way. One day I may ask him about it, and why he wants me so much, but for now I’m content to remain oblivious.

  I pull my jeans on while Tristan turns away to give me a sense of privacy, which I appreciate. It makes the whole thing less uncomfortable. After I’m dressed and my clothes are straightened up, I join Tristan’s side, taking his hand. “Come on, let’s go find some food.”

  He chuckles softly, squeezing my hand, and a mischievous smile lights up his face. “Maybe we should make this interesting? If I catch more than you, you stay at my house tonight.”

  “And if I catch more than you?”

  “Then I stay in your dorm.”

  “So either way we’ll spend the night together, is that it?” He may think he’s being slick, but I know he just wants time with me. Maybe for a repeat performance.

  “Oh, I didn’t even realize,” he exclaims in feigned shock, putting his free hand on his chest like he’s truly surprised it worked out that way.

  I mull his deal over, wondering what I really have to lose. Stay at his house and possibly sleep with him, or stay at my dorm with him and let him into that part of my life I close off to others? A part I promised I wouldn’t share?

  “Alright, you have a deal.”

  His eyes light up and a sense of trepidation fills me. He seems too cocky for my liking. I guess I’ll just have to show him what I’m capable of. Then again, do I really want to lose? Either way, I’m going to be spen
ding the night with a guy I barely know and just fucked in an alley after killing a girl.

  To say I’m fucked up might be a bit of an understatement.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Isobel

  “Are you sure your family will be okay with this?” I ask, as we walk back to the school. I have no clue where Tristan lives, but he told me to trust him, so I will.

  The sneaky bastard beat me with a count of four supes, while I only had three. So that meant crashing with him the rest of the night. Not that it’s going to be long, since I have to meet Ellen at the crack of dawn. But a deal’s a deal.

  “Honestly, I don’t think they’ll care. They’ll just be happy I’m back and I didn’t kill anyone I shouldn’t. It helps when you have a person capable of disintegrating them along for the hunt. Speaking of, how were you able to do that?”

  I shrug as we near Midnight Society. “I honestly have no clue. But so long as I feed on someone and channel my power, it’s like I can burn them from the inside out. I’ve got some of my weapons powered with my essence, so they, too, have that effect when I take a life. It shocked me when the witch I met with told me it would work. I thought it wouldn’t, but here we are.”

  “Would it work if I was using your weapons?”

  I’m already shaking my head before he finishes. “No, for a few reasons. First, I have them safeguarded from being used by anyone but me. Unless I rework the spells to include you, then it would leave you with a pretty big scar,” I explain. “And as for the power behind me, being wielded by you, I don’t think it would work. Apparently I still need to be holding my daggers or guns to add that extra oomph. But again, I don’t exactly share my shit with anyone, so I guess it could in theory.”

  “Well, either way, it beats burning the bodies in the old mortuary a few towns over. Quinn usually waits until we’ve all gone to sleep, then drives over in his truck to take care of it. He thinks we don’t know, but bodies don’t just disappear.”