Buried Passion

by Marianne Willis

  Ian stepped in front of Brianna. “She’s hung around me the longest. Let me be the one to bring her back.”

  The blonde woman scoffed. “We all saw her slap you. She thinks you betrayed her.”

  Point ignored, he pressed, “Either way, I’m your one chance at finding her. I know her scent well and will be able to detect it.”

  “I’ll help you. We’ll go in wolf form as it might be faster to track her if she’s nearby.” Chayton pat him on the back with a reassuring smile. The gesture released an unexpected tightness in Ian’s chest, and he blew out a small sigh. Chayton was no longer angry with him.

  “Come now, Bri.” Amber wrapped an arm around a pale, shaken Brianna and urged her toward the living room. The male vampires followed in tow. “I’ll make us coffee while we wait.”

  Ian grabbed Rachel’s hoodie off the living room floor before he met Chayton on the back porch. “For her scent.” He tossed the jumper to his friend.

  Chayton held the garment to his nose and inhaled deep.

  Heat spread across the nape of Ian’s neck, his jaw throbbed from the gnash of his teeth. No one but him should have the pleasure of breathing in Rachel’s scent. He blinked, fists clenched to quell the unwanted steam in his veins. Why the possessiveness? She wasn’t his, and his friend only wanted to help.

  He refused to share where he guessed she might be. The cemetery. He’d bet money she hid out there. But Chayton was right about going in wolf form. In case Rachel was closer, he’d be able to easily track her.

  “I’ll go east.” Chay pointed in the direction. “I can meet you back here at dawn.”

  “Sure.” Ian almost made for the forest to shift forms, but paused. Chay’s wide gaze arrested him. “What? What’s the matter?”

  His best friend pointed to his waist.

  Air evaporated from Ian’s lungs, and he stretched the skin around his birthmark with both hands. A healthy brown mark had replaced the pink blister. Impossible. Never had he heard of a scar reformed. The shape and size were intact as if never flawed.

  “Your mate…could she be alive?” Chayton’s voice shook.

  For the life of him, Ian struggled to tear his gaze away from the mark. “I’m…I’m not sure.”

  “This is so strange. I’ve never heard…”

  Ian’s heart pounded in his ears. This had to be a dream. For months, he’d mourned over the loss of his mate. Had she been injured? Near death? In a coma and now awakened? Might that be the reason the mark formed into a scar? Did this mean his mate was out there somewhere? Tension replaced his raised hopes. What if this was some weird, temporary bodily malfunction?

  “How long has your mark been healed?”

  “I saw the scar the day before yesterday.”

  “That means the birthmark returned…the same time Rachel showed up.”

  Ian’s attention snapped to Chay. “What are you saying?”

  Chayton’s dark eyes widened with promise. “What if she’s your mate?” Was that hope in his voice?

  “That’s insane. Rachel? She might be a vampire and I’m a werewolf.”

  “Amber’s a witch and I’m a werewolf. Brianna’s human and Tristan is a vampire. You’re not the first to be mated with another kind.”

  No, he’d recognise if she were his…right? A connection of some sort should have been apparent. “You’re talking crazy, Chay-man.”

  His friend shook his head. “What if I’m right?”

  “If she were mine, there’d be a clear sign….” He froze, eyes bulged.

  Chayton gave a knowing grin. “Like…she’d bear the same mark as you?”

  The glimmer of hope turned up a notch. He had to find her. What if she shared his mark? Adrenaline fuelled his limbs with more determination than ever. A growl escaped his throat as he hopped over the wooden picket fence behind his place. Thick fur coated him from head-to-toe. Bones reshaped with loud snaps and pops as he morphed into wolf and hit the ground in a dead sprint. He refused to rest until he found Rachel.

  ****

  With the cooler box tight in her grasp, Rachel leaped over wired fences of private properties and ran through open fields. More than an hour later, she passed several highways, forests, and neared the mountains along the lakeside.

  Damn Ian, and damn herself for trusting the werewolf. A good thing she’d vanished out of there when she had the chance. What a bizarre encounter that had been. Her entire body had become one with the air. Light and free. Once reformed in the one location she knew—the graveyard—she’d screamed. The dizzy sensation wasn’t something she wanted to try again soon.

  What did Ian gain by handing her over to the vampires? Reward money or something greater? Either way, she’d escaped. The vampire would never lay his hands on her again. As for those women…a riptide tugged at her chest. Who were they? They’d cried her name with shock, but reflecting on the scene now, there had also been joy and relief. She groaned and sprinted faster. Her imagination played tricks on her. Those women were with the killer.

  Stomach grumbling for the hundredth time, she no longer ignored the urge. Perched on a bench at a bus stop, her gaze flickered over the billboard showcasing the latest chick-flick. She flipped open the cooler lid, grabbed and bit into a bag. Greedy sucking echoed in the night air. Eyes closed on their own accord, she released a moan from the back of her throat. This might be a grotesque act to Ian, but there was no denying the utter warmth that spread through her body with every gulp.

  The drained bag slipped from her fingers and fell to the pavement. Prepared for what occurred next, she sat back. The throbbing headache and flash of lights behind her eyes arrived without delay. Rachel massaged her temples where the direct point of pressure persisted. Bursts of colors erupted behind her closed lids. She welcomed the iridescence.

  “Hey, right on time.” Jeff straightened off the wooden porch rail he’d leaned on, his glorious skin basking in the sun.

  Violent drums replaced her heart as the erratic beat pounded against her chest.

  He strolled toward his bike. Long, dark hair cascaded down his back instead of the usual ponytail. Not all guys suited the style, but Jeff owned it. He smiled brightly. Her drumbeat-heart stuttered to a halt. She’d never be able to find another guy who made her want to dance, scream, and laugh all at once. Who unlocked this wild giddiness in the pit of her stomach.

  Rachel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Did you finish a race?” Never one to miss any of his tournaments, she did this morning, and used the extra time prettying herself. Dressed in a casual fitted shirt and denim shorts, she’d straightened her hair and kept her makeup simple.

  “Yeah, earlier this morning, then I went for a leisure ride. Wanna see something cool?”

  “What?”

  “Something I saw along the mountain trail during my ride.” He clipped his helmet in place and grabbed the spare one off the handlebar. “Come, I’ll show you.”

  “Now?”

  “Yeah. It won’t take long. Hop on.”

  Legs shaky, she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent a smile and took the helmet he offered. Once buckled beneath her chin, she sauntered to the front of the bike and hopped on. Her butt dug into the handlebar. She clutched the steel frame beside the rubber grips Jeff clung to. Their hands touched.

  “Lean back.”

  The velvet richness of his voice sent jolts straight through her insides. All her focus remained on the electric presence of him behind her. Time no longer existed, neither did reality, and she loved the euphoric excitement. Had to be fate. A smile tugged at her lips. Fate. Jeff mentioned the word last night, said how he waited for his destiny. After research on his kind, she understood what he meant.

  From the minute she learned about marks and mates, she burned hot with jealousy. A girl out there shared the same mark as Jeff. As the night had carried on, the fantasy of being his girl refused to escape. What if she cast a spell to mimic his mark?

  No, she couldn’t, could she? That would be
wrong. She bit her lower lip. It would be so simple. Find the birthmark, visualise the pattern, and set her plan into action. No girl in the world loved Jeff the way she did. She would be a better match for him than some destined mate. Sometimes you have to take fate into your own hands.

  “What do you think?”

  She blinked at the crash of water. The waterfall hit the rocks and bubbled down into a spacious waterhole. Large moss-covered boulders bordered the stream, complemented with green foliage and purple shooting-star flowers. Paradise. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Cool, huh? Maybe we could go for a swim?”

  She turned her neck to gaze at him. “But, I don’t have a bathing suit.”

  With a mischievous smirk, he leaned forward. The warmth at her back tingled her spine. Jeff winked. “Who says we need them?”

  “Um…” she swallowed as her stomach combusted with a flutter of butterflies.

  He chuckled. “I’m kidding.”

  “Oh.” Hot with embarrassment, she removed the helmet, hopped off the bike and headed toward the water’s edge. The breeze cooled her flushed face.

  Jeff stood beside her a second later, unclipped his helmet and let the protective hat fall at his side. His cinnamon brown eyes trained on the water. She too followed his gaze to the natural splendor. He seemed comfortable in the silence, but she wouldn’t waste this opportunity to talk to him.

  “So, how long have…” She twisted to face him. Instead, her world spun off its axis, and she crashed into a wet rush of coldness, dunking under. She fell. In front of him. How mortifying.

  As her head broke the surface, she sputtered out water her lungs hadn’t been prepared to take, and met the sound of his infectious laughter.

  Hands rested on his knees, he bent forward. “Someone wanted to go for a swim after all.” A frown formed when he stared at the spot she had stood. “There’s algae here..”

  Rachel flattened her palms and splashed him. “I can’t believe you’re laughing at me.”

  Jeff guarded his body with outstretched hands, cackling harder. “If it makes you feel better…” He stepped back, kicked off his shoes. Without any warning, he leaped off the side and bombed into the water.

  She splashed him again when he surfaced beside her. He too joined in on the attack. Constant waves hit her face, preventing her from striking back. She ducked under, swam around him, and hauled water at him from behind. He spun, his devilish smile consumed his face as he dove on top of her, then dragged her down with him. Their chuckles and screams echoed as they played and carried on like children.

  “Truce.” He held up his hand as he swam toward her, closing the space between them.

  A trick, for sure. Rachel braced herself. For sure he’d dunk her under or splash water in her face again. Breathless, he stared into her eyes, the corner of his mouth tweaked in that sexy way.

  “Your eyes look green in the sunlight…like the water.” He tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “Beautiful.”

  Rachel swallowed, and took slower breaths. The exertion from their splashes left her panting, but with Jeff this close, she grew breathless. Not once did she break eye contact, not wanting to lose this moment. Jeff bit into his lower lip, his eyes flickered over her mouth. Was he going to…

  A rush expanded in her chest as he lowered his head, his mouth brushed hers, locking her into a warm, heart-stopping kiss. Soft and gentle, the kiss dazzled her senses. Perfection. An overjoyed scream sounded in her mind. She was kissing Jeff, the guy of her dreams. When he slanted his head for a better angle, she clung to him, her fingers dug into his shoulder-blades as his tongue swept hers in one hot, wet tangle.

  Jeff groaned and backed away, water splattering with his swift movements. Just like that, the most glorious experience of her life ended.

  “Sorry.” He looked at her again. “I don’t know what came over me.”

  Tingles in her lip tempted her to caress the swollen flesh. Every reply she thought of sounded stupid and stopped her from responding.

  “We better head back, I have a race soon.” He swam to the edge and hopped out, then turned and extended his hand to assist her.

  Rachel’s shoulders slumped. She met him at the edge and clutched his hand as he helped her up, her saturated shoes landed on the grass with a squish.

  Soaked clothes heavy against her skin, she trudged to the bike and placed the helmet on. As he manoeuvred the bike on track, she glanced back at the waterhole, at the magical moment that ended too soon. Her lips still hummed and she could taste him. He kissed her. Unbelievable.

  They rode back in silence. On the verge of exploding, Rachel remained stiff as a pole. If only she could tell someone about this awesome day. Tara would assume she cast a spell on Jeff or forced him to hang out with her. Her mouth dried. Maybe it was best to keep this her little secret.

  “Are you mad at me?”

  She frowned at the uncertainty in his voice. “What? Why?”

  “Because of what happened back there.”

  Mad? Hell no. She wanted more. Needed more. Her stomach fluttered as she turned. Without contemplating her response, she smiled and shrugged. “It was nothing. Don’t sweat it.”

  Don’t sweat it! She cringed when turned toward the front again. Why the hell did she make this no big deal? Damn her stupid nerves. Her one chance to pursue something between them and she acted as though the kiss meant nothing. Rachel swallowed, thinking of what to say that would reveal her interest.

  “Will you be at the race this afternoon?” He beat her to the punch.

  “You want me there?”

  “Yeah. You still want to help us, right?”

  Silly girl. He wanted a spy. She ignored her sinking heart. “I’ll mingle with the newbies you mentioned, let you know if I see anything out of the ordinary.”

  The bike smoothed to a stop in front of his cabin. She hopped off, sneakers bringing up a cloud of dust on impact with the dirt.

  “Thanks, Rach. I appreciate your help.” He cocked a brow, a half grin stretched his face. “What?”

  “You said, Rach. No one has ever given me a nickname before.”

  “I can stick with Rachel if you don’t like the nickname.”

  She waved her hands. “No, no, I don’t mind. I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.”

  “Around here, everyone is referred to by their nickname.”

  She had to bring up their kiss…

  “Jeff?”

  They both turned at the call of his name. Delta appeared around the corner and blinked, her gaze swept over their drenched bodies.

  Rachel swallowed. What the hell did she want?

  Arms stiff by her sides, Delta’s wide gaze bore into Jeff. “Can we talk?”

  Rachel’s fabulous mood dived into a hellish pit. She swallowed back an objection. Jeff couldn’t possibly want to get back together with Delta, not after their kiss. Did he not sense the chemistry between them or was this all one-sided? Her gaze fell on him, and to her horror, he smiled at his ex.

  “Sure, Delta.” He hopped off the bike and nodded in Rachel’s direction. “Catch ya later, Rach.”

  A bubble caught in her throat as tears threatened to burn her eyes. Fists clenched, she stomped past a beaming Delta. No, this was not over. She’d do it, she’d bear his mark.

  Sucked back into the realm of reality, Rachel stabled her shaky, sweaty palms against her knees. Droplets of blood stained the cement by her feet. She used the hem of her shirt to wipe at her nose. She should tape a tissue box on her head with these occurrences. The throb behind her eyes subsided. The fact Ian’s features replicated Jeff’s had to be more than a coincidence. And what the hell had she done in the past? What type of person was she? Selfish and conniving? Lips smacked together in a slight grimace, Rachel stood from the bench and sprinted down a main road.

  Zooming past buildings, roads, and streetlights with rapid speed, she entered a new town. Brightness on her left almost blinded her. She stopped at an intersection, a few
feet before an oncoming semi-trailer.

  Shit. She threw the cooler and leapt to the grassy pathway after the box. The semi-trailer missed her by a few inches, the unaware driver sped on by. Rachel jumped to her feet, dusted her knees and glanced around for the cooler.

  “Where the hell is it?” She twisted left, right.

  The box floated down a canal covered in fog. Rachel jumped over the metal rail, skidded through dried leaves and twigs as the box bobbed along, headed beneath an old brick bridge.

  Golden brightness snagged her attention. A gasp tore from her mouth. Rays of sunlight refracted in the crystalline water. She’d been running for so long, she hadn’t realized the time. Trembles attacked her body, the sickly shudders drained her of energy and focus. She hyperventilated. Desperate to snatch the cooler box, she staggered along the side of the canal.

  Don’t look at the sun. Do not look at the Sun. Frosty water bit into her skin. She gasped. Knee-deep, she leaned forward, her fingers grazed the box as it sailed beneath the bridge. “No.”

  Washed in the warm beam, she gave in and peered at the sun ahead. A cry scratched her throat. She backed out of the canal, brown leaves stuck to drenched clothes and shoes. The yellow orb rose higher in the sky. Convulsions arrested her body. Rachel sank to quivering knees and hurled, her stomach emptying itself as she trembled with terror.

  Get away, now! Lumbering up the slight slope, she crossed the main road and down a curved street. A pale yellow ranch house stood in the short distance. If she had to break in and fight the owners to hide inside, so be it.

  As she neared the building, the bulkhead doors on the side caught her sight, and she made a beeline for it. She threw back the wooden doors and slammed them shut behind her. Eight cement steps receded to a lower shut door, but this one was locked. Rachel leaned against the wood and sank to the ground.

  A cooler full of blood bags gone. What now? The winter chill seeped through the wooden bulkhead above. Earlier, her limbs warmed from the continuous exercise, but now stuck in the frigid air, she craved Ian’s fireplace or at least her hoodie. Her gaze widened when a beam of light seeped through a crack in the bulkhead. She shuffled closer to the basement door before the sunlight could touch her.