by Jane Jamison
He swallowed a sip and gave her a disgusted look. “I hate to think of it in that way. Let’s call it an open invitation.”
“What are you going to do with me?” If she was lucky, he’d kill her. The idea of becoming his servant and giving him her blood chilled her to the bones.
“So we’re going to skip the pleasantries? Very well.” He took a seat in a side chair with gold brocades and tassels hanging from the arms. “First, I thought we’d have a discussion. I hear you have a very nasty opinion of me. One, I’m afraid, that comes from misconceptions.”
She tilted her head from side to side, checking for any pain to indicate that he’d bitten her, and felt nothing. Relief swept over her. At least he hadn’t fed on her yet.
“Shannon, dear, please. I have humans willing to give me a taste of their blood without resorting to taking it. No, I haven’t bitten you.”
“Then what are you going to do to me?” Her heart pounded in her ears. Could he hear her blood pumping in her veins?
“As I was saying, I want to dispel the misconceptions you have of me.” He leaned back in his chair, his expression growing darker. “I know you believe I killed your sister. The truth is, however, that it has been many years since I’ve killed anyone.” He flipped his hand in dismissal. “Except for a rogue vampire, but I didn’t have much choice at the time.”
“You killed my sister.” Anger pushed away her fear.
“You’re not listening. I didn’t kill her. In fact, I’ve never met your sister.”
“You dragged her into the alley in Dallas and drained the blood from her.”
Disgust flickered onto his face. “In an alley? Do I look like someone who would frequent alleys? Hardly. If I wanted to kill someone, I would do it in a much more dignified manner.”
He’s lying. But why? “Stop it. Stop trying to convince me of your innocence. I had a private investigator dig into the killings in Boston, Houston, and Dallas. Your family’s servants sold you out. They told him how your family exiled you to Texas.”
His laughter surprised her then infuriated her. “Shut the hell up! You killed my sister, you bastard, and you’re going to pay for it if it’s the last thing I ever do.”
His dark eyes mellowed, almost as though he pitied her. “I didn’t think they had it in them.”
“Who are you talking about?” She struggled to pull her arms from the invisible binding but couldn’t.
“The Rollingsford family, of course.” He chuckled, but the sound held no mirth. “Ah, I can see you don’t understand. Let me explain.”
“I don’t need explanations. All I need is to see you turn to dust.”
“The vampire who killed your sister was named Richard Rollingsford, correct?”
She nodded, ready for the verbal trap he was about to spring.
“And your investigator found one of their maids who was more than willing to tell you what happened to Richard, yes?” He took a sip of his drink.
“Yes. That’s how he found out that you’d moved to a small town in Texas.”
“And no doubt, for an added handful of money, she offered the name of the town as Shatland. How am I doing?”
She glowered, unwilling to answer him.
“Let me go on. Then, either your trusty investigator or perhaps someone in Shatland said that Richard Rollingsford moved from Shatland then to Forever and changed his name to Deacon Slater. Correct?”
“So you admit it. You killed my sister.”
“I admit no such thing. I will, however, admit to being caught with my proverbial pants down by not anticipating this.”
“Anticipating what? That I’d want to stake you?”
“No, my dear. Richard came to town and made a big splash when he tried to take a young lady hostage and kill her. Fortunately, her mates, the head of the pack, and myself were able to save her.”
She laughed and scoffed at him. “Oh, so now you’re telling me you’re a hero. Is that it?”
“Perhaps. But I’m afraid I’m not being clear enough.” He strode over to a painting to admire it before turning back to her. “I killed Richard before he could do any more damage. He was a rogue vampire, something my fellow vampires do not like. He brought too much attention to himself and was exiled by his family. They sent him here, and he was supposed to behave himself and learn the ways of the vampires who reside here. He, obviously, couldn’t learn, so I had to eliminate him.”
“I don’t understand. My investigator—”
Irritation flared in his eyes. “Your investigator did only as much as he wanted to. Or as much as he was either paid or glamoured to do. If he’d actually done his job thoroughly and without influence, he would’ve found out about Richard’s extinction and told you that the vampire who killed your sister was already dead. I would request a full refund if I were you.”
“No. The maid told him.”
He tipped his head in acquiescence. “I should have realized this might happen. The maid told him the truth. Or at least the truth as she knew. I’d heard rumors that the Rollingsford family were upset by my involvement in their son’s death, but I didn’t take it to heart. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She did, but she didn’t want to believe him. If she did, she’d have to admit she’d been trying to kill an innocent man. A man who was a vampire, but he was still innocent. Yet she couldn’t hold back the truth. “You’re saying the Rollingsford family set you up.”
“So my sources say. I called friends of mine in Boston”—he flashed his fangs—“after your first pitiful attempt to take my life. My fellow vampires found out that it was easy to get your investigator to believe whatever the Rollingsford family told him. Via their servant, of course. They also probably glamoured him into feeding you the misinformation.”
He narrowed his eyes, searching her. “So who told you that Rolllingsford changed his name to Deacon Slater and moved to Forever? Surely, they made you work a little for that last bit of information. If not, your efforts to find me would’ve seemed too easy. Even for humans to accept.”
She opened her mouth, but didn’t want to tell him. The doubt that had plagued her came back with a vengeance.
“Let me guess. Some helpful soul in Shatland told you what had happened to Rollingsford. Am I correct?” He laughed. “I have so many admirers in Shatland who would love to see my existence ended. You could’ve have asked any number of people and they would’ve been happy to lead you astray. After all, the Rollingsford family has relatives and friends in Shatland. After your investigator came sniffing around in Boston, they knew to expect someone to come looking in Shatland. It’s actually flattering in an odd sort of way.”
“I don’t believe it. You’re not only a murderer, you’re a liar. I can tell. I can feel it.”
His hand shook as he placed his goblet on the table beside her. Bending close to put his face inches from hers, he lifted his lips in a snarl and exposed his fangs. “You’re making me angry, Shannon. You don’t know half of what’s going on around you.”
“Like the fact that you’re a lowlife vampire?” She couldn’t help it. She wanted to strike back, to hurt him verbally if she couldn’t get to him physically.
His wicked smile gave her cold shivers. “And you’re a discerning judge of people, is that what you think? Then tell me, sweet lady, what do you think about your friends Daniel and Anderson? Rumor has it that you’ve gotten very close to them. Shall we say, intimately close?”
“What do they have to do with any of this?” Her stomach churned as she readied herself for whatever he would say.
“Why do you think they’re so interested in you? True, they’re acquaintances of mine who feel they owe me a debt of gratitude, but that’s only one of the reasons they’ve protected me from your pitiful attempts to stake me. Would you like to know the other reason?”
“Could I stop you if I tried?” She steeled herself, ready to deny anything bad he told her about the men she loved.
“They’re pr
otecting you, too. They’re making sure their future mate doesn’t get hurt while she’s on a vendetta.”
“Their mate? What does that mean?” Had Daniel or Anderson ever mentioned the word “mate”? She couldn’t remember, but neither could she shake the feeling that they had.
“You foolish girl. You really don’t have a clue. Don’t you know that you’ve slept with a couple of werewolves?”
Chapter Nine
Daniel and Anderson are werewolves?
Did she believe the vampire? An image of the men flashed through her mind. Had she seen any signs and ignored them because of her feelings for them?
Both men were quick and strong. She’d seen glimpses of unusually long teeth, but had she actually seen fangs?
And what if they were werewolves? Could she forget everything that had happened between them? Or could she accept what they were?
Her stomach twisted into a painful knot, and her heart pounded even as she wanted to call Deacon a liar. But what was his motive for telling a lie about Anderson and Daniel? And if he’d wanted her to believe that he was innocent, why didn’t he simply glamour her?
The only reason she could fathom was that he was telling her the truth. A liar wouldn’t bother trying to make her understand. She let out a ragged breath. Had she gotten everything wrong? Was she giving her heart to two werewolves while trying to kill an innocent vampire?
She fell back on her earlier belief and laughed. “You’re telling me you’re innocent. That’s a crock of shit. How can any vampire be innocent?”
Slater moved closer, and the chill from his body slithered over her in a cold embrace. He bent lower and searched her face. “I never said I was innocent of everything. That’s hardly the case. But I am innocent of harming your sister.”
If he was telling her the truth about Daniel and Anderson, did that mean he was telling her the truth about the Rollingsford family setting him up?
She didn’t want to believe him, but what he’d said made sense. Daniel and Anderson had claimed his innocence, too. At the time, she hadn’t been ready to believe anything but what she’d wanted to believe. But what about now?
Could she have been played? Was she just a pawn in a game of revenge orchestrated by the Rollingsford family?
If she was wrong, did she still want to see Slater dead? He was a vampire, a cold undead. Wasn’t that enough of a reason to kill him? Hadn’t he admitted that he was guilty of other crimes?
Shannon wrestled with the idea. Was she going to play judge and jury for events that had nothing to do with her sister? The pain she felt in her chest had nothing to do with any physical injury.
No. I can’t. If he didn’t murder my sister then I can’t kill him.
* * * *
“In here.” Daniel pushed through the side door into the garage and led the way to the back door into the house. He paused to check on Anderson. “Are you ready?”
“Whatever happens, we get Shannon out of there. I don’t care if we have to take out Deacon in the process.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’d hate to start a war between the vampires and the pack.”
Anderson nodded. “If that’s what it takes to get her back, then so be it.”
Daniel led the way into the house, moving as fast as he could. They weren’t sure how long she’d been at the vampire’s home, but every minute counted. Deacon wouldn’t put up with her invading his home, much less trying to kill him again.
Picking up her scent, Daniel headed down a long hallway. He could smell her fear and anger. She was in trouble, but at least she was still alive.
He slammed to a stop as he entered the large room and tried to understand what he was seeing. Shannon sat in a chair, her hands gripping the arms, her feet planted on the floor. Deacon stood a few feet away, the picture of a country squire visiting with a guest. Yet as soon as he swept his gaze from her wide eyes to the vampire’s slitted, cold, black eyes, he knew they’d arrived just in time.
“Shannon, are you all right?”
Anderson stopped beside him, and he could sense his cousin’s inner wolf rising to the surface.
She shook her head, but it was the look of fear on her face that worried him the most. She knows. He withdrew his canines.
“He used a spell to bind me to the chair. I can’t move my arms or my legs.”
Deacon lifted his hand to ward off Anderson as he growled and took a step forward. “I only did so to keep her from trying to kill me before I had a chance to talk to her.”
“He told me he didn’t kill my sister. He said a vampire named Rollingsford did and that Rollingsford’s family set him up as the killer.” Shannon swallowed as though forcing her next words out. “He also told me about you two.”
Daniel grabbed his cousin’s arm, warning him to keep control over his inner wolf. He prayed he could do the same. “I already told you about Rollingsford. If you’d just listened to me, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
“Listening doesn’t appear to be one of your future mate’s strong points.”
If he’d had a stake, he might’ve killed Deacon himself. Why had he told her and taken away their chance of telling her in their own way?
“Is it true, Daniel?”
He met her gaze and couldn’t have lied to her if he’d wanted to. “Yes. Like I said. I told you earlier about Rollingsford—”
“No. Not about that. About what you and Anderson are.” She studied him as though she’d never seen him before.
“What exactly did he tell you?” His inner wolf howled, wanting to take her now that she knew.
Her gaze slid to Anderson and back to him. “He said you’re werewolves. Both of you. Now tell me the truth. Is it true?”
He didn’t need to check with Anderson. She knew the truth, and he wouldn’t deny it. “Yes.”
Her eyes grew bigger as she dragged in a deep breath. She tried to move her arms and legs but couldn’t.
“Turn her loose, Deacon. She’s done trying to kill you.” But he wasn’t sure. Did she want to kill him now instead?
The vampire inclined his head then moved to take her by the chin. He bent his head, putting his face close to hers. “Look at me, Shannon. You’re free to move as you wish.”
Shannon jerked her arms hard, bringing them over her head. Pushing away from the chair, she hurried past Deacon to the other side of the room and away from Daniel and Anderson.
A stab of pain struck Daniel in the gut. Would she accept them? Or had her going to the other side of the room shown them how she felt?
Deacon arched a brow and paced past them toward the exit. “I’ll leave you three to talk. When you’re finished, be sure to lock the doors behind you.” He shot a look at Shannon. “I wouldn’t want any other interruptions. Have a good day, everyone.”
Daniel waited until Deacon was gone before speaking. “Shannon, let me explain. Do you remember our talk about how we’re connected? I know you felt it, and I know you believe we’re meant to be together.”
“As what? A woman and her two werewolves?”
He couldn’t tell if she was angry or frightened. Her tone was level, as though void of emotion. “No. You’re our future mate. But to mate us, you have to change. You have to become a werewolf, too.”
He’d startled her. He saw it in the flinch of her body as well as how she blinked not once but twice.
“I don’t know if I can do that,” she whispered.
“If you want to stay with us, to be our mate, you’ll have to go through the transformation.” He moved toward her but stopped when she backed away. “I know you’re confused, maybe even frightened, but we’re still the same men you fell in love with. Can’t you feel that?”
“Love?” She gave a slight, barely noticeable nod. “I don’t know how or when, but yes, I love you. As men.” A tear sparkled in her eye. “But as werewolves? I don’t know.”
“We know this is a shock. If you need time, then take it.”
“Anderson�
�s right. We’ll give you all the time you need. But, please, stay with us. At least stay in Forever and give us the chance we need to help you understand our ways. Give yourself the time to learn more about becoming a werewolf.”
“Becoming a werewolf? If I stay with you, then I become what you are?”
“Yes.” Daniel wished he could read her mind.
“Are there others? Werewolves, I mean?”
She was trying to come to terms with what she’d learned and trying to make her way back to them. “Yes. Most of the people in Forever are werewolves. Our ancestors founded the town so we’d have a safe place to live and raise families.”
“Is Milly a werewolf, too?”
“Yeah. Milly’s one of us.” Anderson’s face mirrored the urgency, the need in his own.
“Show me.”
Daniel glanced at Anderson then turned back to her. “You want to see us change into werewolves? Here?”
She took a step closer. “Yes. Here and now. Can you do that? Is it safe? You wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”
Daniel smiled. He was right. She was trying to understand and accept. “We’d never hurt you. Not as werewolves and not as men. We’d give our lives for you.”
“Then show me.” She stood behind the large couch, her fingers gripping the back of it in a death grip.
“Okay. But you have to promise you won’t run away. Do you think you can do that?”
She didn’t answer, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t. Slowly, he and Anderson began to undress.
* * * *
Anderson and Daniel started shedding their clothes and, as it always did, the desire for them seared through her. They got rid of their shirts and tossed them to the floor. She stared, intrigued as she watched the muscles in their strong arms work to pull off their boots. She ached to slide her fingers over their six-pack abs as they undid their belt buckles then unzipped their jeans. And when they dropped their jeans to the floor, she lost her breath at the sight of their curved erect cocks. Her mouth watered, remembering how their cocks fit into her mouth, her ass, and her pussy.
