by Trina M. Lee
I pulled back to look at him, surprised. “How did you know?”
Shaz had been through so much because of Arys and me, because of what we were. He shouldn’t be so understanding, and yet he was. I didn’t expect anyone else to understand what I was experiencing. Surely not Shaz. And he shouldn’t have to.
“I know you, Lex. You carry guilt for every mistake you’ve ever made. I can’t pretend to get it. I know it’s complicated.” He laughed, a low, mirthless sound. “You were right. I can’t make you into someone you’re not. Honestly, I don’t even want to. I love who you are. Although you’re more like Arys now than I ever thought possible.”
“That’s a bad thing, huh?” I smiled, trying to keep this conversation from taking a darker turn.
“Well, there are a few aspects I’m not a fan of, but there are worse things than Arys. He’s become a lot more like you too, and it blows my mind. He’s changed. A lot. I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, but you should give him a chance to show you.”
Mention of Arys brought to mind the fact that he’d manipulated Kale into leaving, and I knew that he hadn’t changed as much as Shaz thought. Or perhaps we were both seeing different sides of him these days.
“We’re getting off topic,” I said between kisses. The restraint it took to keep from tearing into his jugular was starting to hurt. “I don’t want to think or talk about anyone else. All I want is you. Here. Now.”
It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he just nodded and kissed me. There was such need in his touch. Holding me tight, he pushed to his feet, lifting me onto the trunk of the Charger. The hood would be better, but I could work with this.
His kisses grew frenzied. From my lips he moved to my neck to target the sensitive spot beneath my ear that was like a direct line to my groin. The racing of his heart as it increased in tempo grew louder. My focus honed in on the blood rushing through his veins. I couldn’t wait much longer.
Screwing Shaz in the Doghead parking lot didn’t feel right. He deserved more than a quick bang and bite. He deserved to be taken to places I wasn’t ready to go, with either him or Arys. Shaz deserved to be made love to with intimacy and tender devotion. On the back of my car in the middle of a warehouse parking lot was just not good enough for him.
Though it was a bit of a dirty trick, I let the power bubble up and overflow out of me to crash over Shaz. Putting him under my spell changed everything. It took things from one on one to just me, pulling his strings.
“Lex.” My name was a groan as he fell hard into my thrall. Claws bit into my hip, and he swayed. “It’ll always be you, Lex. Always.” There was a drunkenness to his tone, but it didn’t make his words mean any less.
Manipulating him shouldn’t have felt so good. Now I knew how Arys felt. It was impossible not to enjoy having this kind of power. Knowing that Shaz got off on it made me have even more fun with it.
“Never forget that you are my anchor in this storm.” I murmured the words against his skin. Nuzzling his neck, I savored the scent of him. “No matter what happens, please, never forget that.”
Running one hand through his hair, I dragged my lips over the pulsing vein in his neck. When he tried to nudge my legs apart, I resisted. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him. It was that I wanted him so much that even the vampire-driven hunger couldn’t cut through the fear that accompanied that need.
Falon’s assertion rang through my head. I was afraid to be close with the two men I loved. Fear of who and what I was now kept the walls I’d built in place. Arys had called me on it, and as usual, he was right.
Before my resistance could shake Shaz out of my spell, I ran my tongue over his jugular, focusing on the steady beat. With a skin-scraping nip I had him trembling with anticipation. Unable to hold off any longer, I slid fangs into his flesh, groaning when his blood hit my tongue.
Shaz relaxed in my embrace, his breath coming hard and fast. For a split second I almost spread my legs for him, but fear was a powerful thing. It whispered in my ear, taunting me with anxious thoughts. What if he doesn’t really want me now? What if it’s just the power making him react this way?
Memories flooded me at the taste of him. Rich with heady wolf energy and strong with the sweetness of Shaz, it swept me away to that euphoric place I always sought now. This time my sweet escape led to a place built on love and devotion. It wrapped around me, warm and protective. With Shaz in my arms and his blood on my tongue, I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Safe.
He held tight to me, leaving deep gashes in my skin. Everything was so fucked up. Despite the pain, the horror, and the hell, I would always know that I had loved and been loved.
There was one thing that spoke louder than fear. Temptation. Memories taunted me, reminding me how good he felt and how well we fit together. With a hand on his hip, I pulled him closer, spreading my legs in invitation.
Dayne’s arrival shattered the spell. The Alpha wolf was accompanied by half a dozen others, including Izzy. The small stampede of wolves doused the flame, bringing us back to reality. Their vibe was heavy with rage and panic. It crawled over me like an unwelcome touch, pouring salt on the sweetness of what Shaz and I had created.
Shaz jerked away, casting a glance about for our clothing. I crossed my legs and shook my long hair so it fell over my breasts. Licking the blood from my lips, I used a pinky to capture a stray drop. Having Dayne and his buddies see me naked was of no concern to me. Having him find me with wolf blood on my face was. Not that it was any of his damn business, but he didn’t need more reasons to dislike me.
I accepted my clothing from Shaz, slipping the dress over my head before hopping off the car. He donned jeans and running shoes before pulling his t-shirt over his head.
Something was up.
Dayne skidded to a stop and shifted, his companions doing the same. With fury masking his face, he advanced on me, naked and snarling. “Are we interrupting something? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised to find you feeding on one of my wolves. You clearly have a taste for them.” Dayne got so close I could feel the heat rolling off his body. The aroma of cigars and wolf cloaked him.
I stood my ground even though I didn’t want him to touch me. Backing away was an act of fear and submission. So fuck that. “What I do with Shaz is none of your damn business, Dayne. Don’t tell me you came rushing back to interrupt us. Shouldn’t you be taking care of Owen?” I raised a brow, a silent challenge.
“Owen’s fine. But Melissa isn’t. She’s dead. We just found her. Vampire kill. Another one. I don’t suppose you know anything about that, do you?” With fists clenched and veins popping out on his forehead, Dayne was seething.
My poker face had improved, but I wasn’t sure it was good enough for this moment. With the taste of wolf blood strong in my mouth and the energy that went along with it coursing through me, it was pretty clear who was going to take the blame for this.
“Of course I don’t,” I said, choking on my own sudden rage. My answer was not technically a lie. I hadn’t known there was a second wolf kill until now. How could Arys do this again? “I didn’t kill any of your wolves.”
Dayne sneered in Shaz’s direction. “You clearly have a fondness for them.”
“For him,” I corrected. “I have a fondness for him.”
“Well, now we have a fucking problem. A big fucking problem. I’m declaring open season on vampires.” Dayne pressed closer, muscles rippling as he moved. “So much for that alliance. You can consider it terminated.”
I gaped at him, at a loss for words. What could I say to that? If I were in his position, I’d feel the same way.
“Dayne, come on. This isn’t Alexa’s fault.” Shaz drew closer, coming to my side. It wasn’t earning him any points with his new Alpha. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to help get to the bottom of this. We can find the vampire responsible. This doesn’t have to start a war.”
Oh God, my stomach twisted with anxiety. Shaz didn’t know it was Arys. We’d chosen not to
tell him, thinking it would be safer for him if he knew nothing. Now I wasn’t so sure.
“Are you questioning my decision?” Dayne pinned Shaz with a glower so menacing it could have curdled milk. “This is a bad time to have divided loyalties, Shaz.”
“I pledged loyalty to this pack and I meant it, but I love Alexa, and being part of this pack doesn’t change that. I’m trying to find a way to keep the peace here. If we start shit with the vampires, it’s going to end in a lot more than two lost wolves.” Shaz was bold, unafraid of Dayne. Calm and collected, he was working hard to be the peacekeeper. I hoped he didn’t pay a price for that.
Other than Izzy who was obviously uncomfortable, the wolves backing Dayne watched with growing excitement. They thought the new recruit was going to get his ass kicked by their Alpha. They were wrong. Nobody was kicking Shaz’s ass on my watch.
“The vampires started shit with us,” Dayne barked, his temper rising with his voice. “I’m not going to wait for them to kill any more of us. They were warned.”
The fact that Dayne was naked made him a whole hell of a lot more intimidating. His anger was starting to prick me in all the right places. Though it wasn’t my favorite form of emotional energy, it could be a fun tease on the way to other things.
I caught myself wondering how much of a challenge he’d put up. Shoving that thought aside, I tried to negotiate. “Let me talk to them, Dayne. Give me a chance to find out who is behind it. Then that vampire will be all yours. You can do whatever you want to them. Just give me a chance to make this right.”
“Talk to them?” Dayne bellowed, flinging both hands up. “Dammit, woman, you already made a public example out of one of them. They clearly do not give a shit. Since you can’t control them, I have no choice but to retaliate.”
“I haven’t tried to control them. That’s not the kind of leader I want to be.” Also, the vampires hated me. Changing that was going to be impossible if a war broke out with the wolves.
Dayne scoffed. “You told them you were going to dictator the fuck out of this city. I was there. So, get to it. You don’t have much time. I’ll give you twenty-four—no, I can be generous—forty-eight hours. If you don’t have a vampire for me, it’s game on.”
“Dayne, there has to be a better way to—” Shaz never got the words out before his new Alpha rounded on him with a growl and bared fangs.
“Should I go back to twenty-four?” he snapped, hands clenched into fists. “Do not make me regret bringing you in, Shaz.”
Tension held me rigid. Rare but occasional, my two sides were in complete agreement, wanting nothing more than to tear Dayne apart. He could threaten me and he could threaten the vampires, but God help him if he turned that attitude on Shaz.
“Forty-eight hours is just fine.” Speaking through clenched teeth, I tried to ignore the heat in my fingertips. Would it be so bad to slap him with a psi ball? Ugh, yes. “I’ll get your damn vampire. Use that time to consider all the ways an alliance between us is to your benefit, because honestly, I’m starting to question if it’s just a waste of my damn time.”
What Dayne seemed to be forgetting was that both Shaz and I were Alpha wolf material. Having no pack to lead didn’t change that. We’d earned our right to lead. As bad as I wanted to spit that into his beastly face, I held my tongue, which was no easy feat.
The weight of that angry wolf stare bore into me, seeking to break me. Dayne didn’t know who he was dealing with. I was smart enough to be wary, certain he was a foe I didn’t want to have, but I wasn’t going to be cowed by him.
“I could have you on your knees with a look and a whisper, begging me to fuck you while I slash your throat.” What came out of my mouth didn’t sound like me. My voice was velvet smooth and ice cold. A cool breeze that touched only me moved my hair. “Because I have a shred of respect left for you, I haven’t done it yet. If I were you, I wouldn’t do anything to lose that respect.”
So much for holding my tongue. Shaz went stiff beside me, thrumming with nerves. He was ready to defend me in a fight. That wasn’t helping him in the loyalty department. I loved him for it, but I’d hoped he would fit in here.
Dayne’s wolf was snarling and snapping inside him. I could feel it. However, he maintained his composure. Whether it was the audience we had or just good sense, he managed to smile through the rage. “I think you better leave now.” The growl was so heavy it was hard to make the words out. With a sneer in Shaz’s direction, he said, “If you go with her, don’t ever come back.”
Dayne turned his back on us and lunged through the air, landing as wolf. He didn’t linger to see if Shaz would join him. With the rest of the small group he’d brought hot on his heels, he darted from the parking lot.
“What the hell did I get myself into?” Shaz rubbed a hand over his face and let out the breath he’d been holding. “Maybe this was all a big mistake.”
“No, it’s not. He has every right to be pissed. I would be too if I were in his position.” Drawing Shaz close, I checked the bite on his neck, finding it to be minor. He was a fast healer. “You need to get naked, get furry, and go after him. Be part of the pack. Run with them. Enjoy yourself.”
Shaz grasped my wrist. “Do you know who’s killing Dayne’s wolves? Should I be watching my back?”
Shit. Such a direct question had me backed into a corner. “I can’t answer that without making more trouble for you with Dayne. Don’t worry about it, ok? I’ll handle it.” I leaned in to kiss him goodbye, but he dodged my attempt.
“So you do know. Tell me, Lex. Don’t leave me in the dark.”
“If I don’t tell you, then you can honestly claim to not know if he asks you.” I wilted beneath the intensity of Shaz’s stare. He wasn’t letting this go. “Dayne can’t know.”
That was all I had to say. Shaz’s eyes widened and understanding lit up his face. Though we were undoubtedly alone, he shot a wary glance around anyway. “Arys. Why doesn’t that surprise me? I knew he was coming apart, but I had no idea it was at this point. He hid it well.”
Guilt slashed through me. I wouldn’t know. I’d been avoiding Arys and doing my own share of running amok. “Like I said, I’ll handle it. Just don’t let it ruin the opportunity you have here.” I pulled him into a hug, sighing when his arms went around me.
“I’ll keep an eye on things around here. You deal with Arys and let me deal with Dayne.” The attitude that accompanied that declaration was aggressive and familiar. It flashed me back to the night in Vegas when Shaz had fought in Jenner’s ring. The night Shaz had killed another wolf in cold blood.
Panicked, I grabbed both sides of his face, searching him and finding the killer behind his eyes. “Promise me you won’t do anything rash. No Vegas flashbacks, ok?”
Shaz had really scared me that night. I’d seen a side of him I hadn’t known existed. He’d left town a young, uncertain, but determined werewolf. He’d come back older than his years, level headed still but a force of nature who knew what he was capable of and knew how to use it.
Maybe I was wrong about this. Maybe Shaz was too much Alpha to follow another wolf’s lead.
Shaz chuckled and kissed me. “Don’t worry about me. I’m the anchor, remember? Steady in the storm. Go find Arys. I’ll stay here and make nice with Dayne.”
He kissed me again, and I released him with great reluctance when he pulled away. After disrobing and shifting, he nuzzled my hand and bounded away. I watched him go, trying not to worry.
“What about you, Shaz?” I spoke aloud, with only the night to hear me. “Who will be your anchor?”
With a frustrated sigh and a stream of my favorite curse words, I got into my car and started the engine. I had a vampire to find. A vampire who had just endangered Shaz with his thoughtless actions. Things were about to get ugly.
Chapter Nine
Finding Arys was as easy as closing my eyes. His energy trail stood out like a blinking beacon among the rest. I was drawn to him, pinpointing his location righ
t away. The Wicked Kiss. Now that was interesting. Since when did Arys spend time there?
By the time I reached the Kiss I was fuming. The entire drive had given me a solid twenty minutes to stew about what he’d done. The more I thought about how stupid his actions were and how much they could cost us, the more enraged I became. The pissed off wolf robbed of her freedom on a full moon night wasn’t helping.
I slammed the car door shut so hard, it drew the attention of those loitering outside. Ignoring them, I stalked inside, each step feeding my ire. Justin’s head snapped up from the I.D. he was checking as I passed through the lobby.
Sensing the rage cloaking me like a second skin, Justin asked, “Everything ok, boss?”
“We’ll see.” I managed a tight smile that felt brittle, like it might shatter on my face.
As I strode inside the ice-cold awareness of Arys grew, but it wasn’t enough to douse the flames of my fury. I was seeing red, boiling over with violent emotion when I spotted him at the bar with Willow.
Arys looked up at my approach as if surprised, but we both knew that was bullshit. He’d felt me coming long before I reached the parking lot. Arys spun on his barstool to face me.
I never let him get a word out.
My hand snaked out, closing on his throat, and I threw him off the stool as I pasted him against the bar. “Why? Why did you fucking do it, Arys? Are you trying to sabotage everything I’ve been working for?”
Later it would dawn on me that this was an exact replica of the night I’d killed Harley. Arys had come in here for me and thrown me into this same bar, snarling similar words.
Willow reacted with surprise, eyes wide and body tense. Those lined up to buy drinks moved to give us room. A visible spark of light flashed as our power collided before becoming one entity.
Arys fixed me with a stony stare. “Well, hello to you too, my love. Shouldn’t you be with Shaz right now, at Doghead?” He had the nerve to smirk as he drew on the rush of my anger, enjoying it.
