Lure of the Blood

by Doris O'Connor

  His gut clenched seeing how awkwardly she was holding herself and the ugly purple bruises on her soft skin made him want to rip the bastard apart all over again. It took all of his centuries’ worth of control to not crush her to him. He had come perilously close to doing just that last night. The knowledge of how easy it would be to soothe those aches had warred with the temptation to claim her as his. But it would bring with it physical changes, and she would have noticed. Changes that would be hard to explain. So instead, he had peeled her out of her clothes, taking care to wash away the stench of the filth that had attacked her and he had sat watching over her, until the first rays of sun peeking through her windows had sent him seeking cover.

  Her expressive chocolate brown eyes darted in his direction and he sank further into the shadows, as her breathing hitched and her pulse picked up, causing an answering stirring in his groin. There was no way she could see him, yet still he felt her gaze like a physical caress, before she shook herself and stepped up to Ion’s desk.

  “I’m so sorry, boss, but I have no idea what happened last night. I came as soon as Ellie told me. Do you need me to make a statement or something? The poor man; will this reflect badly on you and the club?”

  “It’s taken care of, my sweet, don’t worry.” Hearing Ion address her like that made his blood boil and he forced himself to unclench his fists. “I’m more concerned with you. You ought to be tucked up in bed resting. As for the club - if anything, it’s extra publicity. There’s nothing to connect his accident to us. He was inebriated when he left here. From the traces of blood the police found, his alcohol level was sky high. I suspect he carried on drinking after he left here and pissed someone off that he shouldn’t have.”

  “Tr…Traces of blood?”

  Marnie swayed slightly as the colour drained out of her face and she grabbed the edge of the stool to steady herself. Way to go, wolf, scare her even more, why the fuck don’t you. At least he had the good sense to look uncomfortable as Ion glanced in his direction, stopping him from moving with an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

  “But surely there should have been lots of blood? The papers said it was some sort of animal attack, but what animal could do that? I just don’t understand.”

  Another glance in his direction had him bite back his growl of frustration. She could not know he was here, even if her eyes seemed to look directly at him and he could smell her unwilling arousal. Damn, this wasn’t good. Get her out of here, wolf.

  “Marnie, you look exhausted. Let me drive you home. No one knows exactly what happened. I’m sure the police will figure it out eventually. As for you, just concentrate on getting well for now. The girls will cover your shifts until you’re well enough to come back to work.”

  Ion was almost holding her up, as he steered her out of the door. With one last uncertain look of molten chocolate in his direction, she was gone.

  Lucas stepped out of the shadows with a low growl, flinching as the sun hit his bare skin. It was going to be hours before he could check on her and if that wolf didn’t get his hands off her…

  Chapter Three

  Marnie scooted into a corner of the pickup truck, the minute her boss had handed her up into the cab, and let out the breath she hadn’t been aware of holding. When his hands had connected with her waist, the heat of his skin had burned through her clothes, his earthy scent invading her. She could have sworn his pupils had turned into catlike slits. She must be imagining things; clearly, she had hit her head too hard last night, and she had a lump the size of a football on the back of her head to prove it. Sure enough, glancing across at him now, he seemed perfectly normal to her. Perhaps it was simply the fact of seeing him in broad daylight for the first time––that had to be it. This was the closest she had ever been to him; in fact, he had never touched her before. He didn’t seem to touch anyone.

  Heat crept into her cheeks when he turned to study her, one eyebrow raised in a silent question at her blatant appraisal. Way to go, girl; caught ogling your boss.

  “You ok? I’ll have you home in no time.”

  The cautious smile lighting up his craggy features at her tentative nod made her toes curl under. Good lord, he was gorgeous when he smiled. Close cropped hair, coupled with the stubble on a strong jaw and his intense expression gave him a mean, sexy look. How come she had never noticed before? This was her boss, for pity’s sake. It was bad enough lusting after mysterious strangers, let alone him. What the hell was wrong with her?

  Instead of letting her imagination run away with her, she ought to be concerned why she couldn’t remember a thing about last night. Well, remember nothing but a pair of compelling moss-green eyes and a gravelly, accented voice in her ear and then just darkness. Gah, it was so bloody frustrating.

  Ion’s low, growled curse registered at the same time as the pickup stopped abruptly and white-hot pain shot up from her bruised ribs, the seatbelt locking her in place. She couldn’t stop the agonised moan escaping.

  “Shit, are you ok? That kid came out of nowhere.”

  Ion’s hands were seemingly everywhere, unbuckling her seatbelt, running one hand over her sides, whilst the other checked her head with infinite care.

  “Did you bump your head again? Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  Marnie lost herself in the intense gaze of steely blue-grey eyes for a second, before the pain in her ribs made her flinch and Ion’s hands froze.

  “Your ribs? Let me see.”

  “It’s nothing much, really.” Marnie tried in vain to slap his hand away, only to have her chin caught in an iron grip, forcing her to look at him. Her heart beat a bit faster at the concern she saw in his face.

  “Let me be the judge of that,” and before she could say or do anything, his large hands had tugged her top up, his low whistle at what he saw causing his hot breath to skitter across her face. His hands started a slow exploration of her rib cage and her breath hitched when his fingers skimmed the underside of her breasts, awareness of the man in front of her causing heat to rise in her cheeks.

  Get a grip, girl; he is only checking you over to make sure you’re ok.

  His hands stilled at her indrawn breath, his gaze flickering to her face for an instant. Marnie’s mortification increased tenfold at the inscrutable expression on his face, the small muscle ticking in his jaw the only indication he was aware of her reaction.

  “I don’t think anything is broken, but we ought to get you checked out by a doc anyway to be on the safe side.” His voice had dropped an octave and Marnie’s stomach dropped right with it.

  “I…I don’t need a doctor, you said nothing is broken. I’ll get over it. Besides, he would ask too many questions I couldn’t answer.”

  With one last searching look Ion shifted the truck into gear and moved off again.

  ****

  Damn, Ion was too aware of the itty bitty little human, his beast growling every time he touched her. The scent of Lucas on her skin, mixed with her own unique essence, made him want to brand her as his. He had no right to think of her in any way, other than as his employee. Lucas wanted her; that much was clear, and unless his senses were completely off, she had responded to the vampire in the shadows on an instinctive level. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought Lucas had given her his blood, but from the state of those injuries, it was clear he hadn’t. The strength of her connection to his friend was puzzling and unusual, and gave him an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

  Sensing her gaze on him, he made himself smile in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. He could feel her pain, as well as confusion and unwilling arousal––arousal aimed at him, which made his wolf sit up and pant in anticipation. Much as his beast had done three months ago when she had walked in his club, looking for a job, all delicious and innocent and self-conscious. He had ruthlessly tamped down on his instant awareness then, keeping an eye on her progress from a safe distance. Humans weren’t for him; had he not learnt that the hard way? The return of Lucas a
nd his interest in her had further complicated matters. And now, this whole debacle with Worthing. He should have banned the bastard weeks ago, like Lucas suggested.

  Ion’s guilty conscience caused him to react to her nearness now, her brave front in the face of her injuries raising his protective instincts. That, and the fact that he hadn’t had a good fuck in months.

  Her low moan as he took a corner too fast shot straight to his groin and he forced himself to soften the white knuckled grip on the steering wheel, whilst risking a glance in her direction. Eyes closed, head laid back, her full mouth pinched in a narrow line in a face far too pale spoke volumes of the pain she must be in and he couldn’t stop the low growl escaping as his wolf bayed for blood. He once again stopped the truck.

  ****

  Marnie’s eyes fluttered open in panic at the animalistic growl coming from the driver’s side. What the hell? And why did they stop now?

  She could sense the anger coming off Ion in waves, his gaze on her so intense she didn’t breathe until his eyes shifted to a spot over her shoulder and she managed to gasp some much-needed air into her tight lungs.

  “Does your place have a bath?”

  “What?”

  “It’s a simple enough question!” Ion’s hand went in his hair, his eyes briefly connecting with hers, before he swore under his breath, shaking his head. “I’m assuming it hasn’t. Those flats aren’t fit for mice to live in, let alone a woman on her own. You need to soak those injuries if you want any chance of being able to walk tomorrow. I am betting it’s only adrenaline keeping you upright as it is.”

  “I…I’ll be fine. This isn’t your concern. Just take me home, please.”

  Unease trickled down her spine at the renewed growl rumbling from Ion’s broad chest. He looked as tense as a bow string, his grey eyes pure steel, holding her captive, one large hand curling round the base of her neck, forcing her to look at him.

  “This is very much my concern. You’re coming home with me and I’m not taking no for an answer. Someone needs to look after you.”

  “I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. I don’t need a man for that.”

  The calloused fingers on her neck tightened painfully and she couldn’t help the wince escaping, even as her body reacted to the raw, barely-controlled masculine power radiating off him with embarrassing predictability. Heat rose in her cheeks at his knowing smile. She watched in helpless fascination as his nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, before he came so close the heat of his skin seemed to melt into her bones. His breath fanned across the sensitive skin of her neck, before he seemed to sniff her and his growled words in her ear sent her heart beating into overdrive.

  “Just as well I’m not just a man then, little one.”

  And with those ominous words, he pulled away from her, shifted the truck into gear and drove off again.

  Marnie thought it wise to keep her mouth shut, even as they headed further and further out of town and away from her block of flats. Every time she did try and say something, another one of those low growls stopped her until she couldn’t stand it anymore.

  “There are laws against kidnapping, you know. You can’t just do this. And what the hell did you mean by that comment?”

  The look he sent her was that of a pure predator, and Marnie swallowed nervously. What had she gotten herself into now? And why was her body not getting the message? His little Tarzan act should have her appalled, not secretly excited.

  His growled response did little to reassure her.

  “It’s only kidnapping if one party doesn’t agree, my sweet.”

  Oh, the nerve of the man!

  “Did you not get the memo? I asked you to take me home!”

  His low chuckle washed over her and she had to sit on her hands to stop herself from slapping that arrogant smirk off his face.

  “You can protest all you want, but your scent says otherwise.”

  Oh My God!

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  The deep growl made Marnie jump as one large hand rested on her thigh briefly, branding her in a painful squeeze. Her heart once again went into overdrive at the expression on his face. He looked about ready to eat her. Now where had the thought come from?

  “Keep asking and you’ll find out. Now relax, we’re almost there. I have a bath with your name on it.”

  “And if I don’t want a bath?” Marnie didn’t seem able to stop goading him. Something about the way he was breathing, spurred her on at an instinctive level. She had never seen him quite so tense, so on the verge of … of something dark and dangerous and exciting. Oh God, clearly there was something fundamentally wrong with her––there had to be. The air seemed to have been sucked out of the interior of the truck as she waited for his response, too aware of the leashed power emanating off him right now.

  When he finally turned to her, his eyes were not human. “Don’t push me, little one; you won’t like what you find.”

  Chapter Four

  They sat in tense silence for the rest of the journey, which seemed to take them further into the countryside until Marnie had no idea where she was. A quick glance at her mobile showed there to be no signal either. Oh great! She was god-only-knew-where, trapped in a moving truck with her boss, who it turns out, she didn’t seem to know at all. The further they travelled the more alien he seemed to her. Those words of his seemed to bounce around in her head like ping pong balls, taking on more and more ominous meaning the longer they drove.

  “Just as well I’m not just a man then, little one.”

  As the shadows lengthened and they carried on driving, the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach increased to alarming levels as her mind went into overdrive, remembering every paranormal story she had ever read. Watching his big body handle the pickup with expert grace as they avoided the potholes of the one-track, narrow lane they were now hurtling along, she bit back the gasp of pain, mingled with horror at her imaginings. What had that headline said…Animal attack cannot be ruled out… And if he wasn’t just a man, but a…

  No, no, no, no, no this was madness, just her overactive imagination, even as another low growl coming from her boss made her bite her lip. The truck hit a pothole that had seemingly taken up the entire lane, and they ground to a halt.

  Ion’s vicious curse bounced round the cab. Marnie shrunk in on herself when his eyes briefly connected with hers. His hungry gaze skimmed across her body, leaving goose bumps of awareness in their wake – of fear or arousal she didn’t dare examine, as she drew a shuddering breath into her lungs and screwed her eyes shut.

  Ion’s sigh of frustration raised the ends of her fringe. “Open your eyes, little one, and stop acting as though I’m going to eat you.”

  She shook her head. No way, he was too close and he was…

  “Marnie, LOOK at me!”

  The growled demand made her eyes flutter open in panic and widen at his next words. “Not unless you want me to.”

  “Want you t…to do what?”

  One fingertip trailed across her jaw, his mocking eyes growing murderous, when they fell to the bruises on her throat, before burning into hers with a spellbinding intensity that held her rooted to the seat far more effectively than the seatbelt she was still wearing.

  He just shook his head, easing back behind the wheel with a muttered curse.

  “Stay here. I’m going to rustle up some help. I won’t be long,” and before she could say anything else, he had jumped out of the car and took off into the woods with a speed and grace, reminiscent of the big predators, she used to love watching in the zoo. The eerie howling invading the cab seconds later made her screech in fright and slam the locks down.

  Maybe this was all just a bad dream…it had to be….

  ****

  Ion took off at a run, stripping out of his clothes, his beast howling as he shifted and let the wolf take over, whilst ruthlessly stopping him from running back to the human and claiming her as his. She wasn’t hi
s, damn it. Whatever had possessed him to bring her back here, apart from his wolf’s constant growling in his ears? He picked up speed, enjoying the feel of the damp earth under his paws. He had been too long without the sheer pleasure of giving his wolf free reign. Out here, on his land, he could be himself and not worry about human sensibilities. Life was so much simpler as the wolf. He had spent months just being the wolf after Zoe. It had been the only way to keep his emotions under tight control, the only way to keep sane. And fuck it; it was happening all over again. That look of sheer terror in Marnie’s eyes had taken him straight back there. He was the Alpha of his pack, damn it. He couldn’t afford this weakness for any human girl, no matter how much her scent called to him, even masked by the scent of vampire.

  His wolf howled his agony as memories swamped him. Another soft body calling him, making him forget his duties and alienating a friend in the process. In the end Zoe had played them both and had paid the highest price possible. She had not been able to deal with the wolf, let alone the vampire, her sheer terror driving her in front of the train. Even Lucas had not been able to help her after that, and it had driven the vampire out of the country and on a course of destruction that had spanned several years and three continents.

  Humans, especially alluring, sexy, females were nothing but trouble and only good for one thing. And he was so not going there, either; not when his wolf wanted nothing more than to sink his fangs into her soft neck and mark her as his. Another howl brought an answer from his pack. He would go hunting and sink his fangs into the nearest prey instead. His pack could take care of her. The further away he was from temptation, the better.

  With a renewed burst of speed, he broke through the clearing as he picked up the scent of deer, ignoring the stronger scent of frightened female calling him. Let Lucas have her. Knowing the vamp, he would come and find her, perhaps even the minute darkness fell in earnest, whether he wanted him to or not. And Ion needed to be far away from her when that happened, lest his wolf take over.