He smiled when she brought it up. “It would be more difficult to live alone. Shifters are pack creatures.” He led her to the garden, judging correctly that she was too wound-up to stay indoors. She told him the sordid story and he was exactly as sympathetic as she had hoped.
“That’s vampires for you. And what I know of the warriors, which isn’t much, they’re even worse. They’re completely ruthless when they’re working for their own ends.”
“And what about those renegades?”
“I’ve never heard about them.”
“You mean he was lying about that too?” But she hadn’t imagined how that man in the club made her feel.
Toby shrugged. “Or it’s their name for them.”
“So you wouldn’t know how to avoid them?”
“Well, if they’re the enemy of the Crimson Circle, I suggest you stay away from the warriors.” He smiled, but she knew he meant it.
Her heart fell. “Bugger. Do you think I’ll have to quit at Sudden Death? I really like it there.”
“No. If the warriors are troublesome, just tell Grant. He can deal with them.” She didn’t doubt it. Her first impression of him hadn’t faded in two weeks. He was scary. But he was a fair boss too.
Toby clapped his hands together, changing the topic. “And now, dinner. Mom should have something ready.”
“I can’t sit down to your family table all sweaty.” But he just smiled, ignoring her protests, and led her back in. She ended up having a wonderful meal with his parents and brother and sister. They all looked pretty much the same age, but to her bafflement she was able to sense differences in them, the greater strength of Toby’s parents and the relative weakness of his younger sister. As a group, they felt warm and vibrant, their effect on her exactly as soothing as Toby had intended.
The evening was already growing late before she was ready to head home. She promised Toby she’d take the train, but running felt so good that when she reached the Greenwich station, she didn’t board the DLR after all but took the pedestrian tunnel to the other side of the river. Taking the north side would be a longer route home, as she would have to make her way around the northward bend in the river, but the route was beautiful and the evening weather was nice.
The only blemish in her otherwise perfect evening was when she ran too close to the Nightingale Club. It hadn’t opened for the night yet, but it still managed to mar her good mood. Putting it resolutely out of her mind, she headed for the City. She would be home soon.
Chapter Eight
Keeping on the tail of a woman who evidently could run a marathon without tiring wasn’t easy for a man with Jeremy’s build, but he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. He did what he had to in order to keep her safe. Even if it meant running through the entirety of London.
Her pace was conserving, like with long-distance runners, and he had no trouble keeping up. But doing so without her noticing him was another matter. He was a large man and didn’t run with the effortless grace she did. And he was dressed in jeans, a button-up shirt and handmade leather shoes. People noticed him as he swerved by them.
One jogger wasn’t a peculiarity: a jogger with a tail was.
It was only a matter of time before someone would alert Cora to his presence. He could camouflage himself with magic, but there was only so much Might he could spare without tiring. He needed to conserve energy in case she decided to actually run a marathon.
Or he had to defend her against the enemy.
On the Bankside footpath, there were fewer people around and it became easier to run, but she increased her pace only a little. Fearing she would detect him, he let the distance between them grow, but she never looked around, never even suspected he might be following her.
By the time they reached Greenwich, he had run more than he had in ages, even including regular exercising and the chases renegades provided him with. He wasn’t tiring, but he felt dismayed when he realised she would run atop Maze Hill. It was the leopard-shifters’ territory and he had to tread carefully. Worse, it meant she had run straight to her shifter.
His chest tightened and it had nothing to do with the steep climb.
He wanted to follow her into the clan grounds when she disappeared through the gate of the castle, but that would be foolish. Glancing around, he spotted a huge tree in the Greenwich Park across the street. It was far enough from the shifter estate that their guards wouldn’t immediately spot him, and close enough to keep an eye on the gate. He scaled the tall wrought-iron fence to the park and climbed up the tree, hiding behind the leaves. He was parched, but he couldn’t – wouldn’t – abandon his watch.
The sun was already setting when she finally emerged. He had begun to fear that she would stay the night, and the sight of her made his tension ease. Like before, she took off on an easy trot back the way she had come. Groaning, he got down from the tree and followed her. If his legs were a little stiff, it was because he had sat in the tree for so long.
He began to worry again when she didn’t head to the train station but to the pedestrian tunnel underneath the Thames. She meant to run home. Reckless woman.
The tunnel was a long, straight tube where their steps echoed, so he had to give her a good head start. By the time he emerged on the surface, she had disappeared, but a quick scan led him back on her trail again as she ran through the Isle of Dogs. He had to admire her strength. He was already feeling the effects of the run.
After the deep northward bend in the river, she turned west, keeping to the well-lit main streets. It was obvious she would run through the City, and her route would take her by the Nightingale Club too. If she hadn’t thrown him out so fast he would have told her to keep away from both. Now he could only hope that the renegades weren’t around yet.
She didn’t waver from her route and he contemplated his choices. He could stop her and put her into a cab so he could take her home. It would guarantee her safety, but it would make her hate him more than she already did. But the other option wasn’t much better: following her and hoping there weren’t any renegades around this early in the evening.
The streets were relatively quiet. They weren’t deserted though, and he felt quietly optimistic that the renegades wouldn’t notice her energy signature amongst all the humans. They might make it through.
They were in the heart of the City when a change in Might made his guts tighten. Renegades were near.
Renegades couldn’t interact with Might at all. They were completely detached from it, as if they weren’t even organic. They actually repelled Might, the only creatures to do so. When they moved, they furrowed through it, creating a temporary void in their wake that made ripples course through it.
Warriors had learned to keep their senses open for those ripples and determine how close the enemy was. The sensation was mildly unpleasant, more so if they hit the voids, but it was nothing compared to the foulness the renegades emanated when they were near enough. Jeremy grimaced when the foul sensation hit him. They were closer than he had thought.
Fuck.
He began to run faster, trying to catch up to Cora, having let the distance grow too wide. She must have heard him approach, because she sped up too. It was the sensible thing to do, but Jeremy wished she would at least glance back and see him there. Perhaps she would stop then.
He didn’t want to shout, as it would only alarm the renegades to their presence. The enemy was nearing Cora on an intercepting path, and would be on her before he could reach her. His only hope was that the bastards would be lousy runners. She might be able to flee.
Three men emerged from the alley behind the Cheapside entrance of the St Paul’s tube station just as she ran past it. “Cora! Run!” She paused and turned to look at him. Her face flashed with anger when she recognised him, but he didn’t care. “Run!”
She frowned, confused, but she must have sensed the renegades too. She glanced in their direction and took off at full speed without delay. Satisfied that she was getting away, he r
an faster too, to catch the enemy before they could get their wits together and go after her.
He was alone and unarmed against three renegades. But they were out in the open. With any luck, they knew the rules of the game and wouldn’t try anything funny. They might run, of course, in which case he would have to follow. But he could do that. He had practised today.
He paused some yards from the trio and they stopped too. Good. They wouldn’t be chasing Cora. “One chance. Leave now and you’ll live.”
The leader of the group sneered. “It’s three against one. What could you possibly do, vampire?”
Jeremy could barely keep the smile from his face. Dressed as he was, the bastards had mistaken him for a common vampire. “Plenty.”
“Bring it on, then.”
“Gladly.” He charged.
Fear gave Corynn strength she didn’t think she had left. She didn’t pay attention to the direction, she just fled. Her legs would ache tomorrow, but it would be a small inconvenience compared to what would happen if she stayed put.
Stopping had been her first reaction when she heard Jeremy shout. She had wanted to confront him, demand he leave her alone, but one look at his face had made it clear that he meant business. And then she had felt them. Renegades.
She risked a glance back, but no one was following her. Not even Jeremy. Had he stayed to fight the men?
Abruptly, she collided with someone running in the opposite direction, cutting off her flight. Her teeth rattled as her face met a muscled chest, and she would have fallen if a strong hand hadn’t taken a good hold of her arm. “Where’s the fire?”
The impact stunned her for a second. Then she panicked. He could be one of them. She tried to shake the hand off, but his grip only tightened. Frantic now, she charged at him – and then she was completely calm. The change was so sudden it had to be preternatural. He must have caused it. It should have frightened her, but try as she might, she couldn’t muster the emotion. She couldn’t feel anything.
Unnaturally calm, she studied the man. He was a large, solid piece of muscle, and his outfit, a black leather jerkin and trousers, made him look like an extra in an epic fantasy series, only deadlier. His face was scruffy and harsh, and an ugly scar ran at the side of his cleanly shaven head above the right ear. But his eyes made her pause. They were intense and cold, but there was something familiar about them that made her decide he wasn’t the enemy.
“Do you know Jeremy Grayson?”
Immediately alert, he released her so fast she almost fell. “Which way?” He didn’t wait for details; he simply took off to the direction she pointed at.
As he left, he released her from the spell. She would have been free to flee, but another man in a similar leather outfit materialised by her side, startling her badly. Then she recognised him from the club. A warrior like Jeremy. A vampire.
Now that she was aware of it, she could sense him too, the strange coolness about him that marked him a vampire. It wasn’t unpleasant, just different, especially after the evening spent with the leopard-shifters who all felt warm and vibrant.
He lifted his hands, calming. “Relax. I’m here to keep you safe. Jas and Jem can take care of the enemy.”
“But there’s three of … them against two.” She was more worried for Jeremy than she was for herself, now that she wasn’t fleeing blindly anymore. Those men had looked like mean brutes.
Her guard was a huge man, bigger than Jeremy, and the black leather uniform emphasised his size. But he was far less scary looking than the first warrior with his refined features and nicely cut reddish hair. He smiled. “Those two can take care of a mere three of … them.”
Their skirting around the truth felt ridiculous. “They were renegades, weren’t they?”
He startled. “You’ve got your memory back?”
A growl rose from deep within her, but she was so exhausted after her spurt that it came out as an indignant squeak. “No, I did not get it back. Does everyone know about it?”
He shrugged. “Pretty much, yes. Jem doesn’t often take such interest in a human woman.”
“Well, I don’t like it.”
“It was necessary.”
“And useless.”
“True,” he admitted easily. “But if you didn’t go wandering around the City after dark, you’d have been perfectly safe.”
“If I’d had my memory, maybe I would have remembered I wasn’t supposed to do that.”
He smiled. “Touché. I’m glad you’re not my responsibility.” He touched his ear and she noticed he was wearing a communication device. He listened to the other end, and nodded. “Acknowledged.” He took her by the arm. “Come, let’s get you home.”
“I’m not going anywhere until I know Jeremy is safe.” She had been furious with him only a short while ago, but she didn’t want him to get hurt. If anyone was to hurt him, it would be her.
“The last renegade is giving them a chase. It could take a while.”
“Is Jeremy fit to run?”
The affronted look on his face was almost comical. “Of course he is. He’s a Circle warrior.”
“But if he’s been tailing me the whole day, he’s already run here from Greenwich, and there too.”
He burst out laughing. “Poor Jem. But don’t worry. He’ll be fine.”
She allowed him to escort her to a nearby car, a huge vehicle that could accommodate a man his size. He made to start the engine, but she halted him. “We’re safe enough here. We’ll wait.” To her surprise, he acquiesced.
They sat in silence. She had a notion that he received information to his earpiece from time to time, but he wouldn’t relay her any news. “So, what’s your name? And who was the first bloke I rammed into?”
“I’m Nicholas Fortier. The first one was Jasper Grayson. He’s Jeremy’s older brother.”
She recognised the similarities now, especially the eyes. Jeremy had told her about him, how watching his brother dancing with his girlfriend had made him approach her in the club. Her chest tightened in upset. That had been a lie too. She couldn’t imagine a woman who would take such a scary man.
But she had already known it was a lie, hadn’t she? He had sought her out because he needed to make sure she didn’t remember.
“You’re going to erase my mind again, aren’t you?”
“Most likely.” He didn’t regret the necessity. “But it’s tricky to erase similar memories many times. Something might stick, after all.”
The door on his side was yanked open, cutting short his musing. “When I tell you to get her to safety, I expect you to get her to safety.” And before Corynn knew what he was about, Jeremy had pulled Nicholas out of the car and punched him.
Chapter Nine
A white haze of rage clouded Jeremy’s mind. He had only one objective, and that was to kill the bastard who had risked the life of his woman. That he was a fellow warrior and one of his best friends was irrelevant. He barely recognised the bloke.
The bastard put up a good fight. In moments, they were wrestling on the ground. Jeremy was shorter, but that didn’t make him any weaker. And even though he had just fought the enemy, he had plenty of energy left to deal with the one who had risked the life of his mate.
Kill him.
Jeremy agreed with his Rider. Death was the only acceptable outcome for the offence the bloke had given. He was only vaguely aware of angry voices shouting for them to stop, and barely registered the pressure in Might when a vampire more powerful than him tried to force him to submit. None of this mattered. He had the bastard pinned underneath him now. His fangs shot down as he prepared to tear his throat open.
A cool hand pressed on his shoulder. Calmness spread from it through him. The rage subsided.
“Nicholas, yield.” This time he recognised Gabe’s voice.
“Like hell I will.” Jeremy realised he had Nick pinned down and the bloke was straining against his hold. He should release him, but he didn’t want to yet.
“
You risked the life of my mate,” he growled. Nick stared at him, flabbergasted. Then he smiled and relaxed, yielding.
“I’m sorry.”
Jeremy blinked as the scene cleared. They were in a public place, the two of them on the ground, and most of the warriors on patrol gathered around them, blocking the pavement. “Cora?”
“I’m here.” She was standing behind him, still holding his shoulder.
He was instantly angry again. “Which one of you twats let a human woman near an enraged vampire?”
“Hey! I’m my own person. No man tells me what I can or can’t do.”
He looked at her over his shoulder. She was staring down at him, angry and indignant. “But surely you realised it would be dangerous?”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
He stared at her in awe, and then in growing horror as a realisation hit. Fuck. His Rider agreed.
“Oi. Could you get up? It’s kind of uncomfortable down here.” Nick pushed him, and, dazzled, he obeyed.
“Sorry about that,” he said, sheepishly.
Nick grinned. “No problem. But the next time you decide to go berserk, please aim it at renegades.”
“Yeah, well … I wasn’t exactly myself.”
“You can say that again.”
“Could someone please explain to me what just happened?” Cora demanded.
“No!” Gods forbid she learned the truth. Hunger. She was about to argue so he shook his head. “Let’s just get you home before someone calls the police.”
She allowed him to escort her back to the car and they took the back seat. Jas got behind the wheel, as usual, but when Nick sat in the front seat next to him, Jeremy had to work not to growl. He didn’t hate the bloke, but a power stronger than him was operating him now.
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