Crave The Night by Michele Hauf, Sharon Ashwood, Lori Devoti & Patti O'Shea

by Michele Hauf

  “Don’t worry,” Rev said. “The faery talked. She gave me all the info she has. I dispatched a team to a warehouse in Bloomington an hour ago. We should be hearing back soon.”

  “Excellent.” Creed gestured Fernando leave them. “Wait for me outside the door; this is not over. Close the door on your way out.”

  Expecting admonishment, Rev crossed his hands before him and bowed his head.

  “It was foolish of you to take the assignment knowing how susceptible a former addict can be to the faery persuasion.”

  “Not former,” Rev said softly. “As I’ve said, I fight the addiction daily.”

  “You in trouble with this faery?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle. She’s good, Saint-Pierre. I want her designated safe from harm.”

  Creed crossed his arms and hooked a leg on the desk. “Sabrina Kriss has always been under my protection. She is best friends with my wife, after all.”

  His werewolf wife.

  “Is it difficult adjusting your life to encompass a breed you’d rather not deal with?” Rev asked.

  “I love my wife, Parker. Doesn’t mean I have to love all the other werewolves.”

  He nodded. And completely agreed.

  “You and the faery, you are…involved?”

  “I admire her. She is unlike any other woman I’ve known. I love her.”

  “At the risk to your sanity?”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take because without Bree, well, she's the sunshine that was taken away from me with the UV sickness. She gives me new hope, a reason to want to be good.”

  “Never doubt you are a good man, Parker."

  Bree had said the same. He'd always toe the line between addict and functioning vampire, but he preferred goodness over another plunge into dark.

  Creed crossed his arms and eyed him warily. "Will you be able to function in your role to the project?”

  “I will. Sabrina and I…we’ve come to an accord. She doesn’t want to do me harm and I don’t want her enchantment. We’re working it out.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “There are some things more wondrous in this world than faery dust. That’s all I can say.”

  “See the relationship does not interfere with your job, and I promise I can use you, Parker. You’re an excellent soldier for the project.”

  “Thank you. I will not let you down.”

  The Saint-Pierre mansion was decorated with red and silver streamers and balloons. Outside, partiers lingered around the pool, dancing, chattering and drinking. Bree nursed a goblet of orange juice because alcohol did weird things to her brain, and the juice had become a very useful item in her life of late. She'd never heard of the ancient secret, but was glad Erte had given it to Rev. She spied a sexy woman in bright red wig and dashed over to hug her friend, Blu.

  "It's been weeks," Bree whispered in Blu's ear. "I missed you. And goddess, do you know how to work the leather."

  Blu tilted out a hip and slid her fingers over the black leather micro-mini skirt. Thigh-high black stockings stopped just above her knees with red bows to draw the eye up. Red lace stripper heels finished the look. "These are your shoes. Remember when you gave them to me?"

  "Those shoes served me well when I used to strip. Bet Creed loves them." "He adores it when I poke him with them." Blu flashed a sassy wink, then scanned the crowd over the rim of her vodka martini. "So you here alone? Don't tell me things didn't work out with you and your Intention?"

  "Intended. Actually…he's here somewhere—oh!" Embraced from behind, Bree tilted her head against her lover's cheek and he playfully nipped the corner of her mouth. "Blu, this is Revin Parker."

  Her friend gave Rev a long and desirous once over, and with a flirtatious flutter of her long lashes nodded. "I can see why this one was worth the struggle. Nice to meet you, Rev. I think we've run into each other once or twice before."

  "Yes, but your husband never properly introduced us. That wig is hot."

  Blu, the biggest flirt Bree knew, took the compliment with a mock curtsey and another wink.

  "I'll see you two in a bit," Blu said, excusing herself with a hug to Bree. "Does he know about the three day sex rule?" she whispered and walked off.

  "What rule is that and why don't I know about it?" Rev asked, as he circled her waist from behind and hugged her against his warm body. A slide of fang along her neck stirred Bree to an expectant tingle, but he'd never bite her again, and that was one rule they both intended to keep.

  "It's a girlfriend's rule. One should never go longer than three days without sex, if at all possible."

  "Sounds too lenient to me. How about three hours? When did we leave the house? It's been a few hours, yes?"

  She cooed and turned into his embrace to kiss him. "There are guest bedrooms upstairs."

  "I don't think anyone will miss us." He swept her into his arms and carried her away. Easy enough, when he'd already won her heart, soul and forever.

  ###

  Enemy Embrace

  Patti O'Shea

  Chapter One, Enemy Embrace

  The farther she got from the Tiki-A-Go-Go, the more uneasy Nicole became. This late at night, the warehouse district appeared deserted. She didn't understand why there were no deliveries...unless it had something to do with the twenty-foot tall chain-link fences topped with razor wire that surrounded the buildings. She scanned continually while she walked, but it wasn't the area near the nightclub that had her on edge. There was a much bigger reason for her tautness.

  She was trailing the vampire who'd destroyed everything, everyone who had ever mattered to her.

  And Nicole had lost her quarry.

  That didn't happen. She wasn't just a vampire hunter, she was a psi tracker. It was her job to follow vampires and discover where they holed up during the day, so that they could be slain while the sun was up. There was always a risk of confrontation while she followed one, but even at night, Nicole had been able to defeat them.

  But this female vampire might be the oldest Nicole had ever hunted and they gained power with age.

  She didn't have much information. That bothered her. All she knew was that the vampire was using the name Mary Beth Danner, that she'd recently returned to Los Angeles, and that she was a cold-blooded killer. The other questions remained unanswered.

  Location of lair—unknown. Associates and allies—unknown. Vampire clan allegiance—unknown.

  She stopped short. Ahead, a gate hung open on the side of one of the warehouses. A closer look showed that the chain and padlock that had kept it shut were broken. They dangled, nearly brushing the sidewalk.

  Reaching under her black leather jacket, she touched her knives—one wooden, one metal—to reassure herself. It might be a trap, but Nicole had the ability to conceal her presence, making herself invisible for all intents and purposes, and she'd been using it since she'd found her target earlier tonight.

  Besides, the vampire had left the nightclub with a human male and that meant Nicole didn't have much time to think things through. Even now, Mary Beth could be killing the guy.

  The thought of the vampire taking another life made Nicole's stomach roll over, and pulling her metal dagger, she slipped through the gate.

  Bright lights lit up the side of the building, the loading dock, and the concrete that filled the space between the fence and the warehouse, but there were still plenty of shadows. Tightening her hold on the hilt, Nicole continued forward. She reached the edge of the structure, hesitated, and then turned the corner.

  Nothing. Where the hell was the vampire?

  "Behind you." The feminine voice came soft and slow and laced with sarcasm.

  Stiffening, Nicole pivoted. And looked at the monster from a million nightmares. The human stood beside the vampire, staring sightlessly off into the distance. "You can see me," Nicole said and immediately felt stupid.

  Mary Beth's smile made her appear angelic and that was such a lie. "How astute. You're not powerful e
nough to conceal yourself from me."

  Nicole's jaw tightened. How astute must be the old fashioned way of saying duh. "You knew I was outside the club—the human was a lure," she said as realization dawned.

  Mary Beth's grin widened and she gave a toss of her blond hair. "Waiting for you to gather courage grew tedious. I have better things to do."

  Nicole opened her mouth and shut it without saying anything. This entire conversation was surreal. She was being insulted by a vampire wearing salmon-colored jeans and a white tank top, and Nicole couldn't seem to take action. Maybe it was some kind of delayed shock to finally confronting this killer, but it—

  The vampire sighed and gazed heavenward. Then she looked Nicole dead in the eye, extended her fangs and talons, and turned toward the guy standing passively next to her.

  Damn it to hell. Her choices were gone. Nicole pulled her second dagger and charged. So much for strategy or finesse.

  Mary Beth pushed the man aside. Her claws slashed downward as soon as Nicole was in range and she had to duck to avoid taking a hit.

  She came up, wooden dagger in her left hand, metal blade in her right and looked for an opening. There wasn't one.

  Nicole jumped back, avoiding another strike. Before she could balance her weight, the vampire was in her face and Nicole spun away to avoid taking a talon to her neck.

  Mary Beth was fast. Faster than any vampire Nicole had faced before and she—

  Air touched her cheek as Nicole dove to the ground. She rolled to her feet, but couldn't find the other woman. Quickly, she whirled.

  Just in time. The claw left a six-inch scar on the sleeve of her leather jacket.

  She hated being on the defensive. Nicole ran again at Mary Beth, but the vampire seemed to disappear as Nicole stabbed downward with the metal knife. With the strength she'd used, hitting empty space left her unsteady.

  Before she could regain her equilibrium, two hands shoved at her back. Nicole flailed her arms, trying to keep from falling.

  She stumbled into the loading dock with enough force to drive the air from her lungs, but Nicole didn't wait until she could breathe. Spinning, she kicked out and connected with a knee.

  Not hard enough. But it bought Nicole time to regroup and regain some air.

  Mary Beth didn't have her fangs down.

  Nicole barely registered that when she was dodging again. Why would a vampire halve its arsenal? Nicole kicked out, but this time the maneuver was expected and finding nothing except air threw her off-balance.

  Mary Beth grabbed her and tossed her.

  Even as she went airborne, Nicole knew the landing was not going to be pretty. She tried to keep her body from tensing and tightened her hold on her daggers.

  It didn't help. The impact was enough to jar both knives loose. Her head connected with the cement and left her dazed. Her brain ordered her to move and tried to prod her body into motion, but her muscles couldn't obey the command.

  Her vision was hazy when Mary Beth sat on her chest, pinning Nicole's wrists to the ground above her head with one hand. Nicole tried to shake the other woman off. Tried and failed.

  Adrenaline drove the world into sharp focus.

  Mary Beth's eyes glowed blue-white as she smiled—no fangs—and drew back her arm. The talons lengthened farther.

  Oh, God. Nicole fought harder, but all she could manage to do was twist and buck. It wasn't enough to dislodge the vampire or for Nicole to get her arms free.

  Damn it, she had unfinished business. She couldn't die yet. She couldn't die.

  Chapter Two

  Nicole continued to struggle while her mind raced to find a solution. In her peripheral vision, she saw a blur of motion.

  Mary Beth was yanked off her.

  Nicole didn't hesitate, she scrambled upright in time to see the vampire tumble to the ground nearly twenty feet away. With an audible gulp, Nicole turned to confront the latest threat.

  Demon. A damn powerful one.

  This had just gone from bad to worse and she was unarmed. Nicole braced herself, but he didn't make any kind of threatening gesture. Instead, he ran his gaze over her from head to foot and back again. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

  She stared, nonplussed by the question.

  "I asked—"

  "I'm fine." Maybe she was having some kind of dream. First the surreal conversation with a vampire, now a demon saving her life and checking to see if she was okay. Yeah, she had to be sleeping or something.

  He looked away from her and cursed. She followed his gaze and saw Mary Beth was gone. Extending her senses as far as possible, Nicole scanned for the other woman, but came up empty.

  "Where she'd go?" she demanded.

  "I don't know."

  Every cell in her body began to tingle. His voice was deep, slightly raspy, and so freaking sexy her nipples peaked. The reaction pissed her off. Demons were every bit as much an enemy to humans as vampires were.

  But her anger derailed when she looked at him. This time she didn't only see demon, she saw male.

  He was at least six feet tall with broad shoulders, muscular legs, and shaggy, dark hair. His clothes were casual—a pair of faded jeans, banged up running shoes, a gray T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. It was his eyes, though, that captured her attention. Not the dim red glow—Nicole had seen that particular demon trait enough so that it wasn't novel—but something else. Something that was...him.

  Her heart pounded faster, her breathing became shallow. She wanted to trace her fingers over his high cheekbones, to run her tongue over his lips and taste him, she wanted to see his body and discover if he was as muscular as he looked. She gazed at his hands and imagined them stroking her skin. Teasing her breasts. Sliding between her legs.

  Arousal shuddered through her, more intense than anything she'd ever experienced. Nicole took a step forward, the urge to press her mouth to his shoulder and bite was so strong, she couldn't stop herself.

  He moved back, maintaining the distance between them. It was the growl of complaint she made that halted Nicole in her tracks and shook her out of the daze.

  What was she thinking? Biting him?

  "Why are you here?" she demanded, using anger in an attempt to hide her reaction.

  "You're welcome."

  Nicole nearly snarled again, but cursed instead. "I didn't need help. I can take down a vampire."

  The demon scowled and the red flared brighter in his eyes. "You shouldn't have needed help, but you did. She would have killed you in a few more seconds."

  True, but he was a demon. She didn't want to owe him and she hated that he saw her as weak, as someone in need of rescue. Nicole wanted him to think of her as his equal, but she wasn't sure why she cared. "I'd have come up with something and gotten free," she said, but there wasn't much conviction in her voice.

  His frown deepened. "You should never have been pinned at all. You're stronger than—" Some of the ferocity left his face. "You do know what you are, right?"

  It was Nicole's turn to glower. He didn't have to bring it up. "Yes."

  His brows rose. "Really?" Skepticism was plain. "You know you're half demon?"

  "Yes." Nicole noticed his hair had fallen into his eyes, and unable to stop herself, she stepped forward with the intention of brushing it aside. She didn't make it two feet before he backed up, keeping her more than an arm's length away. "What? I'm not going to bite."

  "But you want to," he said sounding grim.

  Nicole opened her mouth to rip him for his arrogance, but then she remembered. She had wanted to bite him.

  Looking for a diversion, anything to get off this topic, her gaze fell on the human standing frozen where Mary Beth had left him. "He should be coming around. The vampire has to be too far away by now to hold the mind control."

  The demon shrugged, the movement of his shoulders making heat rise again. An image flashed through her mind, both of them on top of the loading dock. Naked. Her teeth sinking into skin where his neck and shoulder met. She
could imagine how his eyes would flare brighter, the red glow becoming dominant over the light-colored irises. And Nicole could picture him biting her in return. The fantasy alone was enough to make her shift, trying to find relief.

  "If you know you're demon," he said, his voice yanking her from her sexual daydream, "why didn't you use your powers? Why did you make me rush in to save you?"

  "Half demon," Nicole corrected testily. She was human in every way that mattered, but while she'd love to be able to deny her demon genes, she couldn't. "I didn't know you were there, so how the hell could I make you rush in to save me?" It irked her to say that, damn it. "And I don't have any powers except the ability to track."

  For a long moment, he stared at her and she couldn't read anything on his face. She cleared her throat and put her hands in the pockets of her jeans. Maybe this way she could keep from reaching for him. "Why are you here?"

  His lips tightened and Nicole didn't think he would answer this time either, but he surprised her. "I'm hunting the vampire."

  That stunned her into silence. She knew demons and vampires weren't on the best of terms, but from what she'd seen, they worked to avoid each other rather than risk conflict. "Is it personal or do you just want to kill some vamp?"

  This time he growled. The sound was soft, but it made her nipples go taut. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. When she opened them, she noticed he was staring at her breasts and his eyes were a brighter red.

  Her breathing quickened and her body reacted to the intensity of his gaze. He raised his head until they looked each other in the eye. It wasn't one-sided, this desire. He wanted her just as much. This time he moved toward her and her lips parted. Finally she was going to—

  The demon stopped short, muttered something in a language she didn't understand, and retreated. He had his jaw clenched tightly enough to make a muscle tic, and heaven help her, Nicole wanted to go to him. She wanted to soothe him.