Half in Love [Willie Krenshaw] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lea Barrymire

  “Willie. I’m not going anywhere, so you might as well look at me.”

  “No,” she whispered. “I can’t do this, Nick, I just can’t. You mess with my head too much for me to try and deal with this today.”

  He strode through the kitchen and crowded her against the cupboards. With a single finger, he nudged her head up, forcing her to look at him. Fear and confusion clouded her chocolate eyes. “There isn’t anything to deal with, love. I’m not going to pressure you into anything, and you’re definitely not going to come after me, so we’re fine.”

  He watched something close to disappointment move through her eyes before she clamped down her features and the smooth mask of disinterest descended. He sighed at the loss of openness. Perhaps when all this was over she would be willing to open up to him, to share herself with him instead of hiding.

  “Come on. Let’s go get Alex out of your basement and get ourselves ready to face the Council.” Regret colored his voice as he dropped his hand from her chin and took a step back from her. The few inches of separation felt like miles. He ached to take her in his arms and protect her from the rest of the evening.

  “Right, the asshole. Can’t we leave him down there until it’s time to go? I could forget where I put the key?” She knew she was whining, but she just couldn’t care enough to stop. Her mind was already a mess, but the thought of dealing with Alex was too much.

  “Come on. The faster he gets his beauty shower and fluffs his ego, the faster we can get going. I don’t want to give the Council any reason to be angry tonight.” Nick turned and headed out of the kitchen, but stopped when a small hand hesitantly landed on his arm. He turned a quizzical eye to her.

  “Do you think I’ll make it out of there tonight? I mean, I know what I’ve done to your kind, how many I’ve taken out. If what Alex says is true, the Council finds me an irritation at best.”

  “We will protect you. That’s why Alex is here. He can be an ass, but he’s definitely enthralled with you and at the moment that’s a good thing. Remember what I said about his pull with the Council? If he says you stay, then you stay.” With two fingers, he tweaked her nose and grinned when she scrunched her face into an adorable mock grimace. “So, don’t irritate him until you’re free and clear of the Council.”

  “Shit, I barely can keep it together for a few minutes with him around. How am I going to survive a ride with him in close quarters?” The fear left her eyes when she grinned at him. He watched a mischievous glint sparkle in her eyes and rejoiced at the change. “We could make him sit where the dead guy was yesterday. That at least would keep me grinning for a while.”

  He laughed and gave her a quick hug before she could push him away. “You’ll do fine, and if it makes you happy, we can definitely make him sit on the cootie seat.”

  * * * *

  The drive to the Council was nothing but pure, unadulterated torture. Willie had taken the backseat and tried to focus her thoughts on the landscape but kept getting pulled back into the conversation. Alex was trying to give her pointers on behavior and language, but all she heard was him droning along in an annoying tone about keeping her cool. Like that was going to happen. She was walking into the equivalent of the House of Horrors at an amusement park, and he wanted her to keep her mouth shut.

  They hadn’t let her eat anything before leaving. Her stomach was noshing on itself, grumbling away. Alex said it was impolite to turn down a meal, if offered, at the Council’s headquarters. She didn’t want to explain to either of the males that she didn’t really enjoy drinking her meals and avoided taking blood whenever possible. It was one of the unpleasant side effects of being part vampire, and if she could avoid it altogether, she would. So she went along with their wishes. If she didn’t get food, and didn’t end up dead, she was making them drive by some sort of fast food on the way back home. Going without food made her cranky and made her kitty cranky.

  Along with no food came the “no weapons” edict as well. She really wasn’t happy about walking to her death without an ability to defend herself, but Alex had a point that it would really look bad if she showed up with a blade strapped to her back. Especially when said blade had killed close to a hundred bloodsuckers. They all deserved to have their heads removed from their shoulders, but still. Not something she really wanted to remind the Council about.

  “Are you listening to us, Willimena?” Irritation was thick in Alex’s words. She almost snickered knowing she was finally getting to him.

  “Yes. Don’t touch Nick. Don’t act like he is important. Don’t attack anyone. Blah, blah, blah.” She shrugged. “I got it.”

  “Willie. You have to maintain distance and control while you are there. They can’t be given the idea that I mean anything to you or you to me or they will use it against us. Turn to Alex with questions when we are there. If we make it look like he is your protector, it will go much smoother.” Nick watched her from the rearview mirror. His eyes told her what she needed. He was just as pissed about this as she was.

  “Yeah, I know.” She sighed. Might as well be open with them, right? “Both of you need to know that if my kitty gets out, I might have a tough time keeping her from hurting someone. We have spent years killing vampires. She has been close to the skin for days now, so it’s likely that something big might push her through my control. If that happens, Nick will be the only one safe from her. She accepts and agrees that he is our mate. If anyone approaches him in an aggressive manner while I am in that form, they will probably get attacked. We didn’t like it when he was fighting the other night.”

  “Well, then we will endeavor to keep you in this form, won’t we?” Alex grinned conspiratorially at her, and she wondered if he wouldn’t push her to cat form just for the show. She shook her head and stared out the window again.

  As she sighed for the millionth time and actually rolled her eyes like a teenager, she noticed they had slowed. Her attention riveted on the Greek revival mansion they were slowing in front of. A mammoth building surrounded by a high fence sat on a completely exposed hill. She hadn’t really paid attention to their drive, but she was sure that they were in an area she had assumed would be farm country. The front of the building was lit by discreetly hidden spot lights, bringing the beauty of the architecture to life and shedding full illumination to the building. No one would be sneaking around into the front of this house.

  Nick pulled into a driveway and stopped at a gate building a few feet off the road. A security guard sauntered from the little building and bent to peer into the truck. He was dressed in black from head to toe. A pair of pistols in holsters flashed in the light. Over his shoulder rested a machine gun. She guessed that the sheath strapped to his thigh housed a large blade. He was well outfitted to protect those within the walls even if it was a bit flashy to have all his weapons in plain sight.

  She gave a sniff and scented vampire. He pulled off the bored-as-sin security guard very well. If she didn’t have her sense of smell, she would have sworn he was human. He even shuffled his feet like a human male. Very interesting that the Council either chose their guards based on their human qualities or they trained them to blend in if a human drove up. The attitude and smirk were definitely bloodsucker quality until the guard caught an eyeful of Alex as he leaned into the open driver’s window.

  “Good evening, Sir.” The vampy guard actually backed out of the window and bowed at the waist. Willie didn’t know if she should be impressed that she was riding with someone that garnered that kind of attention or if she should be scared.

  Alex snickered and looked back at her. Maybe he really could read minds. Not a good thing with the types of thoughts she usually had running through her mind about the two men sharing the vehicle with her. He winked at her, and she blanched. Shit. She was actually grateful when he turned his attention back to the genuflected male. “Rise. We have business inside, so open the gates.”

  As if he was a marionette, the guard stood up with smooth, graceful movements, turned
, and walked into the little building without another word or glance. Within moments, the black iron gates started moving on silent hinges. She couldn’t help be impressed. She didn’t want to like Alex, but for this alone she promised herself to cut him some slack. She had a feeling that getting into this estate could be difficult at best, and she didn’t want to think about how it would have been without him there to smooth their way.

  “Don’t underestimate the power inherent with age, Willimena.” Alex snickered and turned to Nick. “Drive right up to the porch and we will have someone park your vehicle.”

  Nick nodded in response. While he drove up the winding drive, she marveled at the building. The columns that graced the front of the building were huge. They gleamed in the light and made the whole building look imposing. They parked just as Alex suggested. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the Hummer.

  “You will remain near one of us at all times. Even if you must visit the powder room, you’ll allow one of us to escort you.” Nick’s tone was the same one a parent would use with a wayward child, but she understood the reason for the directive. She was the enemy at the moment. The only protection she had from a very fast demise was standing with her right now. She nodded her agreement before stepping around the vehicle and between the vampires. “We will keep you safe, you have my word, but you have to help us guard you.”

  “I get it,” she grumbled. “I don’t like any of it, but I understand.”

  Nick reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a little squeeze of reassurance. She hated to admit it, but she did feel a little better when he was touching her. She squeezed back and gave him a little smile. For everyone’s benefit, she wouldn’t allow herself to be scared, but she would take the comfort he offered.

  Before they reached the large double doors, the right one opened. She snickered and swallowed the laugh at the flash of irritation from Alex. Well, she couldn’t help it. She’d only seen a butler in a full black tuxedo in the movies. The male was short, old, and looked like he had crawled out of a Victorian novel. As he beckoned them through the door with white gloved hands, she sniffed and was mildly surprised that he was human. Interesting.

  She walked into one of the largest rooms she had ever been in. She guessed that it would have been called a vestibule, but it could have doubled for a ballroom. Gleaming black marble floors went on for an eternity, meeting stark white walls. There were paintings and sculptures scattered along the walls, breaking up the monotony of white. She was sure the artwork was expensive, but she was too keyed up to really study any of it.

  “This way, please.” The butler shuffled around them and headed off to the right. He waved them into another large room before turning and executing a perfect bow. “They will call for you shortly. Please remain in this room. If you need anything, please knock on the door and I’ll be right with you.”

  The little human man straightened, turned, and walked quickly through the door. He pulled it shut behind him with a quiet snick. Willie spun around, checking out the room. Three couches, a handful of chairs, tables with flowers, artwork, and security cameras. At least they didn’t hide the fact that visitors were being watched. She walked the perimeter of the room, noting the locations of all seven cameras, four of which were hidden. There were numerous large windows, and all were sealed shut and barred. No additional escape routes were evident unless she could shrink and crawl up the chimney. Her anxiety ramped up a notch when she realized that they were well and truly captives. The smell of vampire was so thick she could almost see it in the air. Her cougar prowled, both scared and pissed that she was in this situation. At the moment, Willie shared the same concerns as her kitty. Would she make it out alive, or was this the end of the line for her and her vampy half existence?

  “You will not die tonight at the hands of the Council.” Alex’s comment pulled her from her thoughts. He sat, relaxed and smirking, on one of the couches. His long legs were stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles.

  “That’s what you say, but you can’t promise me that, can you?”

  “No, no promises. I will do what I can to keep you safe, though.”

  “Why? That’s what I want to know, Alex. Why do you care what happens to me? What do you want with all of this?”

  “I want nothing other than to protect something so dear to Nickola. It’s an easy thing for me to offer to him.” He shrugged as if the gift of her life was so small a thing. Maybe to him it was a small, insignificant offer. Either way, if he was willing to help her then she really needed to keep her attitude in check.

  “Thanks. For what it’s worth, I really do appreciate your help.” She cleared her throat, almost choking on the words. They tasted foreign on her tongue, but she needed to explain her gratitude even if she didn’t want to.

  She would have said more, but the door swung open and an absolutely gorgeous female vampire strolled into the room. Tall, blonde, and leggy. She was dressed in a navy blue skirt suit with matching heels and an aura even Willie could see. She was powerful, and from the smile on her face she was happy to see the males. Hips swayed as the female swept into the room. Willie’s cougar growled as the female approached Nick with a sexy swagger.

  “Nickola, how nice to see you again. How have you been?” The female had gotten way too close to Nick for Willie’s comfort. Her kitty was yowling. He was theirs. When the vamp bitch leaned in to kiss Nick, Willie snapped.

  “Back off,” Willie growled. Her voice had deepened and had a touch of feral-kitty to it. She could feel her canines elongating, and she knew her eyes would be changing to amber. Her cougar side was too close to her skin, and having another female so close to her mate was too much. The image of ripping the head off the vamp was so powerful she fought to keep control of her kitty. Shifting would be a bad idea, but she was lost in the anger and territorial possessiveness. Nick was hers. No one would live after touching him. She peeled her upper lip back and thrilled in the slight fear that crossed the female’s face. Willie was scary, but possessive Willie was terrifying.

  A strong hand grasped her upper arm. The contact broke into her thoughts enough that she could cage her cat. A growl still rumbled in her chest, but she had a better hold on her feline side. She was dragged across the room and blocked from seeing what transpired between the female and Nick by a broad chest.

  “Enough.” Alex’s hand still rested on her arm, but it was the single word that he uttered that almost brought her to her knees. His voice was smooth as silk and just above a whisper, but the power behind it was enough to cripple her. “You will not attack anyone in this building, no matter what you see. He is not interested in any other females. Nod if you understand.”

  Her head flopped on a weak neck. Yes, she understood. Stupid vampires and their stupid “no kill” promises. A deep breath in and out of her lungs helped clear the rage from her thoughts. She had heard stories about the possessiveness associated with mates but hadn’t really believed any of it. Now she understood. She could almost taste the death of that female on her tongue. Willie wanted to take her down, and show the world that Nick was hers. Her own death would be a fine payment for proving that he was hers. She shook her head to clear the remainder of the anger and instinctual impulses throbbing through her body. She leaned her head back and found a relaxed Alex grinning at her.

  “You are indeed going to be a joy to watch. Now, you must be in control before I release you. If you harm Anna, I won’t be able to keep them from killing you. She is important to the Council, like a prized pet of sorts.” He smoothed a hand down her back like he was petting a cornered animal. “Will you behave so that I may release you?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  Alex released her arm and stepped away from her, watching with predatory eyes. She knew she wouldn’t get one step away from him if he thought she would disobey the order. Shoulders rolled, arms flexed, and eyes closed. An internal chant started in her head as she tried to get a grip on herself and her kitty. You won
’t attack the bitch. She opened her eyes and looked around Alex. The female was still standing there, watching the spectacle. Nick had taken a few steps away from her and was looking concerned and perhaps a little amused. Chagrin finally edged into Willie’s thoughts. She was completely and totally out of control and had staked a claim against Nick. Good thing they had spent thirty minutes explaining why doing that exact thing was so bad for her. Now she knew that the Council would use it against her, and she just couldn’t scrape up enough concern to stop the growling in her chest. Fucking mating instincts.

  “Well, wasn’t that fun?” The bitch turned and smiled coyly at Nick. “They are ready to see you now, although you might want to muzzle your shifter before she gets herself killed.”

  Before Willie could comment, or go through with the plan of decapitating the wench, she watched Alex move through the room. He towered over the female, said something that must have been quite interesting. The female actually blanched and took a step back from him before turning and evacuating the room. Willie gave him a questioning raised eyebrow, but he declined with a shake of his head.

  “Come. They won’t wait long before getting angry.” Alex turned and moved like smoke through the door. He was putting on a show for the Council, she was sure of it. He hadn’t moved like that before. She could feel his power prickling over her skin, and she was glad again that he was on her side.

  She followed Alex and could feel Nick a few paces behind her. She nervously chewed on her bottom lip. The scent of hundreds of vampires coated the air. Her cougar yowled and paced her mind but understood it couldn’t push too hard. They were in accord that staying alive was more important than pretty much anything else at the moment. Her kitty gave her encouragement and then settled in to wait.