As soon as I stepped inside the casino, I saw my roommate waiting for me at the cocktail bar.
“Sorry I’m late. I was held up with a phone call,” I told her.
“Likely story. You were probably trying to call your sexy professor again,” Penny smiled.
Blushing, I shook my head.
I was ready to come back with a defense when I saw him. He was playing a dollar slot machine and seemed completely oblivious to his surroundings, though with Anton, appearances could be deceiving.
Somewhere nearby, the lights and bells of a machine started going crazy. Everyone’s attention was on the little old lady sitting at the winning machine. I barely noticed. I couldn’t take my eyes off the giant man with the long blond hair. Although I could only see a profile of him, that’s all I needed to see. I’d know him anywhere.
What was he doing here?
Did Sarah’s spell really work?
Had my dream been a premonition?
I didn’t want this to be just another dream. I wanted - no I needed Anton to be here in the flesh.
As if sensing my eyes on him, Anton turned in my direction. Our eyes locked and I almost stopped breathing. It had been years since I’d looked into those smoky silver-gray eyes, but they were still as magnetic as I remembered. The corners of his mouth lifted just a touch.
An elbow in my side pulled me out of my trance-like state. And I forced myself to look away from Anton, turning my attention to Penny.
“Did you hear a thing I said?” Penny grinned, knowingly.
I smiled. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little distracted tonight.”
“You think?” Penny giggled. “Do you know him, or is this one of those cases where you just wish you knew him?”
Again, I felt the blood flood my face. Pinching the little red straw that protruded from my margarita between my fingers, I started stirring the slush in a circular motion. “Yes, I know him. He’s from back home … a friend of the family.”
He was from Outerlands, the mythical land. Outerlands was where everything that wasn’t supposed to exist, lived. Anton was also part of what didn’t exist in this world, officially anyway.
In the lounge, the band started playing a slow pop tune. I could sense he was near. Slowly, I looked up from my drink.
“Hello, Summer.” He gave me one of his dazzling smiles. Anton’s accent added to the air of mystery that surrounded him.
“Hi,” I responded with a nervous grin. The butterflies in my stomach made me feel as if I were about to get on a very wicked roller coaster.
Over the years, I’d thought of Anton often. He’d been my hero when I was a little girl. Back then I was utterly mesmerized by him. I was no longer a child, and now my fascination had an underlying heat to it.
He was the type of man who could make a woman stop what they were doing just to get a better look. Anton was attractive, but there was something about him that made him seem wild, and maybe just a little dangerous. Tonight, he was even more breathtaking.
I’d never seen him out of the black tunic of the Zen warriors, but tonight he wore a royal blue shirt with several buttons undone to show off his hard, muscular chest.
“Will you dance with me, Summer?” Smiling, he held out his large hand.
Placing my hand in his, I let him lead me onto the dance floor. I was glad for the lounge’s dim lights so he couldn’t see how flushed I was. Anton wrapped an arm around my waist and continued to hold my hand.
The embrace was very proper and platonic. It was also disappointing. I wanted to be closer to him.
“How have you been, Summer?” he asked, leaning down so that I would hear him.
Clearing my throat, I hesitated to answer. I was afraid my voice might crack when I tried to say something. Finally, I spit it out. “Good … and you?”
“Little ever changes in Outerlands.”
Swaying to the music, we said no more. Then the music changed to an even slower song. Without thinking, I wrapped both arms around his neck and snuggled closer.
Anton stiffened and backed away, putting a few more inches between us.
I wasn’t sure if his reaction was because he still viewed me as a child, or because he was as sexually aware of me as I was of him.
“Is it a coincidence that you’re here, or are you following me?” I asked.
“I saw your friend and figured you’d be along shortly.”
“I see.”
“Your dad sent me to get you,” he told me with a guarded smile.
I knew it!
Somehow my subconscious had known he was coming and that knowledge came through in my dream.
Twisting my face into a sour grimace, I said, “I can’t leave right now. I have finals coming up in a couple of weeks.”
“You received your degree several months ago.”
“Yes, but I decided to take more classes. You know, expand my education,” I told him, defensively.
“But you gave your father your word that you would be back this summer,” he reminded me, as if reprimanding a child.
“And I will, but Anton, my dad is being totally medieval about this,’ I cried.
I could feel his body shaking with laughter, and his amusement got on my nerves.
“I am really having second thoughts about this marriage deal he’s made on my behalf. I should be able to decide for myself who I mate with and marry.”
“Oh come now, Summer. You’ve been aware of this for most of your life. And you never know, you might actually like your husband to be.”
“What if he has smelly feet and can’t dance?” I pouted.
Again I heard his deep laughter. I was ready to spout another slander against my future husband when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned to see who was trying to get my attention, and froze.
Taking a quick step back, I ran into Anton.
Only a few inches away, a girl peered at me with dead eyes. When she tried to speak, blood gurgled out of a deep gash in her throat. Her long, stringy blond hair was matted with dirt. Scarlet stains covered the front of the girl’s delicate, white nightgown.
The phantom held out her hands to me. I could see that her fingernails were torn and bleeding, as if she’d been digging and scratching at a hard surface. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle a scream. This time when I stepped back abruptly, it was right into Anton’s arms.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
Shaking my head, I told him, “I have to go. I’m sorry.”
Stepping around the apparition, I headed for the bar where my purse sat next to Penny. Trembling, I reached for the bag, but Anton’s large hand was on mine, stopping me.
“Summer, what is wrong?” he asked again.
Penny looked up. She must have noticed the troubled expression on my face because she turned to Anton and narrowed her eyes.
“What are you up to?” Penny asked him.
“He hasn’t done anything,” I said, trying to reassure them with a smile. “I just have to go. I don’t feel so good.”
Smiling weakly, I looked at Anton. “It was good to see you again.”
“Penny, I’ll see you at home, later,’ I called out over my shoulder.
Penny waved, but she was obviously disturbed by my unexpected departure.
Chapter Twenty
Anton
I watched as Summer threaded her way through the flashing lights of the machines, toward the casino’s exit.
Exotic.
It was the only word that came to mind as I followed her every movement. She was as graceful as a cat. Her silky white cocktail dress complimented her smooth, sun-kissed complexion, perfectly. The way her golden-brown hair hung like a silk curtain around her shoulders and swayed as she walked was perfection.
Yes, she was exotic, but she was also headstrong and stubborn.
This was something I was going to have to remember, along with the fact that I was here to escort her to her family and fiancé. If I thought about her too long, I�
�d remember how it felt to dance with her. I couldn’t let myself think about how it felt to have my hand on her hip while she snuggled so close.
It was going to take some effort, but I had to banish those thoughts.
I couldn’t recall the last time I was actually shaken by the nearness of a woman. This had to be due to some kind of shock at seeing little Summer as a grown woman. After all, the last time I’d seen her, she’d been a teenager, although she’d tried hard to convince me that she was a grown woman.
When I could no longer see her, my common sense returned. Something was wrong. I sensed that, strongly. It could possibly be her reluctance to marry, but I didn’t think that was all there was to it.
“So how long have you known her?” Penny asked.
I’d forgotten about the woman. Summer’s friend wasn’t unattractive, but she seemed a little too overdone. Her short bleach-blond hair was worn in a wild array of sharp spikes. Her lips were painted a deep red and covered with shiny gloss. Penny’s blue eyes were almost obscured by the dark shadow and liner she wore. Her black dress was much shorter than the dress Summer had been wearing.
I’d been so busy sizing the woman up that I forgot to answer her. She was staring at me as if I was the most bizarre person she’d ever met.
“Since she was a child,” I answered, finally.
“So, I take it you’re not an old flame?”
“No.” I shook my head. “Why, does she have many of them?”
Penny’s laughter reminded him of tinkling chimes. “Oh, Summer’s broken a few hearts.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he smiled.
Penny moved to the barstool that Summer had occupied. “So, are you in the mood for some company?”
She was coming on strong, and my male instincts didn’t miss it. My eyes roamed over the woman’s curvy body and immediately my thoughts went to how it felt to have Summer in my arms while we danced.
“I’m fine,” I told her, looking away. I didn’t like where my thoughts were taking me.
It had been a while since I’d enjoyed the feel of a woman’s body against. Since Lex was no longer the leader of the Zen, I was now free to enjoy the company of a human female. But I’d done so only on rare occasions, and then only when I’d gone a very long time without indulging my needs.
Some did it often, but it always made me feel like I was taking advantage of the woman. I didn’t like taking, without being able to give back. Though Lex’s mandate about mating with the human female was eradicated, the Zen still couldn’t marry or take a life mate.
Tonight was one of those times when the longing to feel a woman’s flesh was nearly strong enough to override my morals. The problem was that when I thought of indulging my need, it was Summer’s face I saw.
Again, I slammed the door on the thought and changed the subject. “What’s wrong with Summer tonight?” I asked Penny.
Penny blushed. It was apparent she’d completely forgotten about her friend. “I don’t know. She is acting odd.”
I thought that Summer had acted more than just a little peculiar. She’d acted like she was frightened out of her wits.
Something was wrong!
Chapter
Twenty-One
Summer
The bright lights that illuminated the exterior of the casino helped so that I could see where I was going as I searched for my car in the crowded parking lot. There were hundreds of cars, but there wasn’t another soul in sight. The sound of my heels tapping against the blacktop was loud, echoing through the silent jungle of automobiles. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember where I’d parked, but I knew it hadn’t been too far from the entrance.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the fleeting movement of shadow. Stopping, I waited to catch another glimpse. Though I couldn’t take the form of the wolf, I still had the wolf’s blood and could sense danger.
I was being hunted, but by who or what? No human could move that fast.
A shiver ran down my spine, but I forced my feet forward. I wanted to get to my car as quickly as possible.
Finally, I spotted my small red Genesis a few rows back from the main building. I swiftly started in that direction. My hands were still shaking, as I fumbled with the remote to unlock the doors. Once inside, I hit the lock button on the door before digging into my purse for my phone. My hands were shaking so badly that I had trouble hitting the right buttons, but I finally managed to press the speed dial button for Saunders.
“Doctor Saunders. This is Summer Gray Eagle,” I said as soon as I heard him pick up.
“Hello, Summer.” He sounded tired and a little groggy.
“I’m sorry for waking you, but I need to know about that girl that’s missing. What was her name again?”
“The name’s Bridget Pearson. Why? What’s up?” He was suddenly alert, all traces of sleepiness gone.
I groped for a way to tell him about my suspicions, without sounding too crazy. “I was thinking about it tonight, and I have this strange feeling she’s is in a closet. It could also be a coffin or tomb. I think she’s locked away somewhere.”
“I know that your strange feelings are usually pretty good, but I don’t see how that would help us. There must be thousands of places in the Reno area that fit that description.”
This much was true, but there had to be a reason why Bridget tried to bring attention to her hands. It reminded me of a story I’d once heard about a girl who’d been buried alive. For some reason, the body had been exhumed. When the coffin was opened, they found deep gouge marks in the lid.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried to block out the terrifying vision of Bridget Pearson being buried alive.
My voice shook when I tried to talk. “I … I don’t know. I just think the police should check the cemeteries for signs of disturbed graves.”
“Are you okay, girl?” he asked.
“Yeah, just a disturbing night, that’s all.”
“I’ll pass along your thoughts to Detective Pierce, but he already thinks you’re off your rocker.”
“I know,” I sighed.
“If you’re sure you’re okay, I’d like to get back to sleep,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, okay,” I told him.
I should have waited until tomorrow to talk to him, but I was freaked out when I saw that girl. Through the summer, I’d helped Warren Saunders with some of his criminal cases. He was the local expert on criminal psychology and profiling. Warren was especially known for his skill in homicide investigations.
The local police often consulted him, as they’d done with these latest homicides. I’d been studying under him since I was an undergraduate. Even with both my education in criminal psychology and psychic ability, I just couldn’t seem to figure this killer out.
We knew that when a victim was taken, it was only a matter of time before the police would find a body somewhere, and now there was another missing. All the victims were college girls, but so far that seemed to be the only connection.
Saunders sometimes asked me to help out with difficult cases because of my ability to feel things and to flesh out the crime. He thought I was a gifted investigator, with the unique ability to get into the criminal mind.
Profiling did come naturally to me, but it was my other talent that helped most of all. That was the talent that I never talked about. It was the one thing I’d inherited from my mother that I wasn’t so sure I wanted.
Drained and tired, I stuck the key in the ignition, but before I could start the car, a dark shadow blocked the light from the driver’s side window. I couldn’t bring myself to look. And then there was a loud thud against the window and I screamed.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Dash
Fingers of thick fog crawled across the ground as if it were alive. The scene was unsettling - even eerie. It was dark, but with a vampire’s eyes I could see well enough to find my way through the trees.
In the distance, I heard th
e howling of wolves. They were hunting, but they weren’t hunting me, at least not yet. I pushed ahead, but I had no idea where I was going. Every direction looked the same, nothing but shadows, trees, and fog. Again, I heard the wolves, and this time, they were closer.
Moving faster, I kept an eye out for a hiding place. Sooner or later I’d have to face the wolves, but at the moment I was at too much of a disadvantage.
The night was so still that when a twig snapped, it might as well have been thunder.
Spinning on my heels, I prepared to face whatever was stalking me. I didn’t dare twitch a muscle.
They watched me, the ethereal glow of their yellow eyes stabbing through the fog. Now I was the prey and the wolves, the predators.
This was it. This was my moment of truth.
The wolves were big, larger than natural wolves. I estimated there to be about eight of them. I was surrounded. There was no place to go but up. Raising my eyes to the trees, I wondered if I could get off the ground before the wolves pounced.
I could hear their growls. Soft at first, but the snarls grew louder as the seconds ticked by. The instant I left the ground, they pounced, missing me by inches. I landed on a tree branch beyond the reach of the wolves. There was no way I could be in the tree when the sun rose. Although vampires were supposed to be immune on this side of the portal, I wasn’t sure I was ready to chance it just yet. I was all for checking out the theory, but in a safe manner.
From my vantage point, I could see the wolves start to shift, their bodies twisting as they took the form of men. It would have been the best time to try to a little levitating and disappear. Instead, I sat there, transfixed by the image of these beings moving from one form of existence to another.
The eight men stood around the tree, their eyes glowing with rage. The physique of the wolves was magnificent. They were a mass of sinewy muscle, covered by sleek skin. I was a bit envious. The vampire was beautiful, but the wolves were magnificent specimens of nature. The Sungmanitu were one with nature.
Dark Hunger (Immortal Legacy Book 5) Page 7
