by W. J. May
“Do you have any idea why someone would want to frame you for either murder?”
He refilled his glass and seemed to stare off in thought. “No. I can’t think of anyone.”
I didn’t like the way his negative energy stung my skin. It was similar to the irritation of a mosquito bite. My own personal power instinctively grew as if to shield the unwanted assault. “So, there is absolutely no way that you are involved.”
“I told you that I was here the night Julie died. With Belle.”
I chose not to address his words directly. “And last night?”
“In the city. At a business function.”
“Alright then, Raoul. But, the question remains, who hates you enough to dedicate their existence to destroying yours?”
When he finished his third scotch and reached to pour another, I laid a gentle but firm hand on his. I pulled it away from the bottle. I saw something then in the ebony eyes of my former Alpha that I’d never seen before. Fear.
“Alexa, promise you’ll help me if I tell you this.” He gripped my upper arms in desperation. He surprised me, and I barely suppressed the urge to fight.
“I’m helping you by being here. Now, get off me.” I shrugged out of his hands. “So, spit it out.”
He nodded and stepped back. He rubbed his hands together as if my skin had burned him. “Someone broke into the house about a week ago, while I was at work. By the time the alarm company dispatched police, they were gone.”
Now I could see where this was going. It wasn’t looking good. “What did they take?”
“Personal belongings: A wristwatch, some photographs, and some jewelry, a ring with a wolf’s head to be exact.” He swallowed hard, and I was beginning to understand why.
“That’s all? Your computer, TV, everything else of value was left untouched?”
“Completely.”
“Ok, Raoul. I’m doing my best here to be loyal and supportive, but if there’s something you’re not telling me-,”
“You said you don’t think I did it!”
“I’m just saying you can’t hide shit from me. I will find out. And, then you’ll be on your own.” I meant business and felt incredibly annoyed. “You probably messed with the wrong woman, and this is the outcome. You know what they say, ‘Hell hath no fury…’”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Another silence ensued, but more comfortable than the last. I became aware of the itch starting beneath my skin. The pull of the moon created a warm glow in the pit of my stomach. Soon, the need to shift would be upon me. If I concentrated on Raoul, I could feel his wolf waiting. He needed the release, too.
“Why don’t we grab a coffee and head back to my place?” I readied myself to leave and risked laying a gentle hand on his forearm.
His gaze fell to where our skin touched, and I resisted the urge to pull away. “I can’t thank you enough, Alexa. I don’t know how I managed to secure your trust, but I am truly grateful. Considering our history, I don’t deserve this.”
Alarm bells went off in my head. He wasn’t sucking me back in, not now. “We’re pack.” I shrugged it off and swallowed hard. “Now, let’s go run with our wolves.”
Chapter Nine
Raoul wouldn’t leave with me, but I refused to go until he promised to show up, with a tired, “I’ll be in the clearing by midnight.” We often met there in the years since I’d vacated his place. He offered no further explanation, and I didn’t prompt for one.
I stood in the kitchen at home and gazed out the window. Across the field, the silver moonlight illuminated the outline of Shaz and Kylarai as they trotted toward the trees. I had said that I would be right behind them.
I wasn’t feeling so hot. Since I had left Raoul’s, the hunger had been carving out my insides like a dull blade. The craving for human blood tore through me like a sickness, and at one point, I doubled over in pain. Waves of nausea wracked my body, and I gasped for air, clutching uselessly at my stomach.
Arys’s hunger ate at me like a disease. I began to understand why so many vampires chose to take the kill. I’d do anything to make the undying need stop.
The clock on the stove approached midnight. The part of me that was wolf felt confused and irritated. Tonight was supposed to belong to my wolf, who didn’t have time for this.
Clad in only a velvet robe, I let myself out on to the back deck. Determined, I fought back the blood sickness that didn’t belong to me and focused on the wolf that did. I closed my eyes and breathed the night air deep into my lungs. It was cool and crisp. It made me feel alive.
I allowed the robe to slip down my body and pool at my feet. The power of my wolf reached for the moon. The change broke over me, and I shifted quickly and smoothly. The pain in my guts ceased as I took off at a run.
Werewolves, my pack, filled the clearing. Most of the dozen or so local shifters waited there, many of them in human form. Some sat in the grass talking while others stretched or wrestled playfully.
And as he had promised, Raoul stood in the center of them all. I was glad to be in wolf form. I wasn’t a fan being nude in close proximity to Raoul. He stood there beneath the moonlight, unashamed in his naked glory.
Belle began to make her way to him from where she sat with one of the younger males. Typical. I intercepted her just because I could. Her place will never be at the center of the circle with the Alpha. At least, not until she can best me in a fight, the good, old-fashioned way.
Raoul met my eyes and nodded. He didn’t even so much as cast a glance in Belle’s direction as he gracefully went to his knees. By the time, he touched the ground he was a striking black wolf. He fled the clearing with Belle hot on his heels in a pathetic attempt to keep up.
Kylarai and Shaz appeared out of the shadows behind me. Ky’s deep brown fur contrasted greatly with Shaz’s brilliant white and my ash blonde.
The three of us ran with a few others. We frolicked under the midnight sky until we picked up the fresh scent of a deer. I’d much rather hunt something a little less cute and a little more evil, so when they veered off to follow the trail I went my own way.
Shaz came back to me, and we soon found ourselves stalking small animals through the brush, just for fun. A good chase was exhilarating and didn’t hurt anybody. We flushed out a few gophers and gave chase until they squeezed their fat little bodies down a hole.
Even as I enjoyed my time with nature, I regretted that my reprieve was only temporary. I welcomed the escape. I ran with abandon, but I could shake neither the phantom hunger for human blood nor the fear that raced through me.
Human blood. The thought called up a memory. I didn’t like seeing through Arys’s eyes. His memories were beyond disturbing.
He was in bed with a young, dark skinned woman. I was looking down at her perfect, slender neck. Even in the pale light of an oil lamp, I could easily make out her pulse leaping against her creamy skin. Only the thinnest barrier separated my lips from the crimson river that flowed through her veins beneath. I bent to kiss that warm pulsating spot on her throat, and she pulled me closer, eagerly. I was going to kill her.
I bit deep, fatal. Enraptured by my power, my victim sought only to draw me closer as the life pumped out of her body. A struggle was preferable, but this quiet complacency was nice, too.
The grip of the vampire’s memory was broken as my muzzle hit the dirt. Shaz had successfully caught me unawares with that pounce. His playful attack sent me sprawling, and when I got to my feet, I was angry.
Irrational rage filled me, and a deep growl erupted from my throat. Shaz’s ears twitched, and he looked at me with confusion. Blood and death, they filled me, and I could already taste his blood. I could see only the invigorating rush of hot, violent death.
When I rushed him, I had very little sense of self and a need for blood that I had never known. He realized, as I reached him, that something wasn’t right. He met me with his lips peeled back in a snarl, but fear shined in the depths of his jade eyes.
&nb
sp; The impact of our colliding bodies broke the stillness surrounding us. The wind rushed out of my lungs as we went down and rolled. On my feet, I rushed him again, but a part of me asked what the hell I was doing.
The scent of blood hit the air, and my stomach cramped. Hunger swarmed me until I was drowning in it. I saw only through the vampire’s eyes. Need drove me, and I fought hard for Shaz’s throat.
His powerful jaws snapped inches before my face and drove me back. I circled wide and prepared to spring on him again. When I leapt, however, I quickly found myself going nowhere as pain shot up my spine. I thumped heavily to the ground and whirled around.
Raoul gripped my tail with strong hands. He was in human form, but he bared his fangs at me. With one great heave, he flung me away from Shaz. All four of my feet left the ground as I flew a good twenty feet through the air. So much for healing up those sore muscles.
Before I could get to my feet, Raoul was on top of me. He straddled my upper body and pressed my face against the ground. He had me trapped. I couldn’t get up.
My every instinct screamed for me to remove him metaphysically, but in my wolf form, my skills were greatly restricted. Instead of struggling against Raoul, I stilled under his weight. I submitted.
My face stung, and my tail ached. I cursed both Arys and myself up and down. I needed to talk to Lena about this.
“Alexa?” Raoul’s voice came low in my ear. “Have you lost your damn mind?”
I was hoping he didn’t expect a verbal reply. There was no way that I was going to shift with his naked ass on top of me.
“What’s gotten into you? You’re beyond this kind of loss of control.” When I made no move to fight, he slowly began to release his hold on me.
“Is she ok?” Shaz’s voice. He’d shifted fast. Even after what I’d just done, his first concern was still for me.
My heart broke, and I knew, suddenly and exactly, how bad I’d really fucked up. Power like Arys’s and mine was a curse before it was a gift.
“She seems fine. Other than the rabid bitch mentality.”
“I’m not sure what happened. I was just playing around, and she snapped.” I could see Shaz shrug as he came into my line of sight. “Don’t poke the bear, I guess.”
It pissed me off how they spoke as if I wasn’t there.
“I think it’s more like, don’t tease the werebitch,” Raoul said, and I felt my anger begin to bubble again.
He wasn’t sounding like someone who needed my help. He looked down at me and said, “I’m going to let you up now. No sudden moves.” As if to enforce his meaning, the jerk dragged a clawed finger across my throat before releasing me.
I have never felt as humiliated as I did right then. Without looking at either of them, I turned tail and fled into the night. I ran blindly for hours, until I could run no more. Nearing sunrise, I was thoroughly exhausted and finally headed for home.
Kylarai met me as I stepped through the patio door. She wore a look of concern and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. I could take a wild guess that she’d heard about my temporary loss of sanity.
Before she could open her mouth to speak, I burst into tears. I felt ashamed, and it made my gut ache to think about hurting Shaz.
“Alexa…” she was hesitant. It seemed as if she wasn’t sure what to say. Her lips formed a small “o” of surprise, and when I wiped my eyes, my hands came away red.
Blood tears, only vampires cry blood tears.
“I don’t know what’s happened to me, Kylarai.”
“You need to talk to Arys. Maybe he’s not well either. Maybe he needs help, he could be dangerous like this.”
I gave her a look that clearly indicated she wasn’t helping. Arys was already dangerous. “I need to call Lena. She has to know something.”
Ky nodded but said nothing. She seemed to be having a hard time meeting my eyes. I went to the bathroom to wash my face, but my reflection stopped me dead in the doorway.
My eyes were a sparkling vibrant blue. That sapphire blue belonged on someone else. Red streaks stained my cheeks, hideous and mocking. Unnerved, I forced my feet to work so I could stare closer into my face in the mirror.
“Holy shit,” I breathed, horror struck. I didn’t look like me. My deep brown eyes were now the color of Arys’s eerie vampire orbs. A shiver crawled up my spine.
“How are you feeling?” Kylarai spoke from the open doorway behind me.
“Not like myself. If that wasn’t already apparent. How’s Shaz?”
“Worried. I had to force him to go home. He wanted to stay here until you showed up, but I wasn’t sure that was a good idea.” Ky shrugged and did her best to keep her expression neutral. “He was pretty torn up. He blames himself for setting you off.”
“You didn’t tell him about Arys?”
“Of course not.”
I slammed my hands down on the counter in frustration. The sound of wood splitting did little to soothe me. I generally accept my mistakes, but this time, I’d really blown it.
“Son of a bitch! When was the last time I did something so stupid, Ky?”
“Are you looking for a real answer or a fake “there there” answer?”
“Real.”
“It’s been a long time. Probably, the last time you slept with Raoul.”
Ouch. I’d asked for honesty, though. Count on a good friend to never let you forget the dumbest things you’ve ever done.
“Ok. So there have been things worse than this. I just have to find a way to work through it.”
Ky gave a scoffing laugh. “I’m glad you’re being so positive about it, but would you mind sharing with me why you tried to bleed Shaz? What the hell happened to you out there?”
With a long, shuddery breath, I told her about Arys’s memories and the insatiable bloodlust. Her expression never changed, but I felt the shift in the atmosphere. Was she putting herself on the defensive? A little part of me died when I realized Kylarai was afraid of me.
“Well, that sums it up,” she said when I’d finished. “You need to speak with a few different people. But, it’s up to you who is first on that list.”
Despite sunrise being just an hour away, I couldn’t sleep. I just couldn’t stop thinking about Shaz. Long after Kylarai had gone to bed, this time locking her door, I lay awake staring at the ceiling.
Maybe, Shaz was awake. I rolled out of bed and pulled on some jeans. I grabbed my car keys and neared the front door, when I sensed him, on the other side. He lingered as if afraid to knock.
Afraid he would leave, I pulled the door open quickly. He just looked at me expectantly. Instead of stepping inside, he reached out with a gentle hand. His fingers deftly brushed the hair away from my neck. Before I realized what he was doing, he’d tugged the strap of my tank top down and exposed the vampire bite in the hollow of my collarbone.
He sounded resigned when he said, “We need to talk.”
Chapter Ten
“How did you know?” I winced as the words came out of my mouth.
“Let’s just say, when I found Arys gnawing the legs off a dog, he took a moment to mention it.”
“What?” For just a split second, my heart seemed to stop. My mind had trouble making sense of what I just heard.
“Let’s go grab a coffee. I’ll explain in the car.”
I couldn’t believe what he told me, or at least, I didn’t want to believe. On his way home, Shaz came across Arys on a side street. He’d killed his neighbor’s dog, torn it limb from limb. According to Shaz, he’d exhibited all of the signs of a newly turned werewolf. He had been irrational and unsuccessfully fighting the urge to tear things apart.
“I’m not kidding you Lex. He had fangs on the bottom as well as the top. He blamed it on the two of you being together. I didn’t believe him.” Shaz risked a glance in my direction. “But, he told me the bite should be proof enough.”
I didn’t know what to say. I felt guilty. This was not how I wanted him to find out.
; “Is he ok?” I hated asking but I had to know. “I mean, did he hurt anyone?”
“He’s fine. I took him home. Other than the dog, I’m pretty sure no one was eaten.”
We went through the twenty-four hour drive-thru at the coffee shop, and then Shaz drove us down to the duck pond on the edge of town.
We parked but didn’t get out of his little Chevy Cobalt. The silence dragged as I struggled for words.
I stared at the large fountain near the center of the pond. I would have watched the sunrise from the bridge that crossed the pond, but unfortunately, I was lost amidst clouds of pain and uncertainty. The hurt Shaz tried to hide didn’t escape me. His eyes betrayed him.
“Look Shaz-,” I began. He cut me off before I could spit out another word.
“I don’t want your apology, Alexa, or whatever excuse you are going to offer me. You don’t owe me any explanations.” He looked at me with ice in his gaze, which chilled me to the bone. “I know I have no claim on you.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to explain what happened that night. I need you to know.” I didn’t say more than necessary. Shaz sat quietly and stared into me as I told him about energy bonding with the vampire. “Don’t mistake the point here, Shaz, please. There is no emotional connection between Arys and me. It was just the power.”
He blinked a few times before responding, and I wished I could snatch back those last words. “Just the power?” he asked. “You still have the mark from his bite, and you’re telling me it was just an energy exercise. No Lex, that doesn’t sound intimate at all.”
I wasn’t sure what he wanted from me, so I said as much in a bitter, sharp tone. I couldn’t please everybody, and I was getting tired of trying.
“You know I have feelings for you,” he yelled suddenly, and I sat in stunned silence. “I know you do. But, we are not together, and no matter how jealous I am, no matter how much I wish it was me in his place, I have no right to say so or act on those feelings.” He wiped his eyes to destroy his unshed tears. “But, God, I need you to know.”
