by Croft, Nina
“Daniel called about ten minutes ago,” Marcy said.
“He did? What did he want?”
Debora shook her head in obvious disapproval. “To tell us he’s taking Sophia to Spain.”
“To the party?” Lissa frowned. He must have called soon after she’d left. But she couldn’t decide whether that might be because she’d said she probably wouldn’t go or because she might. Of course, it was more likely nothing to do with her.
“It’s good he’s taking her,” Julia said. “Lissa has got him rattled. He obviously thinks he needs protection from her.”
“He didn’t act rattled.”
“You saw him?” Julia grinned. “So, how did he act?”
“Weird.” Lissa thought about it. How best to describe her impressions. “He acted like a robot. I know it’s been ten years since I’ve seen him, but he was like a different person.”
“He’s got everything so tightly wrapped up inside that there’s no real person coming through,” Julia said. “And The Evil One doesn’t help. You’ll meet her at the party.”
“I met her today.” Lissa crossed the room and flung herself on the sofa next to Debs. “We had lunch.”
“I bet that was fun.”
“It was. She alternated between groping Daniel and glaring at me, and he just sat there.” She shook her head. “How long has he been like this?”
“Years,” Marcy said.
“Really since Barbara disappeared,” Debs added.
They were silent for a minute. Their oldest sister Barbara had gone missing six years ago. No clues had ever been found, but the police believed Babs had had some sort of breakdown, taken herself off, and would no doubt magically reappear one day.
None of the family believed that but without a body, it was impossible to mourn her and move on. She’d left a big hole in the family.
“But Daniel’s odd behavior really started before that,” Julia said. “He’d finished his doctorate in the States and had been offered a research place at Oxford—all he ever wanted was to do pure research.”
“He was the ultimate geek,” Marcy continued. “A mad scientist in the making and this was his dream job. We imagined we’d never see him again. He’d be in the lab 24/7.”
“Then something happened. We have no clue what, and for a while he went sort of wild. Really un-Daniel-like, almost out of control. He didn’t go in to work. In fact, he walked out on the job. He was drinking a lot and had loads of girls.”
What sort of girls? And how many? But she kept her mouth shut and waited for Julia to go on. This was fascinating and she’d never heard it before, probably because she’d banned Julia from talking about Daniel as part of her I-will-get-over-him strategy.
“Mum and Dad tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t open up. He’d always been so perfect and we thought maybe he was simply catching up—sowing some wild oats.” Julia paused and bit her lip. She stopped her pacing and perched on the arm of the sofa next to Lissa. “Then Babs disappeared and the wildness cut off abruptly and overnight he changed. Became this…robot…as you said. He got a big swanky job for a big swanky company, something he’d always sworn he would never do, and he’s been there ever since. Now, he runs the place. From what we can tell, he’s hardly ever in the lab. He just delegates. He turned himself into the perfect businessman and must be worth billions.”
“And not long after, Sophia turned up on the scene,” Marcy said morosely. “It’s like she’s glued to him, though he doesn’t often bring her to family functions. But he hardly ever spends time with the family anyway. It’s like he’s trying to distance himself.”
“Or maybe she’s trying to distance him,” Lissa suggested. “She did seem a little possessive. Maybe she doesn’t like that he has a family and she wants him to herself.”
“Did you tell them you were going to the party, Lissa?” Debs asked.
“I said I might.”
“That’s it then. You turning up has Sophia worried.” Julia rubbed her palms together again as though she were plotting some devious Machiavellian plan. Which she probably was. “I bet she sensed something between the two of you and—”
“How would she sense something that isn’t there?” Lissa interrupted. “I haven’t even seen Daniel in ten years. There is nothing between us.”
Julia reached across and patted Lissa’s leg. “Of course there isn’t. You know what,” she said jumping to her feet. “We need wine. And we need to plan.”
She disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of Rioja. After pouring them all a glass, she handed one to Lissa.
“So what did you think of Sophia?”
“Scary, very scary,” Lissa replied. “And almost as perfect as Daniel.”
“Do you think they’re in love?”
“I have no clue. She felt something for him though.”
“I bet they’re going to announce their engagement at the party,” Debs said.
Marcy slammed her glass on the table. “We can’t let it happen. The old Daniel must be under there somewhere. We have to dig him out and pry him away from The Evil One. It’s our duty.”
“You’re right,” Julia said. “There’s only one solution: Lissa is going to have to seduce him.”
Lissa’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
Julia waved away her question. “This is Daniel. Some sacrifices must be made.”
“That didn’t work last time,” Debora said. “You remember his twentieth birthday. Lissa went in there armed with black underwear and enough condoms to last a month, and he wouldn’t cooperate. Why should it be any different this time?”
Lissa took a sip of her wine and tried to look innocent.
“You’re hiding something,” Julia said.
“Well, I might have lied about that night,” she muttered.
The morning after she’d seduced Daniel, the sisters had given her the third degree, but she’d found herself reluctant to talk about Daniel and her. She wanted to keep what happened between them to herself, as something precious to remember. But after seeing Daniel again it didn’t seem real, and maybe she needed to say it out loud to make herself believe it had happened.
Julia eyed her suspiciously. “Lied about what?”
“Well…” Oh God, how was she supposed to word this?
Three sets of eyes focused on her, staring intently until she squirmed in her seat and took a gulp of wine. She reached across and picked up the bottle, emptied it into her glass.
“We did it,” she said. “More than once.”
Julia slammed her glass down. “I knew it. I knew he wouldn’t have been able to resist you—he always fancied you—however much he used to try and hide it. He’d pretend to be all cool, but I’d catch him watching you all the time.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you lied to me.”
Had he watched her? Lissa had never noticed. “It didn’t seem appropriate. It was private.”
She sipped her drink and avoided their eyes for a few minutes.
“So what was it like?” Debora asked.
Lissa gave an exaggerated sigh. “It was earth-shattering.” And it had been. Daniel might have been a virgin but he’d known exactly what to do. She really didn’t want to say any more on the subject so she hurried on. “So—Operation: Saving Daniel—how are we going to do this?”
“At the party, we maneuver it so you and Danny get some time alone.”
“I’m not having sex with him,” she said. “It wouldn’t be right, and I’m certainly not sleeping with him if he’s engaged to someone else.”
“You don’t have to. Simply let him see what he’s missing and maybe let The Evil One catch you in a compromising position.” Julia’s eyes gleamed in anticipation.
“Are you absolutely sure she’s that bad?” Debs asked. “Daniel must see something in her. Are we being unfair?”
“No,” her two sisters said in unison.
But the question made Lissa think—were they being unfair? Could that
little twinge she was feeling be guilt? After all, it was Daniel’s life. Daniel’s choices. If this was the way he wanted to live, did they have the right to try and sabotage him? Maybe he did love Sophia.
Then she remembered his coldness at their meeting. How he’d tried to get rid of her. He’d acted as though he wanted her out of there as fast as possible. Right until he’d asked her to join them—talk about mixed messages. It was almost as if he was hiding something. But what?
And Julia and her sisters were truly worried about their brother—this was more than an urge to meddle. “Okay, I’m in as long as the no-sex thing is clearly understood. But maybe he won’t go for it. I mean—compared to Sophia, I’m…” She waved a hand down over her tatty jeans and T-shirt.
“Well, obviously we’re going to have to clean you up a bit,” Marcy said.
“A lot,” Julia added. “A complete makeover and about time. New clothes, hair, makeup…” Her rosebud lips curved into a self-satisfied grin—she’d been trying to get Lissa to agree to a makeover ever since she’d arrived back in the country. “It will be like Cinderella going to the ball.”
“I am not Cinder-fucking-rella,” Lissa pointed out. “And Daniel is not my prince.”
“Not yet, but give me time.” Julia was almost bouncing with eagerness. “This is going to be so much fun.”
Why did Lissa doubt that?
Chapter Three
Darkness fell as Daniel drove out of the city. It was the night of the new moon and the sky was empty, though this close to London, the lights formed a dull orange glow to the east, like a false promise of dawn.
All day long, totally inappropriate thoughts of Lissa had infiltrated his mind, flooding his brain with images of her, mostly naked images, or wearing nothing but a red ribbon…
Even a few stolen hours in the lab away from Sophia hadn’t eliminated Lissa from his head. But at least he’d managed to check out his DNA, and everything seemed in order, no drastic changes. The shock of seeing Lissa again must have jolted his sleeping beast awake, but he’d be ready next time.
Now, Ethan had called a meeting and Daniel couldn’t allow himself to be distracted. No doubt Sophia had reported their lunch with Lissa and for all he hated Ethan, the man possessed a keen intelligence. Daniel would have to concentrate on his every word and action if he wasn’t to give himself away.
He climbed out of the car and stood breathing in the night. Even without the moon, the magic called to him, lured him from the open parking area and into the gloom of the surrounding forest. As he stepped beneath the canopy of ancient oaks, the darkness enshrouded him. He relaxed his control and deep inside his beast awoke, uncoiling, stretching sleepily.
Around him, the night came alive, all his senses alert. Shadowy outlines formed in the dense blackness and the subtle sounds of the forest whispered in his ears, the rustle of small things moving in the undergrowth, no doubt sensing his presence and fleeing for their lives. His nostrils filled with the rich, heavy scent of growing things mingled with the odor of decay. This forest had been old a thousand years ago.
Daniel made his way easily through the trees, weaving between the gnarled oaks. The breeze sighed against his face, carrying the thick feral stench of the pack and his beast rose up inside him together with a wild longing to be free. He fought the need, pushed it down; he would not let what he had become control him. Because then he would truly be one of them, and he would never allow that to happen.
Something shifted in his peripheral vision, and he stopped abruptly. A figure darted through the trees—a woman. She was running as though for her life, long blond hair spread out behind her like a banner. Her panting breaths, the thud of her heart, filled his ears and he could smell the rank sweat of her fear.
Two men raced after her, their raucous laughter splitting the night. They were close behind their prey. She stumbled, crashing to the ground, and they were on her.
Daniel tried to turn away. This wasn’t his business. Sarah was the pack omega, the weakest member, and according to pack law she was anyone’s for the taking. No one would help her.
In the past, Daniel had kept out of pack politics. Now, he thought back to the times he had seen Sarah, bruised and cowering, at meetings. Her scream tore through the space between them, and a scalding wave of guilt washed over him, threatening to drag him under.
What was the saying? All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing…
Well, he’d become fucking good at doing nothing. He’d told himself that he couldn’t go against them openly—not yet. But there had to be lines he wouldn’t cross. And he recognized almost with relief that this was one of them.
Sarah screamed again and fury rose inside him.
He released the last tenuous hold on his control and power flowed over him as he leaped for the closest man. He smashed into what felt like a solid wall, the momentum crashing them both to the ground. The man beneath him didn’t move, and Daniel rolled off and jumped to his feet. Spinning on his heel, he kicked out at the second man, letting instinct take over. The kick launched the man into the air and he slammed into a tree trunk behind, then slumped to the ground. Daniel stood staring down at the unconscious bodies, and inside his beast roared its approval.
The woman, Sarah, crouched close by, her eyes wide with fear as she tried to scoot back from him. She smelled of blood and food and his beast roared again. Terror flared in her eyes and Daniel drew back his control, wrapping it around himself. “Get out of here,” he snarled.
She blinked up at him.
“Now!”
He waited until she had vanished through the trees before turning back to the bodies. They were alive and would heal. He wasn’t sure whether he was happy about that or not. These were two of the worst scum in the pack. They deserved to die.
“Impressive.”
Daniel went still at the sound of a voice close by. A man stood in the shadows, and he recognized Joe, one of the two pack Betas who were second in command to Ethan. Shit, he was in trouble.
Joe strolled over, coming to a halt beside the first unconscious man. He nudged him with his boot, then glanced up at Daniel. “You broke his neck with one kick.”
Daniel kept his mouth closed. He’d spent a lot of effort convincing the rest of the pack that he was low down in the order, that he was no threat. Keeping a low profile, not drawing any attention to himself had been the plan. Now, with one impetuous act, he’d blasted that masquerade right out of the running.
“Ethan is waiting for you,” Joe said, pulling him from his not too pleasant thoughts. “I’ll take care of this.” He nodded toward the two bodies.
What did he mean by that? “You will?”
“Just go,” Joe said. “We’ll talk later.”
Was that good or bad?
There were pack members who reveled in violence. Who loved the killing. But there were also decent men and women among them. People like him, who had been forcibly inducted into the pack because they held some value and were considered useful. People who were no doubt kept in check by threats to their family and friends. Joe was too high up in the hierarchy to be one of those, but maybe he also wasn’t entirely happy with the way things were run.
Daniel could only hope so, because if Joe told anyone what he’d seen, Daniel was in deep shit. Ethan, the Alpha, was over two hundred years old and had led the pack for most of that time, ruling through fear and intimidation. Those stronger than himself were killed before they could become a real threat.
He nodded once, turned, and walked away. Up ahead, through the stand of trees, he could make out the flickering of torches. The warm scent of the pack and the buzz of power drew him on.
Two men guarded the entrance to the meeting place. Daniel raised his arms and stood motionless as one of the guards patted him down, checking for silver weapons, then nodded him through.
At the far side of the clearing stood a carved wooden throne where Ethan lounged, long legs stretched out in front
of him. Daniel approached the Alpha, his head down as fitted a submissive wolf, only peering up as he came to a halt in front of the throne.
Ethan was a big man, tall and bulky with heavy muscle. He wore his black hair pulled back in a ponytail, revealing the harsh lines of his face, his gray eyes so dark they were almost black. Sophia stood by his right side, slightly behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder. She was the second of the pack Betas, and after Ethan, the next most powerful in the pack. Or so she thought. Daniel swallowed down his hatred.
“Good of you to join us,” Ethan said, his tone low and silky soft.
“I was finishing up supervision of some tests. You told me that was priority.”
Werewolves feared few things, and they could heal almost any kind of damage. Except damage cause by silver, which poisoned their systems. A wound caused by a silver weapon could fester and take an age to heal. Silver bullets could kill.
Daniel was a geneticist—the best in his field—that was what had drawn Ethan’s attention. He’d changed Daniel against his will, brought him into the pack, and coerced him into working on a cure for the silver poisoning that would make the werewolves indestructible.
“Your last trials failed. What makes you think they will succeed this time?” Ethan asked.
The trials hadn’t failed. They’d been a complete success, something he had managed to keep from Sophia despite the way she dogged his every footstep. Daniel presumed only his usefulness kept him alive. That would end once the experiments were completed, because Ethan didn’t trust him. Sophia was his guard, assigned to observe and report his every move. God, he hated that sadistic bitch.
“The next trials will succeed,” he said confidently, aware Ethan could sense a lie.
“Sophia tells me you had a visitor today,” Ethan said.
“No one important.”
“Hmm. Perhaps just in case, you should put the woman off by announcing your engagement to Sophia.”
Shock held him rigid, despite the fact that he’d suspected this was coming. He glanced to where she stood, her scarlet-tipped talons still resting on Ethan’s shoulder, a smug, self-satisfied smile on her lips. He could guess whose idea this had been. Sophia had been hot for him since he’d been changed—she’d made that more than clear. The fact that he hated her only made her more determined. She preferred her partners unwilling. But marry Sophia? He’d rather marry a snake.
