by Trina M. Lee
“Sweetie, don’t think like that. This is Kale you’re talking about.” I reached out to grasp her forearm in an affectionate squeeze. “He is not that guy. You know that.”
She nodded and sniffed. “I know.” The doubt in her voice was so heavy. I worried that she wouldn’t be strong enough to stand by Kale through this.
I glanced at Shaz who smiled encouragement at me. It warmed my heart, and I gave him a quick wink. “If you don’t want to go to him, Kylarai, then don’t. You should never feel obligated to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”
“Me and Lex can go back there,” Shaz offered, reaching to pull her close in a loose brotherly kind of hug. “Or, we can come with you if you don’t want to go alone.”
She seemed to consider the options but shook her head. “No. I’m going to have to stand on my own two feet. No wallowing in the past. Just moving steadily forward.” Her seemingly endless positivity often made me envious. Still, I was glad to see it now.
“Ok good. But, if for even a moment, you feel uneasy or you need me, call.
Promise?” I gave her a look that said I wasn’t kidding. The last thing I wanted was for her to be in some kind of danger and for me not to know about it.
“Promise.” She rolled her eyes at my serious expression but grinned. “I should go hit the shower so I can be ready for sunrise. I don’t think leaving the house in an old flannel nightgown is going to be too fashion friendly.”
When she’d gone down the hall to her room and closed the door with an audible click, I turned to Shaz eagerly. “I have been waiting for this all day.” I had only to beckon to him with a finger, and he’d crossed the space between us.
His well-muscled arms slid around my waist, pressing me to him. His warm lips were soft on mine but firm, possessive. I reveled in the taste and scent of him. The pine and musky fur of wolf tugged at my instincts, and the desire to shift forms was immeasurable.
As the kiss deepened, I felt his growing passion and squirmed against him in obvious invitation. My fingers played in the softness of his naturally white-blonde hair. I pulled back to admire his perfect features with a tingle racing to my loins.
Everything about being with Shaz spoke to the soft, sensitive side of me, the side that I really didn’t get to access much. He brought out my lovey-dovey nature that I enjoyed with total abandon in the moment but never openly admitted to.
I gently traced the outline of his jaw, lingering over the soft underside near his neck.
I had been seeking a lot of solace in him over the last few months. And, I found something better than I’d imagined love could be. The fact that he puts up with my strange and permanent bond to a vampire, albeit begrudgingly, makes him one of a kind.
“This is exactly how I wanted to spend my night off,” he whispered, nuzzling me close. His warm breath near my ear tickled, and I giggled girlishly.
“Aw, I hate when you make me laugh like a school girl.” I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, loving the scent and feel of him. “I’m glad you’re here. I missed you.”
He held me close for a moment but then pulled back so he could look at me. “Are you sure you’re ok? You don’t want me to beat his ass?” His sensual lips twitched in a partial smile, but I wasn’t sure he was kidding.
“Cut it out.” I punched him lightly in the arm before downing the last sip of wine in my glass. “It’s not like you to treat me like a damsel in distress.”
“That’s because you’re not. This is more of a territorial thing.” He grinned then, and a slight blush colored his cheeks. “Don’t blame me. It’s all instinct.”
It was stupidly cute when he got like this. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t touched.
“You’re too cute. And, I love you for it.”
“You better.” He growled playfully and gave me a light smack on the behind. He’s the only person in the world who would get away with that and not end up on his ass.
“We should go for a run. Unless you want to save that for after our naked bedroom romp?”
I laughed and grabbed some grapes from the fruit bowl Kylarai had left on the counter. Popping one in my mouth, I said, “Sounds like you’ve got your game plan together. I sure hope you factored in adequate time for a sufficient warm up.” I winked and reached for a strawberry.
“Oh baby, you know the games never get underway until you say go.” He pulled me in for another spine tingling kiss, and I held my berry forgotten. “Mm, you taste so sweet.”
The slightest chill crept up the back of my neck as the vampire energy within me seemed to awaken. For a moment, I was afraid. When it came up like this, it was often accompanied by the blood hunger. Not this time though. It just swept me with a wave of cool, undead power that left me quivering.
I had to take a step away from Shaz in an attempt to clear my mind. My senses were on overdrive as I became more focused on the blood pumping through his veins, hot and sweetly Were. My movement was enough for him to take note of the change in the atmosphere.
“What’s wrong?” His entire stance changed, and he reached out to touch my shoulder. “You look all sketchy. And, it’s cold in here, like it gets when you’re all vampy.”
I nodded as I began to feel my vampire counterpart. Close … so close. “Yeah. It’s Arys.” I breathed the words, groping blindly for Shaz in anticipation of the power rush I knew was coming. “I feel him.”
Shaz’ jade gaze narrowed in annoyance. “He’s here?”
The front doorbell rang, followed by an aggressive knock on the door. What could have Arys in such a foul mood? His negativity was like the sharp slap of a rubber band. It stung in places that were not physical in nature.
“I wonder what this is all about.” I turned to the hall and approached the door with Shaz hot on my heels. He hung back near the entrance to the living room, which gave him full view of the door without being obnoxiously close.
“I can just imagine,” he muttered but said nothing further. Leaning against the wall, arms folded over his chest, he waited for me to open the door.
I swallowed hard as butterflies set to flight within me, their wings beating hard against my ribcage. I don’t like my two lovers being in the same room for any great length of time. In fact, I go out of my way to ensure it rarely happens.
The moment I turned the door handle, a delicious tingle coursed through me. I felt guilty when my heart raced in anticipation, knowing who was on the other side.
Arys stood on the front step looking irate and out of place with Kylarai’s decorative flower arrangements. His jet-black hair was a stylish mess, as usual, and the angry look he wore only served to enhance his sex appeal. A black t-shirt and blue jeans may have looked casual on anybody else, but it hugged him like a drool-worthy second skin. He gnawed lightly on the metal ring that glinted off to the side of his lower lip, one of a handful of piercings he had.
“Alexa.” He strode inside so fast I had to step out of his way to avoid getting run down. “What were you doing at The Wicked Kiss?”
The vampire didn’t even glance at Shaz. His midnight blue eyes bore into me, making me uncomfortable. With the barest twitch of his fingers, the door swung shut behind him.
“What do you mean? I was there to see Kale.” As my defenses kicked in I added,
“What’s it to you, anyway?”
The look he shot me was incredulous, and he flashed fangs to emphasize it. There was less than two feet of space between us. I resisted the urge to take a step back.
“What’s it to me? Are you trying to get yourself killed? You should have told me that you wanted to go in there.” It was then that he caught sight and scent of my injury.
Capturing my arm in his tight grasp, he brought it closer for inspection. “Kale did this.
Why?”
For the second time I retold the events of my evening. When I finished, Arys dropped my wrist and swept past me into the living room. He had to pass Shaz in the process, giving him the slightest
of nods.
“Why did you let her go there alone?” Arys suddenly rounded on the fair-haired wolf with a blazing heat in the depths of his hypnotic stare. “Have neither of you the slightest inclination as to how dangerous, not to mention stupid, that was?”
My skin began to prickle in response to him. Though I was quickly losing my temper, a part of me enjoyed it.
Shaz merely cast Arys a look of utter disdain. “Oh, please. That’s like asking why the sky is blue. It just is. And, so is Alexa. I’m not her keeper, and neither are you.”
“No,” Arys retorted. “Just the one that feeds her fire and makes her a desirable target. As the one who claims to love her, you do a poor job making it apparent.”
“Hey!” I tried to step between them, but Shaz came away from the doorframe fast, angrily stepping up to glare into the vampire’s face.
“I’m not the one endangering her here, pal; you are.” They both ignored my attempt to get their attention as they stared into each other with a fury I could taste like bitterness on the back of my tongue. Shaz’ voice took on an edge I rarely heard from him. “Don’t ever speak to me about love. You don’t have a clue what it is if it doesn’t come with sex and blood. All you are to Alexa is a parasite. A fucking parasite that has done her more harm than good. Never speak to me again about love or protection. You’re clearly out of your area of expertise.”
The tension in the room was thick enough to suffocate. I realized that this situation was quickly spiraling out of control. It was only a matter of time until these two tore each other apart. I was hoping it wouldn’t be here and now.
“Excuse me.” I had to raise my voice to get their attention, but neither risked taking their eyes off the other. “I am not someone who appreciates being treated like an object.
This is going to stop, or I’m through dealing with either of you.”
It wasn’t a big threat, but one that had me shaking as it spilled from my lips. Unable to think clearly, I stormed from the room through the adjoining entry to the kitchen. My intent was to leave the house through the sliding glass doors into the backyard. From there, I just wanted to drop to all fours and run like the wind.
Before I could clear the kitchen, a cool hand gripped my elbow and whirled me around. Arys’ intoxicating scent of cologne and hair products hit me, and my stomach muscles clenched in response. As mad as I was at him, the power that we shared had a mind of its own when we were together.
“Don’t you see how worried you had me? There are so many vampires in that place that would never pass up a chance to hurt me by hurting you.” His voice had softened, but the storm in his eyes didn’t cease.
“I know that. I figured it out within minutes of my arrival. Although, if you’d bothered to mention it to me before, this conversation wouldn’t be happening.” I pulled my arm from his grasp but didn’t turn away. “So don’t come in here and talk to me like I’m a child to be coddled. And, you do not get off talking to Shaz like he’s a footstool.
Got it?”
Arys clenched his jaw; his hands tightened into fists. “You are so frustrating, wolf.
Have it your way … as usual.”
That last little shot really picked at me, but I’d save the response I had for a time when it was just the two of us. His comment wasn’t missed by Shaz, though, who frowned from where he stood.
“I’m really not in the mood to deal with this right now. Whatever your problem is, it has nothing to do with Shaz, so leave him out of it.”
Arys’ deathly energy danced around me so that my own power rose up to meet it. I stifled a small gasp when the two energies mingled to make one that shocked me to the core.
“Anything you wish, my love.” He whispered the words, but they struck a chord in me anyway. Despite his agreeable tone, there was evident strain in his voice. I knew that he was dying to touch me. I could sense it.
“I need to shift. I’m irritable, and the full moon is only a week away. So, this conversation will have to wait. I’m not about to argue with you over where I’m allowed to be and when.” I shoved past him and slid the kitchen door open wide.
“That is not what this is about, and you know it.” His voice rose as he followed me out on to the back deck. “This is about you being in serious danger every time you go near that place.”
Something about the way he said it piqued my curiosity. I studied him hard, trying to make him squirm. It didn’t work. My opponent had been playing this game far longer than I.
“What’s going on, Arys? What is it that you don’t want to tell me?” I leaned against the deck railing and fixed him with a deadly glare. “Don’t screw with me. I know you’re packing more heat than any other vampire in the city.”
For a split second, he looked uneasy, but a smirk banished the momentary expression. I could tell it was forced.
“Think about it, Alexa. You are the heat I’m packing. You’re not safe at The Wicked Kiss. You can’t blame me for being concerned.”
“Are you really worried about her? Or, are you worried about what will happen to you without her?” Shaz’ voice rang out from behind us. He had come to stand where he could look out at us through the open patio door.
I gave him a look, telling him to shut up. Why was he purposely antagonizing the vampire? He met my eyes and shrugged before looking to Arys for a response.
“You seem to forget who you’re dealing with, pup. I’m not going to keep my patience with you much longer.”
“Oh, is that so? So, I struck a nerve. Getting too close to the truth for you, huh?”
Shaz’ cocky attitude was as sexy as it was shocking. I gaped open-mouthed as he practically dared Arys to take a shot at him.
“Shaz, this doesn’t concern-,” I started to say only to be interrupted by Arys’ angry outburst.
“You know what, kid? You don’t know shit about the truth.” His eyes darkened until they were all pupil. The energy gathering around him was thick with menace, and I was stricken with fear.
Arys stared at Shaz with such hate that it soured my stomach. His fingertips were alive with the gold and blue of our shared power. If he dared to toss it Shaz’ way, I was taking him down.
“Arys, don’t even think about it,” I warned. Shaz didn’t look the least bit concerned.
In fact, he looked downright amused.
“Let him, Lex,” he said. “If he has to use metaphysical power to best me, then he’s as much a man as I thought him to be.”
The open invitation wasn’t lost on Arys. As fast as he’d gathered the energy, he dropped it, causing the air to hum all around us. Stretching his hands out before him, he cracked his knuckles in a loud series of pops that made me wince.
“So you want to get physical with me, pup? I’m surprised it took you this long.”
Arys’ lips drew back in a snarl, flashing sharp fangs. He made a “come hither” motion with his finger, the way one might entice a lover. “Show me what you’ve got. Unless it doesn’t totally eat you up inside knowing that Alexa gets something from me that she can never find in you.”
I wanted so badly to interject, but something told me to wait. My instinct was to gather the power close around me so it was ready at a moment’s notice.
“She finds more in me than I even need to tell you.” Shaz took one step forward, which brought him outside the open patio door. “Because you know. You see it. And, no matter what you think you have together, I’ll always have more.”
Arys was quiet as he watched my white wolf in careful contemplation. Tilting his head to one side, he smiled and said, “If you knew the things I do with her, the ways I complete her, you’d never make the mistake of being so self-assured.”
My face grew hot, and I stared at the deck beneath my feet. This wasn’t getting any better. Though, Shaz was doing a great job shrugging off Arys’ jibes; I had to give him credit.
“Keep talking, vampire.” Shaz managed a bored expression as he ran a hand through his hair. “We both know
where we really stand. Get back to me when you can run through the forest on four legs with this girl by your side, exploring the true pleasures of the earth. Like sunshine.”
So, they were trying to outdo one another by playing off each other’s weaknesses.
Oh geez, I thought, just throw some punches already and get it over with. But, Shaz wasn’t finished yet.
“Alexa and I are mates. I don’t care how you come into the picture or what you think you have with her. But, I promise you that if a single hair on her head is harmed because of you, you will be truly good and dead.”
As my lungs began to ache, I realized I’d been holding my breath. Neither of them looked at me, and I started to doubt that they’d notice if I went for that run.
Arys shifted slightly, a motion that indicated to me that he was ready for a fight. His eyes betrayed no emotion as he stared into Shaz.
“Ah, so quick to make promises.” With a clap, he rubbed his hands together as if enjoying every excruciating second of this. He looked like the monster from every child’s nightmares when he said, “Don’t make promises you will never be able to keep.”
In a sudden, unexpected motion, Shaz lost it. Whatever self-restraint had been holding him back snapped, and he moved faster than my eyes could follow.
The sound of his impact against Arys rang in my ears. Shaz hit him full on with all of his weight. I think Arys had been expecting a fist or maybe even some fangs because the body slam sent both of them tumbling down the deck stairs to the grass below.
The small shriek that escaped me mingled with the sound of wood splitting as they successfully trashed the railing on their way down. Shaz’ snarl cut through the night followed by the heavy thud of fists on flesh.
I ran down to the bottom step, stopping frozen in my tracks. They each quickly recovered their footing, but the blows never quit.
“Stop it!” I cried uselessly. I wasn’t stupid enough to step between them and risk taking a punch. “You guys, stop! Please!”
Every fist thrown had my stomach cramping. The scent of blood hit me, and I identified it as Shaz’. Blood streamed from a cut above his left eye. He lashed out with a steady hit, connecting with Arys’ chin in a teeth-jarring smack. His eyes were all wolf; the whites, obsolete. All four of his fangs filled his mouth indicating that he was going from furious to wild. I felt helpless. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I had to act before they killed each other. I was debating on whether or not to toss a psi ball in between them and put them both on their asses.
