by Trina M. Lee
Blood spilled down the side of Arys’ face from a gash in his eyebrow. It ran down his strong jaw, dripping steadily. Though Harley sported a hell of a shiner, he also carried a natural air of menace and twisted joy. A streak of blood marred his left cheek beneath his eye running to his upper lip. His malicious grin spoke nothing of pain or upset, only anticipatory intent.
With a scathing glance at Arys, he said, “Who invited you?”
“Stick it in your ass, Harley. This is the last time you make trouble for my wolf. I’m ready for you. But, Alexa is off limits.”
There was no mistaking the widening of Harley’s eyes as he took in Arys’ hate filled expression. Was it just me or did fear flash behind his gaze? He dismissed it in a blink, recovering his malicious smile.
“Your wolf?” Harley questioned. “The one that you will not claim?”
I instinctually reached for Shaz’ hand. The action wasn’t missed by Harley who raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Or, could it be that you cannot claim her, because someone else already has?”
When Arys spoke, his tone was low and menacing. I could almost feel the quiver in it as he pleaded with the other vampire. “Please, don’t make me kill you. You know I don’t want to do that.”
Shaz’ predatory stare looked back and forth between Arys and Harley. He was ready for a fight. The intent in his stiff stance and expression was unmistakable. I squeezed his hand, willing him to stay calm.
“You seem to have quite the quaint little ménage à trois going on here. I didn’t realize you liked the beasts so much.” Harley paced casually on his side of my barrier. “If all you wanted was to do a werewolf, we could have explored that centuries ago.”
As Arys and Harley stared at one another, the atmosphere grew painful with the strength of their animosity. I knew there was no way this was going to go smoothly. I was awash with power, instinctually reacting to their unspoken threats.
“If you want to finish this now, then by all means, let’s do so.” Arys’ jaw clenched tightly, and he angrily wiped the blood away from where it ran near his left eye. “I’ve tasted your death for decades. I’m not ready to kill you, but I will do anything to protect her.”
Terror filled me, and I turned to him, ready to beg him to stop this. But, he had eyes only for his sire, and the look in those inky blue orbs chilled me to my very soul.
Harley’s smile had vanished. He now wore a look of utter calm, but it was disturbing in its serenity.
“I am not negotiating with you, Arys. Kill me if you will, but see if I don’t do my damndest to take her down with me.” He nodded in my direction as he spoke.
A growl immediately rumbled in Shaz’ throat, and his body tensed beside me, ready to fly into action. I maintained my hold on his hand, refusing to let him go.
“What do you want with me anyway?” I finally spoke up, hoping to bring a sense of rationale to the situation. “I can’t imagine what I have that you want.”
He stared at me curiously for a long moment until I felt extremely uncomfortable.
“No, I don’t suppose you would.” Looking at Arys he added, “You don’t even know what you have here. She is completely wasted on you.”
Arys frowned, assessing the statement. He didn’t seem to know what to make of it any more than I did. “This isn’t the old mine versus yours game, is it? Aren’t we beyond that? I tired of it so long ago.” He looked exasperated, like one dealing with an unreasonable child.
“Everything is a game to you.” Harley began to pace, taunting Arys openly. “Do you even know any other way to play? We both know she’s just the latest in your lengthy history of conquests. And, we both know what happens to those conquests when you’re finished with them.”
I didn’t take my eyes off the finely dressed vampire, noting how he moved. Arys moved in response to him, closing the distance separating them. His fingers danced with energy that was bright gold with only a hint of blue playing around the edge. I felt the power call to me, too, wanting to join through us. I continued to resist, fearing it would push the boundaries of my control.
Even though Shaz couldn’t visibly see the brilliant energy, he immediately reacted to it. There was no way to avoid feeling something so strong. His eyes closed for just a moment, and a shudder caused his body to convulse.
“I’m not here to rehash the good old days with you. I’m here to make sure you never make the mistake of touching Alexa again.” The growl that came from Arys astonished me. I wasn’t the only one. Shaz and Harley wore similar questioning looks, but Harley recovered first.
He appeared absolutely bored and uninterested when he crossed his arms and simply said, “Then, stop me.”
Shaz responded rather than Arys. My heart exploded with adrenaline when he said,
“I would love the opportunity to finish you off.” In a move that was not usual for Shaz, he taunted the vampire with a beckoning motion that promised pain. “You dared to force yourself on my mate. You can’t be allowed to think that’s ok.”
The intrigue written all over Harley’s handsome face when he looked at my wolf had me on the defensive. He didn’t seem opposed to the idea of taking on a werewolf.
Was Shaz out of his mind? The thought of my wolf getting physical with Harley was enough to make my skin crawl. The vampire surveyed the room, taking in all three of us.
I could almost see the strategic thought process going on inside him.
“So it’s three on one, is it? I thought werewolves were more honorable than that.
Though I expect as much from you.” Harley’s eyes shot daggers at Arys who snickered in response.
“No, not three on one. Just me and you.” Shaz took a step toward Harley, and my inner voice cried out in protest.
“Don’t be a fool, kid,” Arys hissed, his eyes darting between the other two men.
“You don’t know what kind of monster you’re dealing with.”
Kale groaned and sat up, a hand holding his head. I wondered what Harley had done to him with that shot of power. He gazed up at us, confusion dancing in his brown and blue eyes.
“I’m touched by your heartfelt words … lover.” This from Harley who added a suggestive inflection to his tone. It must have had the desired effect because he grinned when Arys swore. “But seriously, if the kid thinks he can take me…”
“No.” My voice was low, but they all heard it. Shaz’ silence was as good as ignoring me.
“Would you prefer to turn this back into a private party?” Harley smiled widely at me so that his sharp fangs glinted in the dim lighting. “I only want you anyway.”
Shaz stiffened behind me, bracing for action. Knowing it was his only chance, Shaz launched himself at Harley before I could stop him. A sound came from me that was a combination of a cry and a growl.
Harley was poised, ready to meet him. As Shaz sunk claws deep into the vampire’s upper arm, he grappled for the opportunity to use his vicious fangs. With the other hand, he delivered blows so hard and fast I couldn’t keep up. But, Harley had been in tighter spots, and he easily lifted Shaz off his feet, slamming him against the wall.
The bedside lamp shook from the impact and toppled to the cushion of the carpeted floor. The blows never stopped coming from Shaz, and I flinched when one of them connected dead on with the vampire’s lower jaw. The resulting crunch sent a shiver down my spine.
Arys wasted no time leaping into the fight. He tried to get between them, but they were so intent on each other that it was impossible. Harley barely glanced at Arys as he threw power into him. My dark vampire was on his ass across the room in an instant.
Kale was suddenly behind me, a hand on my elbow as he held me back. “Don’t jump in there, Alexa. It will only make things worse.” I stared at him, wanting to ignore him but knowing that he was right.
Shaz’ enraged wolf sounds filled the room. Blood ran from a slash in Harley’s throat.
Shaz was fighting full out; no sign of human thought flickered in his enrage
d eyes as he fought for his kill.
I watched in horror as everything seemed to slow down like a sports replay. Despite the illusion, it all happened so fast. The power in the room rode us all, but it drove those that embraced it.
The two of them were face to face, locked into a violent embrace. As close as lovers, Harley and Shaz were engaged in a battle for the other’s blood. They each struggled to gain a stronghold.
Blood sprayed as Shaz took a hit when Harley had caught him off guard. Red rivulets ran down his chin from his split lip. It seemed to fuel him, and he unleashed on the vampire with a flurry of shots that had Harley on the defense.
It only took one flaw in Shaz’ attack for Harley to gain that split second edge he was seeking. I saw it coming, and I was powerless to stop it.
Harley feinted left, lingering long enough for Shaz to make a counter move. The moment he did, Harley attacked from the right and scored a clear shot on Shaz’
unguarded throat.
I didn’t breathe as I watched his fangs pierce the creamy white flesh of my mate. The wolf in me cried out in a savage roar, rising up to break free. Shaz struggled against him, but it was too late now that the vampire had sunk fangs.
As he sucked the lifeblood from my white wolf, I focused hard and tapped the waiting power in my core. It came forth in a mad rush, victorious as I set it free and relinquished my hold. The sensations had me gasping as my veins burned with a heat that grew hotter. It quickly became painful, but once I directed it, the pain was pleasure.
From deep inside a memory came, playing behind my eyes. I simply drew on the pained memories Arys had of Harley to inflict pain on him. It was a matter of projecting the thought through the power.
I pushed that sensation into him with everything I had in me. My concentration was easy to maintain, taking far less effort than the last time I did something this extreme.
He let out a noise of pain and frustration but did not release his hold on Shaz. He tried to shield against me, a resistance forming that had me struggling to call more power.
Arys stood nearby calling my name, clearly unwilling to touch me and feed my fire.
That was fine. I could do this without physically touching him. I had all I needed inside me.
I was moving before I knew what I was doing. The force behind my action sent me hurdling into Harley. I could do nothing that would physically move him; one wrong move would turn those punctures into a gaping hole. So, even though my wolf side wanted to take Harley apart in little bits, instead I grasped his hand tightly. The physical contact connected me to him in a deeper way, and I punched through his shield without a problem. It was like putting my mental hand through an open window.
I knew I was smiling as I pushed everything I had inside me into Harley. It burned as it rushed through my fingertips, out of me and through his cool, undead form. I groaned from the exertion and fought to stay on my feet as the power swirled and roared all around me.
With a loud wail, Harley released his hold on Shaz and jerked away from me so hard I stumbled. His head in his hands, he went to his knees a few feet away. I made as if to pursue him to continue my assault. Arys was suddenly there, sweeping me off my feet with an arm around my waist, pulling me away.
“Alexa, no. I can’t let you kill him. See to your wolf.” He gave me a push towards Shaz who was slumped against the wall with a hand pressed to his bleeding neck.
Though I was ticked at my vampire’s interference, it wasn’t hard to turn my attention to Shaz. I dropped to my knees before him and pulled his hand from the bloody punctures. He didn’t resist me, letting his hand fall away. The bite was deep, as bad as it could be.
Shaz fixed me with a brilliant green stare. “I could taste his death. It was mine.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I stared at the wound, careful not to let my feelings show on my face. It was nasty, pumping the blood out in accordance with the beat of his heart. “You’ve got to calm down, babe. Please. There’s a lot of blood.”
It wouldn’t take much to heal a wound like that, but if he didn’t calm down, it was going to bleed out.
“I’m not going to die on you. I promise.” He reached to touch my face, streaking blood along my cheek in the process. “It will never be that easy to leave you.”
“Don’t talk about leaving me. We’re going home. You need to shift.” I tugged at what remained of his clothing. Shifting would speed the healing process, and near the full moon, that would be even more effective.
He didn’t fight my attempt to unclothe him. His eyes rolled from me to where Arys stood over Harley who continued to howl like a wounded animal. I wrapped my hand around Shaz’ forearm and pulled him to his feet.
“You know I love you, right?” He tried to give me his amazing grin, but it was pained and said more to me than he would ever admit.
“Is that why you dared to get yourself slaughtered? He isn’t worth it. I need you.
Alive.”
Shaz was so far gone already. It was eating him alive to resist the natural pull to be wolf. His eyes shone with pain that echoed inside me.
“Shift dammit! You need to. I’m getting us out of here.”
I turned to find Arys hovering over his injured sire. To my utter surprise, he held Harley’s face cupped tenderly in his hands. As I stared in wonder at the two vampires, Shaz was a burst of white fur beside me. I really hoped I wouldn’t have to restrain him. In that form, he had a very distinct weight advantage over me.
A long, angry growl rumbled from his chest, but he didn’t move. I reached a tentative hand out to touch his resilient yet impossibly soft fur. His cold, wet nose nuzzled my palm as if assuring me that he was calm enough, but the low growl never ceased.
A small bloodstain stood out on his shaggy white coat but already the flow from the vampire bite eased. Without doubt, he would be fine.
“Arys?” I spoke softly, aware that his focus was elsewhere.
With Arys gazing deep into his eyes, Harley grew calm. His cries stopped, and I knew Arys was doing that soothing thing that he did so well with me on occasion. In addition to the rush of power enveloping us, the calm emotion was somehow lulling.
I watched, curiosity silencing me, as Arys leaned in so close I thought he was going to kiss the other vampire. Inches away, his lips moved. He spoke so low that even with my enhanced hearing I had to strain to make out the words.
“Never again will I stop her. Next time, you die. And, though a part of me loves you still in some perverse way, I will have no regrets.” And then, he did kiss Harley. The barest brush of lips so brief I had to question if it had been imagined.
Kale stood a few feet away, watching silently. He was an amazing friend. It’s too bad that Kylarai hadn’t been able to love him the way he needed.
When Arys rose to his full height, there was no missing the red tears that filled his blue eyes. I realized more had just passed between them than I was really aware of.
Harley never budged from where he knelt. His head bowed and hands clasped, he seemed to be awaiting our exit.
In just a matter of mere moments, the entire dynamic had shifted. When a crimson tear hit the carpet, I took an involuntary step backwards, into Shaz. Ignoring Shaz’ noise of protest, I grabbed my purse and pushed him toward the door; Kale followed with soundless footsteps. The hallway beyond remained eerily quiet.
Of all of the things I wanted to bear witness to right then, Harley Kayson in emotional distress was not one of them. I was simply too sensitive tonight, and I hated him. I couldn’t allow myself to be swayed by his much deserved personal torment. I wanted him to suffer.
When I stood framed in the doorway, I looked back over my shoulder. Each vampire remained as I’d left him.
A strange energy tickled along the back of my neck. The feeling was unexplainable, like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I want her, Sindarys.” There was a noticeable tremor in Harley’s low voice. “And, you owe me. What’s on
e werewolf to you?” His words ignited the fire in Shaz, and I had to throw my arms around his neck to keep him from barreling back in there.
The chill that ran through me at Harley’s calmly spoken words almost hurt. I didn’t like being spoken of like a possession. An object. A power source.
“You never learn, do you my friend?” Arys’ reaction was nothing like Shaz’. He merely regarded Harley with a look filled with scorn and pity. “I’m sorry it always has to be this way.”
He wanted to say something else; I could feel it. With a glance at Shaz and me in the doorway, he shrugged his wide shoulders and turned his back on the vampire that made him.
Chapter Eighteen
The sound of water running upstairs was the only noise in the large house. Shaz had gone to clean up, leaving me alone with Arys. We sat on the bed in the guest room downstairs. After calling Kylarai and Jez to tell them I was alive and at Raoul’s with the guys, I had gratefully kicked off my painful boots.
Worry nagged at the forefront of my mind. The entire trip home, I had been plagued with anxiety and questions. So many questions. What was I supposed to do now? I was a vulnerable, tasty power source with no true protection from a vampire powerful enough to force me into submission. Harley was that powerful. And, how many others?
If he didn't come for me again, which I knew he would, then who would be next? A chill shot down my spine, painful in its intensity. I had to make a choice. One that would enable me the protection that I currently lacked. It was just so huge. It was my whole life.
I didn't know what to do. I'd never felt so lost.
I didn’t have any clothes at Raoul’s so I had been forced to settle for one of his robes. Arys had fetched it from the bedroom closet. I still wasn’t comfortable going into his bedroom. The robe smelled faintly of Raoul, but it was soft and cozy so I snuggled into it anyway. After leaving The Wicked Kiss, I had just wanted to be here, in this house. It felt right.
Arys sat close but not quite close enough to touch. He was kicking himself, guilt riding him hard as he blamed himself for what Harley had done tonight. Try as I might, I could do nothing to console him.
