by Nina Croft
“Yes. And Jon might be lying, but I’m not.” Alex’s voice was thready with pain but filled with conviction. She licked her dry lips and this time she spoke to Jon. “If we don’t get back, Janey will send out the information on an open wave.”
“You told her?” Skylar’s tone was incredulous as she turned to stare at Jon.
He felt a wild resurgence of hope inside him. When he’d given the disc to Alex, he’d thought it might one day help if the Church came after her again. After all, information was power, and it had been the only thing he’d had to offer her back then. Now, he crouched down beside her, and his hand cupped her cheek. “Did you know I love you?”
She turned her head slightly so she could kiss his palm. “Yes.”
Callum studied them both. “How about I just blow your ship out of the sky and the information with it?”
Alex gave a weak smile. “Janey’s not stupid. She said to tell you she’s uploaded the file to an external link. Without a code sent from El Cazador every hour, the information will be released.”
Callum shook his head. “This day just gets better and better.”
As he turned away and paced the room, Jon’s gaze ran down over his tall figure; there was something very wrong with the man; beneath the cloak he appeared misshapen, almost deformed.
Finally, he stopped in front of them. “I’m going to get shit from my council for this, but I’m guessing while they want you dead, they want this information released to the public even less.” He glared at Skylar. “Did I mention this was all your fault?” He threw up his hands in disgust. “Just call your ship and get your misfit friends the hell out of my face.”
Skylar opened her mouth to argue, obviously thought better of it, and opened her comm link instead. “Janey, come and get us.”
Jon wouldn’t allow himself to believe, not until they were safe on El Cazador. Impatience gnawed at him. He needed to get out of here. Somewhere he could shift. Now he’d accepted what he must do, he wanted it over with, but the enormity of what he planned struck him, and terror warred with hope. His palm rested over Alex’s heart. She was clinging tenaciously to life, despite the horrific wounds, but she would need some strength if she were to survive. “How long?” he asked Skylar.
“Five minutes.”
Too long. He bent down and picked Alex up in his arms, holding her close to his chest while he stared up at the sky out of the broken window, willing El Cazador to appear.
As he tried to curb his impatience, he realized there was still something he needed to know to make sense of all this. “Why did Ross commit suicide?” he asked.
At his question, everyone turned to look at Callum. For a moment, he remained silent, as if considering whether to answer. Then he shrugged. “Why not tell you? Soon it will be common knowledge. Ross came to the council a year ago, said he’d had enough, and wanted to die. We told him to get a grip and sent him away. I guess he decided to take things into his own hands, but at least he retained enough sense to make it look like an assassination rather than suicide.”
The answer told Jon nothing. “But why? Why had he had enough? What had changed?”
Callum pursed his lips. “Aiden was a fool. He was also a coward—he couldn’t come to terms with what we were becoming, so he chose the easy way out.”
Skylar took a step toward him, her brows drawn together. “And just what are we becoming?”
A small smile curved the corners of his lips. His hand went to the fastening of the cloak, and it fell the floor.
“Holy freaking moly,” Tannis muttered.
“Madre de dios.” Rico sounded equally awestruck.
Half of Jon’s attention had been on the night sky beyond the window, now he turned back, and his mouth dropped open.
A huge set of wings sprouted from Callum Meridian’s back. Black, leathery, the tips almost touching the walls on either side of him. He flexed them, and a sound like the wind filled the room.
“Jesus,” Rico said and let out a short laugh. “Did you know you’re the spitting image of the devil? Was Aiden Ross the same? I bet that scared the shit out of him.”
A spark of answering amusement flashed in Callum’s eyes. “He had them amputated, but each time, they grew right back.”
“So where did they come from?”
Callum hesitated then shrugged again. “We might not have been entirely truthful about the nature of Meridian.”
“And?” Rico prompted, the impatience clear in his voice.
“And it seems it’s not an element after all but a living organism—one we had never seen before.”
“Fuck me,” Rico said. “You’re a goddamn alien. You’re turning into a real, honest-to-God, goddamn alien.”
“Maybe. In part.”
“Hmm, and I guess that makes you abominations, doesn’t it?” Rico grinned. “Aiden Ross—staunch supporter of the Church—an abomination. Brilliant.” He glanced toward Skylar. “Hey, are you going to grow a pair of those? That would be so damn hot.”
Skylar appeared slightly alarmed at the idea. “Am I?”
“Probably,” Callum replied. “In a few hundred years.”
Jon turned back to the window, as a blaze of lights trailed across the night sky. “The Cazador’s here,” he said, tightening his grip on Alex before heading for the door.
Rico followed him but paused as he passed Callum. “You know, you don’t seem particularly concerned about us leaving—why are you really letting us go?”
Callum shrugged. “While you might be a bunch of misfits, you’ve successfully managed to evade my entire army for over a week. Soon we’ll reveal this”—he gestured to the huge wings, now folded neatly against his back—“to the world. And it occurred to me that at some point in the future, I might find it useful to have some friends in…low places.”
“Well, feel free to call—our rates are very reasonable,” Rico drawled.
“I will. Now piss off, before I change my mind.”
“Good idea. Right, we’re out of here. Tannis!”
Jon glanced back. Tannis stood rooted to the spot, gazing at Callum Meridian—her cold yellow eyes filled with wonder.
“Tannis, move. This is no time to get a crush.” Rico grabbed her shoulder and hustled her through of the door.
Outside in the courtyard, Jon gazed up at the star-filled sky as a shadow passed overhead. A minute later, El Cazador touched down gently.
“Hold on,” he whispered to Alex
Her eyes fluttered open. “I want to go home.”
“I’m taking you home.” He carried her up the ramp onto El Cazador and through the docking bay.
“Get her to the sickbay,” Tannis said.
“It’s too late for that.” Instead, he headed toward the heart of the ship, and into the large conference room.
“You know what you have to do,” Rico said.
“I know,” he growled.
Many years ago, he’d been attacked by a werewolf and
NINA CROFT
changed by force. That day, he’d sworn he would never do the same to another. Now, for the first time, he was about to try, and the thought terrified him. If only it wasn’t Alex. But then it was only for Alex that he would do this. “I’ve never—”
“You’d rather I try and change her?” Rico asked.
Horror flashed through him. “God, no!”
“What are you two talking about?” Tannis asked.
“Nothing,” Rico replied. “Come on, let’s leave them.”
“Why? What’s going on? We need to try and save Alex.”
“Jon will save her.”
Jon heard the conviction in the vampire’s voice, and his fear left him. He could do this.
“Go,” he said. “And lock the doors.”
He was only dimly aware of them leaving as he laid Alex gently on the floor.
After stripping off his clothes, he willed the change to come over him, shivering as energy enveloped him. A minute later, he stood on al
l fours. The scent of scorched flesh was much stronger now, and beneath that, he sensed the closeness of death. He padded toward her, his claws clicking on the metal floor. He leaned in close, then nuzzled the soft skin where her shoulder met her neck, licked her face.
Her small hands fluttered in the fur at his nape, and he drew back. Her eyes were open, filled with loss. “I don’t want to leave you.”
At her whispered words, the last of his doubts vanished.
He drew back his head and lunged, his teeth sinking into the warm flesh of her throat.
Epilogue
A month later…
They ran, weaving between the gnarled trunks of ancient trees, their feet making no sound on the soft forest floor. All her senses acute, her ears catching the small animals that scurried from their path, her nostrils scenting their warm flesh. Then they were out in the open, racing under a fat yellow moon, and she drew ahead, reveling in the stretch of muscle and sinew.
A sense of freedom filled her to overflowing, and she came to an abrupt halt, threw back her head, and howled to the heavens. Beside her, the huge dark wolf sat on his haunches, amber eyes laughing in the dim light. He nipped her on the shoulder then looked up at the skies. She followed his gaze, and high up, amid the stars, the lights of an approaching spaceship blazed a trail toward them.
Loss mixed with anticipation as she turned and loped after the dark wolf heading back to the clearing where they had left their clothes. Normally, they would shift back and make love out in the open air and afterward, she would lie in Jon’s arms, stare up at the stars, and wonder about all those places she had never been.
Tonight, she shifted back and pulled on her clothes.
El Cazador had dropped them off on Jon’s home planet and told them they would be back in a month. The time had been magical, the happiest of her entire life, and if Jon wanted to stay, she would stay with him. They hadn’t talked about the future, just lived in the present, but she knew he’d found peace here, had at last come to terms with his past. He’d even told her of his pack and she understood his fears. But she also knew that peace came from within, and some part of her would always yearn for the stars.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
She fastened her weapons belt, crossed the clearing, and kissed his mouth. The now familiar heat welled up in her body, and she melted into him.
“That I love you and just wondering if we’ve got time for a quickie.”
He laughed and pulled her tight against him as the clearing lit up around them.
“Looks like that’s a no,” he murmured against her hair. He kissed her again, and for a minute, she forgot about the future.
“Dios, I hope you two have been using protection,” a voice drawled from behind her, “because I’m not having my spaceship overrun with goddamn puppies.”
Alex drew away and turned slowly to face the shuttle that had landed. Rico lounged in the open hatchway. Tannis appeared behind him and sauntered over. “The honeymoon’s over,” she said. “We’ve got a job, and we’re on a schedule.”
Alex looked at her closely. Beneath her deadpan exterior, Tannis was buzzing with excitement.
“What’s the job?” Jon asked. “Legit?”
Rico grinned. “Hell no. At least I hope not.”
“Dangerous?”
“Well, we’ve been employed to protect the most powerful man in the whole universe. I’m guessing there’s danger involved.”
“Callum Meridian?” Jon asked. “Protect him from what?”
“We don’t know, and Tannis doesn’t care. She’s got a crush.”
Tannis elbowed him in the gut.
“Hey, it’s true, and she’s in a hurry to get to him. So get on board before she flies away without you.”
Alex waited for Jon to speak. To say it was too dangerous and they were staying. She held her breath.
Finally, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Come on, let’s go home.” And he led her toward the waiting shuttle.
Alex hugged him tightly to her side as joy filled her soul. They were alive, Jon loved her, and they were heading back to El Cazador and the stars.
Maybe God didn’t hate her after all.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thank you to Entangled Publishing for taking me on, and for my fabulous covers, which I love! And especially to my editor Liz for her wonderful enthusiasm, which always cheers my day, and her fantastic edits—always so easy (her words not mine!).
About the Author
Nina Croft grew up in the north of England. After training as an accountant, she spent four years working as a volunteer in Zambia which left her with a love of the sun and a dislike of 9-5 work. She then spent a number of years mixing travel (whenever possible) with work (whenever necessary) but has now settled down to a life of writing and picking almonds on a remote farm in the mountains of southern Spain. Nina’s writing mixes romance with elements of the paranormal and science fiction.
You can find Nina at www.ninacroft.com.
DEADLY PURSUIT
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
About the Author
