by Arthur, Keri
“Our tests over the past few months show that your body has been reacting favorably to the drug.”
But maybe it was reacting in ways he wasn’t expecting—or testing for. “What about the other ten? The ones that transmuted?”
He raised his eyebrows. “What about them?”
“They were half-breeds, just like me.”
His amusement fled, and his face became stony. “What do you mean?”
My laugh was bitter. “Have you never wondered why I am so fast, so strong? I’m not just a werewolf, I’m a vampire.”
He crossed his arms, eyes and voice flat as he said, “Impossible. Vampires aren’t fertile.”
“Except in the few instances when the change takes place within twenty-four hours of death. My mother was raped by such a vampire.”
“No.”
“Why do you think I was exiled from our pack? They allowed me to be raised out of loyalty to my mother, but once I hit puberty I was ousted.”
“No.”
He said it more forcefully this time, and I snorted. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like the fact you’ve been fucking a half-breed all this time?”
He didn’t answer. I stared at him, saw the sudden loathing in his eyes, and realized the words said in jest were true. Talon was a man who believed in the superiority of the werewolf race, but I’d never realized that opinion also meant he’d have little tolerance for half-breeds.
“Our scans never indicated you were anything other than wolf.” His voice was flat, yet held a note of anger that caressed my skin as hotly as his lust had moments before.
“They wouldn’t, because for all intents and purposes I am wolf. It’s not until you do a complete DNA check that you see the differences.”
For several more seconds, he just stared. Yet the force of his anger rose and rose, until it was a wave that burned through every fiber of my being. His fists clenched, warning enough that a blow was coming. I dropped my shields and reached desperately for his mind—only to hit a psychic shield. For the first time in two years I noticed the thin wire entwined through the white gold chain at his neck. He was shielded against mind intrusion, had been for as long as I’d known him.
A laugh bubbled through me. So much for all my cautious restraint over the years.
His fist hit my stomach, and the laughter gave way to a desperate battle to breathe.
He continued to hit me, again, and again. I shuddered, twisting and fighting to be free, the need to tear him limb from limb as fierce as the need to survive.
“Coward,” I spat between blows. “Step closer and try that.”
I was trembling, aching, bloody. Everything had gone red, only it wasn’t blood. Rage and the wolf had control and the consuming pain meant nothing.
I wanted, needed blood.
If he took one step closer, I could grab him and rip him to pieces. My fingers curled in anticipation. I wanted to taste him. Wanted to tear my teeth through his sweet flesh, and watch his blood pour from his body. Wanted to see it mingle with mine on the fine gold carpet.
He either didn’t hear or didn’t want to hear. As he drew his fist back for another blow, the door to the left of us crashed open and Talon was ripped away from me. I closed my eyes and howled in anger and frustration.
Hands were on me, shaking hard.
“Riley? It’s Quinn. You’re safe. It’s okay.”
His voice was muted, lost in the roar of need. I lashed out, raking his cheek with hooked fingers. The smell of blood filled the air, stirring the lust to greater heights. I twisted, thrusting my fingers into my mouth, sucking the blood and skin from under my fingernails. It was a sweetness that made me salivate, yet there was nowhere near enough of it to satisfy the hunger in me.
“Riley—”
“Don’t take off those chains,” a second voice warned flatly. “She’s in bloodlust, and could kill us both if you set her free.”
“So what in hell do we do?”
“Not we, you.” The second voice was vaguely familiar, though his name failed to traverse the haze of heat and lust filling my mind. “You’ll have to fuck her while she’s chained.”
“For Christ’s sake, look at the mess—”
“You have no other choice. Four of us barely controlled her when we were trying to treat her wounds. The bloodlust triples her strength.”
Quinn didn’t answer. I couldn’t see him, couldn’t sense him. Didn’t know if he was still close or not. I threw my weight against the chains, testing them, trying to break free. White heat burned into my wrists and ankles, and my skin became slick with moisture. Moisture that smelled sweeter than sex. But I couldn’t get to it, couldn’t taste it. The chains weren’t long enough.
He forced a breath out, a sigh that was somehow filled with anger. “Take care of that bastard, then, and make sure he can’t escape.”
Fingers caressed my face. I turned, snapping at them, catching nothing but air.
“I will,” the second voice said softly. “But I’m afraid that’s not all you’ll have to do.”
“What?” There was an edge in the rich tones that suggested anger.
“She needs the taste of blood.”
“I’m a vampire. She shares my blood willingly, and she treads the path to becoming a vampire.”
“I know, but she is part vampire anyway, so maybe she’s immune to the curse.”
“Gift, not curse.”
It was tightly said, the anger more evident this time.
“Either way, it is a chance we have to take. You could survive what I cannot. Look at her teeth.”
There was a pause, then, “Wolf-sharp.”
“And she won’t just bite, she’ll savage. I may be wolf, but I dare not risk such a bite, especially given it’ll taken more than a few minutes to cure her thirst. She’d more than likely suck the life from me. Nor can we call in a medical unit, simply because few doctors have seen a werewolf in bloodlust, let alone know how to treat it.”
Quinn took another deep breath, then released it slowly. It hit like a blow. I lunged toward him, snarling and snapping.
“Keep an eye on everything while I do this.”
“Be careful.”
“I’m not a fool.”
The door slammed, and silence fell. The scent of sandalwood caressed the air, suggesting Quinn was still close. I waited, muscles quivering, ready to lunge should he step within reach.
Material rustled. A zipper slid down. Shoes were kicked off. Anticipation quivered through me, bloodlust and moon lust at war through my system.
His fingers pressed into me, and the moon heat surged, momentarily overwhelming the red tide. His touch slid back and forth through my slickness, and pleasure stormed through every nerve ending. Then he slipped two fingers inside, stroking hard. I shuddered, writhed, until it felt as if every fiber of my being was about to tear apart from the sheer force of the pleasure. Then everything did shatter and I howled the glory of it to the moon I couldn’t see.
But it was nowhere near enough to satisfy the hunger.
He stepped closer. I snapped at him. He raised an arm and pressed it against my mouth. I reared back enough to rip into his flesh, tearing deep. He made no sound, but as his blood filled my mouth, he thrust himself into me, stroking hard and deep. It was a sensation unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Ecstasy itself.
He made love to me hard and long, until the quivering in my body eased and the lust faded under the taste of his blood and sweat. Eventually, there was nothing left but sweet relief and the need to sleep. It was a need I was finally able to give in to.
When sanity finally resurfaced, it was to the awareness of satin rather than wall pressing against my spine. The room was filled with a dusky light that spoke of sunset, and my body was sated, the aches distant. But all I could taste was blood. All I could remember was the rich flavor of his flesh as my teeth tore and slashed . . .
My stomach roiled and I clambered off the bed, running for the bathroom. I barely mad
e it.
When there was nothing left to bring up, I flushed the toilet and leaned back, closing my eyes. Beneath the taste of bile, blood still lingered. I had to get up and find something sweet to rinse my mouth out with; otherwise, I’d be sick again. But right then, I didn’t have the strength to move.
Footsteps approached. The softness of the tread and the scent in the air said it was Quinn. I didn’t open my eyes. Didn’t want to see the damage I’d done.
“How did you find me?”
“I saw Talon snatch you, but the creatures stopped me from coming to your aid.” He stopped in front of me, a warmth I could feel rather than see. “When I could, I called Liander, and he did a search for all of Talon’s known addresses.”
So Liander was the other voice I’d heard. “This place was only recently purchased by a subsidiary company, so how did you find it?”
“The subsidiary is one of the ones Jack had uncovered. Given this was a recent purchase, we took a chance.”
And Talon had thought he was being so clever. But any amusement I might have felt was smothered under the apprehension of what had happened there. What I’d done.
What he’d done.
“I don’t want to become a vampire on my death.” It came out little more than a cracked whisper, and I swallowed to ease the dryness. But that only succeeded in pushing the bitter taste down my throat again, and my stomach stirred in warning. “I hate the taste of blood.” Not that I’d ever tasted human blood before the moon madness, but I’d hunted enough rabbit over the years, and every time I’d sunk teeth into flesh, the rush of warm blood into my mouth had made me want to vomit. Rhoan reckoned I was a vegetarian who just wasn’t willing to admit it yet.
“Many vampires hate the taste in the beginning.” He pressed a cup into my hand. “But you and I would have to share blood thrice, and perform a ceremony on the third occasion, before you’d turn into a vampire on your death.”
I looked up, surprised. “I never knew that.”
He raised an eyebrow. “If it were not so, don’t you think the world would be overrun with vampires by now?”
“I never really thought about it.”
He moved my hand, pressing the cup to my lips. “Rinse your mouth out. You’ll feel a little better, believe me.”
It wasn’t water in the cup, but something that was both sweet and spicy. Whatever it was, it worked, and I did feel better once the bitter, metallic taste had fled my mouth. He took the cup, rinsing it quickly under the tap.
His arm was bandaged from wrist to elbow, and the fact that it wasn’t in a sling at least meant I hadn’t bitten through bone. But he used his left hand rather than his right to wash the cup and turn off the tap.
“How much damage did I do?”
He shrugged. “It’s nothing my body can’t heal.”
“That doesn’t answer the question.”
“No.” He held out his left hand, and I placed my fingers in his. He pulled me up and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, his lips lingering, breath warm against my skin. Then he stepped back. “I shall have scars from wrist to elbow.”
If he was going to end up with scars, I’d done everything but break bone. I briefly closed my eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“You were only obeying the needs of your body. The fault lies with another.”
Though it was evenly said, something in his expression made me realize our time together was coming to an end. He might still want me, but he was ready to move on.
I took a deep breath, but it did little to ease the sudden rush of anger. The wolf might be sated, but, by Christ, I still wanted to smash Talon’s face in. Not only for what he’d done to me, but for his utter destruction of whatever chance there’d been for me and Quinn to continue on a little longer.
“Is he dead?”
Cold fury flashed in his eyes. “No.”
“Good, because I owe him a punch or three.”
“When we find him again, I’ll make sure you get your chance.”
Disbelief ran through me, and my gaze searched his. “You let him escape?”
“Not intentionally. Some of his men arrived while I was tending to you. By the time I realized what was happening and went to Liander’s aid, Talon had fled.”
“Fuck.”
“That has already led to more than a few problems.”
Again anger surged. “Don’t be blaming me. The bloodlust was not something I could have controlled.”
“Wasn’t it? If you’d taken my offer of relief in the parking lot rather than playing games, none of this would have happened.”
“Maybe the bloodlust wouldn’t have happened so quickly, but he still would have snatched and chained me. From there, it was only a matter of time.”
“We would have found you before that time was up.”
Maybe. And maybe not. Talon would have smelled the thickness of my need and known how close to the edge I was. Maybe the only reason he’d come to this house was because he knew he didn’t have much time to restrain me.
Which pointed me to another point. “Why didn’t you make sure he couldn’t escape? Touch his mind and force him to do what you want?”
“He had a shield on.”
“So? You could have removed it.”
“Could have, only I had more pressing problems.”
Meaning me. “I was chained. You could have done whatever you wanted.”
“Not when I could feel your agony.”
My anger partially evaporated at his soft words. He cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing my lips. My gaze rose to the heat of his, and my pulse accelerated. The moon might be lost to the brightness of the day, but simply being close to Quinn had me wanting him.
It was just a damn shame he lived in Sydney. That after this case was solved and forgotten, he’d walk away without a second’s thought, because I was a wolf and we were okay to fuck but not get involved with.
Not that I actually wanted involvement—but I definitely wanted to explore the breadth of the attraction between us.
“Do you think Talon was behind those things that attacked us?” I asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I doubt he’d set his creatures on us, then kill them to save you. And because there was someone else there, someone who came to watch.”
There was an edge in his voice, and I raised an eyebrow. “You caught them?”
“No. But I saw the van and I was able to catch a glimpse of the number plate as they drove off. Jack’s running it, and the company name, through the computer.” He hesitated, and his half smile made my pulse do several flips. “It appears we were off track when we were doing our search for Genoveve.”
No real surprise there, as we were only going on what we’d found—and we’d found very little. “The truck was from them?”
“Yes. Only it’s not a military or research concern, but rather a confectionary company.”
I blinked. Confectionary? “How does that connect with cloning or crossbreeds?”
“God only knows. Maybe they nicked the van and were using it simply because it wouldn’t normally come under suspicion.”
“Too much of a coincidence that my kidnappers were also taking me to a place named Genoveve.” I frowned, absently chewing my lip. “You know, I have a bad feeling I’ve seen that name before.”
“Most likely on the supermarket shelf.”
“No, somewhere else.”
He frowned. “Like where?”
I opened my mouth to say I’d tell him if I knew when the memory finally hit me.
It had been almost a year ago that I’d seen the name, and, given the circumstances, it was a wonder I’d remembered it at all.
I’d been on a date with a new mate, and we’d gone back to his office for reasons that now escaped me. Genoveve had been one of the files we’d swept off the desk in our haste to clear enough space to make love.
I closed my eyes, part of me unwilling to believe that I might have
been betrayed yet again.
Because my date that night had been the director and owner of Rollins Enterprises.
Misha.
Chapter 13
Quinn’s grip on my arms tightened. “What?”
“It might be nothing.” At least, I hoped it was nothing. Surely fate would not be so unkind as to betray me twice.
“Tell me.”
I took a deep breath and released it slowly. “I’d always thought the name was familiar, and I’ve just remembered why. The second of my two mates had a file on his desk that bore the name Genoveve Confectionary.”
“Did you get the chance to look at it?”
“Why would I bother? It was over a year ago that I saw it, and we were in a mating rush at the time. You’re lucky I even remembered it.”
He released my arms and stepped back. “What is his name?”
“Misha Rollins.”
“The same Misha who was on the phone to you when we pulled up at the cemetery?”
I stared at him for a second, taking in the implications of his words, a cold sensation forming in the pit of my stomach.
“There are more than a dozen Camp Roads in Melbourne, and even if he was behind the attack, there is no way they could have pinpointed us so quickly.”
Yet I remembered Talon’s words. Remembered the tracking device in my arm. And he’d said we. Did that mean he and Misha were partners in this madness? But if that were so, why would they set their creatures on us, then shoot them?
It didn’t make any sense. None of this was making any sense.
“He had your phone number, and you left your phone on.”
“But they didn’t need satellite tracking—I’ve apparently got a tracker in my arm.”
“Then we had better get it out.”
“Misha’s not behind the attack.” I had to believe that. Had to. Otherwise, I might never trust my instincts again.
Quinn’s expression was cold. “Why don’t we go question him, then?”
“Why don’t we wait for Jack and see what he has to say?”
Though his expression didn’t alter, his anger whipped around me. “Fine.”
He spun on his heel and walked out. I watched him go, though right then all I wanted to do was grab him and make love to him. It wasn’t the moon heat. Rather a desire to hold on tight to something that was good. Something that was slipping through my fingers.
