“Jane, may I introduce you to Travis and Torque McClaren. Two of Derek’s best warriors.”
“Which is which?”
The man on the left took her hand and brought it toward his mouth. She tugged but he didn’t let go. “I’m Torque.”
“What you’re going to be is dead if you don’t let her go right now.”
Slade’s threat came from directly over her shoulder. How had he sneaked up on her? Before she could turn her head, his hard arm came around her waist and drew her back against his equally hard chest.
“She doesn’t bear your mark.”
Slade stepped back into the darkness of the foyer, taking her with him. “She’s under my protection.”
“She’s fair game.”
“She’s mine.”
The last snapped her head back. “Like hell.”
The brothers filled the door. “She disputes your claim.”
Digging her nails into Slade’s forearm, Jane got him to put her down, only to be shoved behind him as Travis said, “The law doesn’t see it your way.”
Slade cocked his head to the side, challenge radiating off every inch of him. “Do I look overly concerned with the law?”
“Well, if you’re going to ignore it . . .”
The weres squared off, teeth bared in a parody of a smile, revealing their sharp canines.
Fear and exasperation warred for dominance inside Jane. Exasperation won, because this was just too ridiculous to be happening. Apparently men were men, whether they were vampire, wolf, or human. She glanced over at Allie. “Is that offer of coffee still open?”
“You bet.”
“Let’s go.”
“Stay where you are, Jane.”
Slade seriously expected her to obey an order barked over his shoulder? “Go to hell.”
“You tell him, Jane.”
Slade snapped, “Stay out of this, Allie.”
“You should know better than to give Allie orders, Slade. It just makes her contrary.”
Caleb walked out of the kitchen, dressed in a black shirt and a pair of jeans, a cup of coffee in his hand.
Jane glanced at the door. He answered her silent question. “I came in the back way.”
Allie took the cup from Caleb’s hand as he came up beside her, dwarfing her. “I thought you were sleeping,” she said.
“I thought you were going to leave this to me.”
“Your way won’t work.”
“You don’t know that.”
Allie glanced at the contents of the cup and her expression softened. She took a sip. “Yes, I do.”
Slade grunted and frowned. “Some mate you are. Coffee’s not good for her.”
Tucking her into his side, Caleb placed a kiss on the top of Allie’s head. “Leave her be, Slade.”
If Jane hadn’t seen the expression on Caleb’s face, she never would have believed it—vampires could love. Deeply, because clear as day, Caleb loved Allie.
“You won’t say that if she gets sick.”
Caleb shrugged as Allie leaned against him. “You’ll take care of it.”
Apparently, Slade was not only sexy, he was a miracle worker.
“Keeping her healthy would be easier if she didn’t get sick in the first place.”
Allie placed her hand on Caleb’s chest, total trust in the gesture. Jane, to her surprise, felt a pang of jealousy. The ease of interaction between the couple was something she’d never seen, but always dreamed of.
“I’ll only have a little.”
“Why don’t you take care of Allie, Slade, and we’ll entertain Jane?” Torque offered in a deep drawl that resonated sex appeal. A sexuality to which Jane, being female, was not immune.
Slade whipped about with a snarl that immediately reminded Jane of why she was standing here in too-big clothes, trying to escape.
“The hell you will.”
She took a step back, but that wasn’t any good, because behind her was Caleb.
Caleb took the cup from Allie and took a sip while she watched, grimacing as he did. “Don’t know how you can drink it with all that cream and sugar.” He indicated Jane’s retreat with a tilt of the cup. “Do you still think she can’t be forced?”
Allie nodded and took her coffee back. “If she was the type who could be forced, Sanctuary would already have the information they wanted.”
Allie’s perception was as scary as Caleb’s condescending attitude was annoying.
“Are you reading my mind again?”
“Nope. Just commenting on the obviousness of your nature.”
Great. Now she was obvious to the people who had kidnapped her. Slade turned. She ducked under his hand and angled past Caleb. “I need coffee.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the edge of the grin Slade flashed the weres. “I’ll join you.”
That was all she needed, the distraction of him while trying to gather her thoughts. “Don’t bother.”
The door clicked shut behind her.
“It’s no trouble. We need to talk anyway.”
8
“FOR somebody who wanted to talk to me, you’re not saying much,” Jane muttered three hours later as Slade led the way across the lawn between the houses.
“That’s because you’ve dodged every attempt.”
“Are you implying that I’ve been avoiding you?” Amazing how self-righteous she could sound.
“Well you certainly haven’t been running in my direction.”
“And why should I? You kidnapped me.”
“I rescued you first.”
“But now you won’t let me go home.”
“You’ve got a point there, but I also have a good reason.”
A reason they were on the way to see. Jane kept telling herself the child wasn’t her problem, but with every step across the hard ground she knew she was only kidding herself. She had a feeling Slade knew it, too. The man seemed to understand her on a level that wasn’t comfortable to a woman used to being anonymous. On the other hand, in any other situation, she might have worked up to finding it comfort able. At least with a friend, as she had begun to think of Vamp Man. Which just sent her back into the hopeless spiral of what she really wanted versus what she should want, compared to what she should do.
She clenched her hands into fists in the pockets of her borrowed coat. How the hell had her carefully crafted simple life gotten so complicated? With every step, the too-big sweatpants pulled at her legs in little tugging pleas to go back. She didn’t want to do this. Didn’t want to face her demons. Especially when they were manifested in the face of an infant.
She stopped.
Slade turned. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t think I’m ready for this.”
“It’s just a baby.”
“You know it’s not just anything, otherwise everyone wouldn’t be insisting I meet him.”
“Fair enough.”
Rocking back on her heels she asked, “How bad is he?”
Slade glanced at her, all pretense gone. She could tell from the expression on his face that the answer he was going to give her was the one she didn’t want to hear. She only had time to dig her nails into her palm before he said, “I won’t lie to you. He’s not good. He has the thin, gaunt look of poor nutrition—”
“But he eats?”
“Goes at the bottle like a wolf at a spring kill.”
Yet he didn’t gain weight. Excitement nipped at her reluctance, demanding she find out more. Which would be a mistake, because the more she talked about anything related to her research, the more personal the subjects became. The deeper the failures struck.
The front door of the main house opened. Light spilled into the yard in a yellow flare of invitation. Allie stood there, wearing her hope in her eyes. Jane turned on her heel.
“I’m going for a walk.”
To his credit, Slade didn’t say what he had to be thinking. He didn’t call her a coward. He merely looked over his shoulder with t
hat expression on his face that said he was employing telepathy. Even the word freaked her out. Almost as much as the concept intrigued her.
“You’re talking to Caleb, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
Looking back, she saw Slade’s brother come up behind Allie and put his arm around her shoulder. Between Slade’s reasoning and Allie’s subsequent pleas, Jane hadn’t stood a chance not promising to help. Part of her resented the manipulation. The other part was resigned to it. “Have him tell Allie that I keep my promises. I’ll be back. It’s just that I . . .”
“Need a minute,” Slade finished for her. She could have kissed him for understanding.
There was another second of silence, and then Allie lifted her hand and waved.
Jane smiled. “She’s a heck of a person, isn’t she?”
“Yeah.” Slade nodded. “Allie has principles. She believes in the Karmic good and keeping the balance.”
“She says she doesn’t believe in might makes right.”
“Nope. She and Caleb had problems with that when they first got together.”
“You’re not going to tell me he brought her around?”
He chuckled and fell into step beside her. “No, I’m not going to tell you that.”
“You’re not going to tell me she brought him around?” She could see a lot of things, but the hard-eyed Caleb as a pacifist? Not hardly.
“I’m not going to tell you that, either.”
Her hands ached. Opening her fingers one by one, she released the tension. “Good, because that would totally blow my first impressions of the man.”
“Yeah. Caleb doesn’t bend easily.”
Whereas Jane’s impression of Allie was that she could bend like a willow.
“They’re very different, aren’t they?”
“In some ways. But in others, the important ones, they’re very much alike. They protect each other, take care of each other.” His gaze met hers. “They’re both good people. And they deserve better than this.”
And he wanted to give it to them. It was becoming evident to her that Slade had a highly developed sense of responsibility.
“But this is what they got.”
“Yeah. And it’s not a mess to make a meal of.”
The old-fashioned phrase made her blink. “How old are you?”
“In this century or the last?”
Turning, she braced her feet and squared her shoulders. “Are you trying to shock me?”
“Just trying to ease into the subject.”
“Thanks.” He didn’t say anything more. She stared at his lips, which were just like the man. Always tempting and never delivering. Yanking her gaze from his mouth, she asked, “How did you all come to be vampires?”
“Way back in 1862 Caleb was out riding fence. Someone bushwhacked him, gut shot him, and left him for dead. A pretty little vampire came along. Asked him if he wanted to live. He thought she was an angel and said yes.”
“It must have been quite a shock later when he realized she hadn’t been an angel.”
“You could say that. Tore up the family for quite a while.”
“Was he the one who changed you?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ask him to?”
He glanced at her. “That’s a sore point I’d advise you not to be bringing up too often, if you know what’s good for you.”
Apparently she had an idea what was good for her because the urge to throw herself into the man’s arms and cry “Take me, fool!” just wouldn’t go away. For God’s sake, she hadn’t even known she had a floozy gene and now it wouldn’t shut up.
She started walking again toward the row of houses that formed the edge of the compound, frustration fueling her strides. Between the structures corrals perched. Horses occupied most of them. From all indications Slade’s home was also a working ranch. Cowboy vampires? The facts kept getting more strange. Slade kept pace easily, and that just annoyed her more. Did he have to match her at everything? “How can I know what’s good for me here, where nothing makes sense?”
“By following my lead.”
“You’re the man who’s keeping me hostage.”
“I’m the man keeping you safe.”
“From Sanctuary.” The mythical evil Sanctuary whose society she hadn’t yet figured out. It could consist of just the members she’d already met.
His fingers flexed and his mouth set in a straight line. “Yes.”
“If you want me to believe you, you might have to be a bit less ... reserved in your answers.”
“Fine. No. We didn’t ask to be converted, but it’s always been the Johnsons against the world, ever since our folks died, so it was only right that Caleb brought us over rather than going on alone.”
She stopped, planted her feet again, and caught his eye. He had the most beautiful eyes, even when they were narrowed with caution. “Just for the record, so there’s no misunderstanding, I don’t agree with that. I think people should have a choice. If they say no, it should be respected.”
“You didn’t have to say that.”
Even from here, she could feel Slade’s energy reaching out to her and that strange sensation in her mind that she was beginning to realize was his mind touching hers. “Yeah. I think I do. And while we’re on the subject, I don’t like you frolicking in my mind like it’s your personal playground.”
“I’ve never done that.”
“Yes, you have. You’re doing it right now.”
“I can’t help it if you project.”
“Try.”
“I am.”
She shoved her hands back into her pockets. “Try harder.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds. You’re very appealing, and for vampires, sharing thoughts with a mate is as natural as breathing.”
There was that word again. Mate. As if uttering it explained everything, when, in reality, all it did was complicate things. She wasn’t a stupid woman. She didn’t buy into the whole “I’m safe” image Slade was trying to project. Beneath that calm logic, there was a definite edge to his personality. A danger that appealed in a way she’d long since thought she’d put behind her. “Work on it.”
“Done.”
They reached the edge of the yard. She stopped and looked back. “Who lives in all these houses?”
“The McClarens.”
“These houses are full of werewolves?”
“Yeah.”
“And you’re the only vampires?”
“We don’t seem to fit in with other vampires.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Vampires are made, not born.”
She opened her mouth. He cut off the question with a lift of his hand.
“The rarity of Joseph’s existence is one of the reasons that Caleb didn’t want you here. He’s proof to Sanctuary that vampires can be born. And if they find out how he was conceived, there won’t be a human woman alive who will be safe.”
From what? “How was he conceived?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Is that because of some kidnapper code?”
He cocked his eyebrow at her. “You know, you could just decide this is an extended vacation rather than a kidnapping.”
If she were delusional. “A working vacation?”
“Yeah.”
“My imagination’s not that good.”
“I told Allie you’d feel that way.”
“Allie’s a smart woman.”
“Yeah. All my brothers’ wives are.”
“All? How many wives are there?”
Slade blinked and then the right corner of his mouth kicked up in a smile as he recognized how she’d taken the question. “Only one each. The Johnsons are a loyal lot.”
“I’m sure their wives are glad to hear it.”
“Wait until you meet Raisa and Miri.”
“Who are they?”
“My brothers’ wives.”
She didn’t want to get that cozy with his
family. She didn’t really want to get that cozy with the whole situation. She heard a whicker in the darkness.
“You raise horses?”
He took her hand and led her to the right. “Yes. Some of our best are in the corral right over here.”
So there was. She could make out the bars of a corral and the shape of a wooden bench. She sat on the bench. It felt completely normal when he sat beside her and took her hand. She removed her hand and rubbed it on her thigh.
“You still haven’t told me how you came to be living with werewolves.”
He shrugged. “It’s more natural.”
“That needs an explanation.”
“I suppose it does.” He ran his hand through his hair, causing some to fall over his forehead. Her fingers tingled to push it back. “We grew up in the eighteen hundreds. Things were different then. Simpler.”
She could appreciate the appeal of simpler. Tugging her jacket tighter around her she said, “I’m listening.”
“We grew up with rules our pa gave us.”
“Which were?”
“You protect what’s weaker. You keep your word. You stand by family.”
Jane thought for a moment about what she knew of vampires. Of the powers she’d seen them wield. “And wolves live by these rules and vampires don’t?”
Slade shrugged. “When a human becomes vampire, it’s like being told there’s nothing between you and anything you want.”
“Absolute power.”
“Yeah, and there’s nothing that corrupts more absolutely.”
“But wolves don’t get corrupted?”
“Wolves are born, not made, and they have a highly structured society.”
That made sense. “So you’re saying all vampires are corrupt beings.”
“No. I imagine there are a few good ones somewhere, but around these parts, they either hooked up with Sanctuary or Sanctuary killed them off.”
“Sanctuary didn’t kill you off.”
“Johnsons are tough to kill. Plus, we kept to ourselves.”
“You didn’t bother anyone?”
Standing, Slade put his foot up on the corral fence. A big roan came over immediately and ducked its head. He scratched it behind the ears. “We did have to kick a bit of Sanctuary butt when Jace and them had a misunderstanding, but after that they pretty much left us alone.” Patting the horse’s neck, he added, “Of course, back then, they weren’t that powerful.”
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