Not what he was there for.
He stepped back again, feeling they were doing a kind of dance and couldn’t really speak freely here in the library.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the sun glaring down outside the library. “I want you to meet me for lunch.”
She shook her head without even thinking about it. “Absolutely not. You’re not safe to be around, and besides, I’m not dating right now.”
“You think I want to date you, human?” he said, aghast. “That’s what you think I want?”
She went pale and then flushed, and he saw something he didn’t like cross her face. Hurt? It made him inexplicably angry.
He shouldn’t care about this human. He hated all of them. They could all die for all he cared. He’d watched them for more than a century, and in that time, he’d seen what they were.
He didn’t have time to start caring now. He needed to find out more about what he was, find the woman who’d created them, and punish her for what she’d done.
And he couldn’t do all of that while having to hide at night.
“I have money,” he said. “More than you could even imagine if you help me with what I want.”
“And what’s that?” She gave a little shudder. “I don’t really think I should go anywhere with you. Lilian and Nathan said… you eat humans.”
“So does your precious Nathan,” Dare said.
“But only bad ones.”
“What do you think I do?” Dare asked, cracking his neck. “Nathan and I just have different definitions of bad.”
“And what’s yours?”
“Humans.” Dare threw his head back in a laugh. “Anyway, I need your help, and I’m not going away until I get it.” He stretched to his full height and glared down at her. “And I think you know full well what could happen if you say no.”
“So you’re saying I don’t have a choice, then.”
“Well, you could ask dear Nathan to protect you, but I’m telling you now that my monster can take his, especially now that he’s stupidly besotted with his mate.”
“Mate?”
“He seems to have it in his mind that he’s a normal being who can bond with a human, when I know we are anything but. Hopefully, their union doesn’t end in a snack.” He let out another cruel laugh, then sobered. “I can at least assure that while you work with me, I won’t eat you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I still don’t see why I should help you. If you want help, go to Nathan.”
“I need a human.”
“Ask Lillian.”
“She doesn’t like me.”
“Gee, I wonder why. You threatened to eat her.”
“But I didn’t.”
“Because you had to go elsewhere.”
“I stopped a gang rape,” he said matter-of-factly.
That gave her pause. “Oh.”
Maybe he should continue in that vein. “I hate that crime above all others. So pointless, so painful. I take particular joy in feeding on them.”
“See? I think I mentioned this on the roof, but you aren’t as bad as you think you are. In fact, I think maybe you’re just a bit lonely—”
He let out a snarl. “Stop right there. I don’t need your pity, human. I’m not lonely, not when the other option is being around humans or worthless brothers like Nathan who choose them over his family.”
“He would want to see you—”
“I disowned him,” Dare said, folding his arms and facing away abruptly. Unexpected emotion waved through him as he thought about the last confrontation with his brother.
How rude everyone had been to him when Dare had simply been trying to protect their world.
Nathan, Dare’s brother and one of only two other beings in this world who could understand him, had chosen the human’s side over his own.
Dare would never forgive him for that.
He pulled a card out of his pocket. “This has my number. You can name the meeting place when you call.”
“And if I don’t?” Her voice was slightly shaky.
“Then I guess you won’t know when you’ll be seeing me again.”
He smiled at the way she visibly slumped as he walked away from her and out of the library, pushing his way through the glass doors and out into the light.
He put a hand up, feeling like the sun could nearly blind him, and glared out at the street.
He hated daylight. He hated the sun. And if this little human would just agree to help him, he might finally be able to enjoy the night like everyone else.
And hunt a completely new type of prey.
Sasha fumbled to unlock her phone as she hurried for the back entrance of the library.
She would tell Jan she needed the rest of the day off, and it shouldn’t be a problem, but right now she had to call someone else.
Lillian.
Her best friend and sometimes roommate who had hooked up with Nathan Lancaster and mostly moved out but who still invited Sasha over or came to see her sometimes.
Lillian picked up on the first ring. “Sash, you okay?”
Sasha sucked in a few breaths, trying to sound calmer than she was. “Lil, he showed up at my work.”
“Who did? Nathan?”
“No, not Nathan. Look, I’m not freaked out by Nathan. I don’t really get what’s going on with him, but I’m fine with it. Darian showed up at my work.”
“What?”
“Dare. Nathan’s brother. The thing that kidnapped us.”
“Oh my God, did Jan see?”
Sasha rubbed her head. “He didn’t come in monster form.”
“Right,” Lilian said, breathing out unevenly. “Of course not. It’s just… I haven’t seen him any other way. But of course. He’s… a human during daylight. Just like Nathan.”
“Right,” Sasha said.
“What does he look like?” Lillian asked curiously. “Wait, no, doesn’t matter. What did he want?”
“He wanted to talk to me,” Sasha said. “When he first came in, I didn’t recognize him, though I thought his voice was a little familiar. And I… When I did recognize him, I didn’t react very well.”
“From what Nathan tells me, Dare shouldn’t hurt you. He shouldn’t have any reason to. They feed on the dark.”
Sasha sighed. “That doesn’t mean I want to hang out with a monster.”
“You might be surprised,” Lillian said softly. “I really like my monster. Besides, when did you become such a cynic?”
“Since I was nearly raped in a car and your boyfriend had to save me. I’m done with it, Lillian. You know that. I have terrible taste, and men only hurt me. I’d rather just be alone. I’m fine like that.” She slapped a palm over her forehead. “God, I was even attracted to Dare.”
“Well, if he’s anything like Nathan, his human form is pretty damn good.”
Sasha had to fight a sigh just remembering it. “Oh, Lil, it’s so damn good.” She frowned. “Which just makes it that much easier to say no to him. He’s a danger to me for more reasons than one.”
“Did he say what he wants?”
“No.”
“Hm. I don’t know about this, Sasha. Nathan seems to trust him, despite everything, but I think he’s not right in his mind. He kidnapped us.”
“Yeah.” Because he’d thought they would expose Nathan.
But she couldn’t think about that. He’d talked about eating them as casually as she’d talk about scarfing down a cake.
He still liked to call her a snack…
“He said if I don’t call him, he’ll be back,” Sasha said.
“Shit,” Lillian said. “Look, maybe you should come stay with us again for a while.”
“Maybe I should.” Sasha hated to admit it, but the thought of going back to her apartment, knowing Dare was somewhere out there, obsessing about her, wasn’t good.
Or maybe not obsessing, but then what else should she call his decision to need her for something and never
give up?
Or had that been an empty threat? For some reason, she didn’t think so.
“I guess I can come over after work. When do you get off?”
“I actually took the day off to work from home today. Benefits of being a writer. You want to come now?”
Sasha put a finger over her wrist, feeling her pulse still beating rapidly, but not as badly as before. “Yeah, I think so. That sounds like a good idea.”
“Nathan is home. Should I get rid of him?”
Sasha laughed. “No. How would you get rid of him anyway?”
“Just tell him I need some time with you. He can always go in to work.”
“You mean he can resist skulking around protectively?”
“I suppose that’s what the security system is for,” Lillian said, and Sasha could hear her smile.
She was happy for her friend, happy she’d found love, happy she was brave enough to give Nathan, who seemed to be a genuinely good person, a chance despite the things about him that were weird.
But Dare was different. For one thing, he didn’t want Sasha the way Nathan wanted Lillian. For another… he saw humans as food.
She walked to her car and got in, holding her phone against her cheek with her shoulder as she did up her seatbelt. “Okay, leaving now, Lil. I’ll see you in a few.”
“All right, and, Sasha?”
“Yes?”
“Be safe,” Lillian said. “The Lancasters aren’t the only dangerous thing in this world, so don’t drive unless you feel like you can focus.”
Sasha swallowed tightly at that, gripping the steering wheel as a painful memory of a phone call went through her.
She knew better than most that there were more things to fear than monsters that went bump in the night.
“I’ll be careful,” she said quietly to her friend. “No need to worry.”
Then she hung up and pulled out onto the main road.
Chapter 3
Lillian paced in the main entryway as she waited for Sasha to show up at the mansion.
Nathan poked his head out of the kitchen and asked if there was anything she wanted to eat, and she shook her head nervously, which was a mistake because it instantly gave away that something was wrong.
The tall, handsome, dark-haired, blue-eyed man she’d come to love strode over to her, looking concerned.
“Is something wrong? I thought I heard you on the phone with Sasha, but I was trying to give you privacy.”
She let him pull her into his arms, enjoying the feel of his strength around her. She was still getting used to him, getting used to this.
Life had become so good and so confusing all at the same time.
She turned in Nathan’s arms to look up at him. “Sasha… She got a visit from your brother.”
“Dare or Theo?” His brows lowered. “Is she okay?”
Lilian gave him a playful shove on the chest. “I thought you said they weren’t dangerous.”
“They aren’t. They shouldn’t be. She’s just a human, not…”
“And I’m not just a human?”
He pulled her in against him again, trapping her chest against his front. “I never said that. I simply mean my kind is only worried about hurting bad humans. Humans exhibiting darkness.”
“Then why is he after her?”
“I don’t know,” Nathan said, looking down into her eyes tenderly. “But maybe she should stay here again for a while.”
“Are you sure? Because I already asked her,” Lillian said.
“Of course,” Nathan said. “You know I care about her as well. She means a lot to you.”
She really appreciated the way he had accepted Sasha into their world. Sasha had been a very long-time friend, and she’d gotten to know Nathan at the same time Lillian had.
“What do you think he wants?” Lillian pulled out of his hold and put her hand in his so they could walk into the study together, where she could watch the window for Sasha’s arrival.
“I’m not sure,” Nathan said, pulling out a chair for her by the window when they got inside the study. He then took a chair next to her. “But it can’t be anything good. We’ll have to keep an eye on her.”
“You don’t think he’s… interested?”
Nathan scoffed. “Dare? I don’t think so. He doesn’t see humans that way.”
“Then why do you?” she asked quietly.
“You were different,” he replied. “I didn’t think of humans that way until you.”
“You can’t expect me to believe you were a virgin.”
“Maybe not to the act of sex, but definitely to the act of love.”
She pushed away jealousy at his sweet words and leaned her cheek in her hand as she stared out the window. “Wait, I think I see her. Is that her car?”
Nathan squinted into the distance. “Yes, I believe so. Perhaps we should meet her outside? After an encounter with Dare, I’m sure she feels shaken.”
“Yes,” Lillian said, hurrying out of the study and into the main hall.
“Lillian,” Nathan called out hesitantly, and she looked back to see him rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t think she… told anyone, do you?”
“Of course not,” she said firmly. “Sasha promised us, and I trust her.”
“Okay,” Nathan said, nodding. “It’s just that I can’t think of any other reason for Dare to show up.” His eyes shuttered, hiding a darkness that she saw sometimes, only when he was talking about his past. “He has always… stayed distant.”
Deep down, Lillian knew there was a part of Nathan that longed for his brother. That hated that Dare had cut him off during their last conflict.
But Lillian liked to think everything could be worked through, in time.
“Well, thanks to Sasha, maybe he won’t be so distant after all.” She walked back to Nathan, grabbed his hand, and dragged the big man to the doorway. “Everything’s going to be fine if we just face it together, right?”
He looked down at her, shocked, and then his mouth curved into a warm smile. “You’re an angel. You know that, right?”
“And you’re a monster.” She squeezed his arm. “That’s why it works for us. Now let’s go see my friend.”
He was still smiling as he opened the door and held it for her, and as Lillian raised a hand to protect her eyes from the sun, she saw Sasha’s car pull up with a little screech.
Lillian jogged forward to meet her friend as Sasha stumbled out of the car and into her arms, breathing heavily.
“It’s okay,” Lillian said, pulling back to look down at her much shorter friend. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“No,” Sasha said with some difficultly. “But just… It made me remember that night, and… I don’t know.” She took a deep breath and steadied herself slightly. “But yes, I’m fine. I guess when I saw your house, I finally allowed myself to panic, knowing I’d be with friends.”
Lillian looked over her shoulder at Nathan, who stood waiting patiently, dark hair ruffled by the wind. “You are, Sash. You’re safe. Now let’s go inside and figure this whole thing out. You look like you could use some scotch.”
Sasha gave Lillian a weird look, and then they both burst out laughing as they headed into the house.
“I think you should meet with him,” Nathan said, picking a pickle off of his sandwich and gingerly tasting it before grimacing and setting it aside.
He’d been clearly trying harder to eat human food with Lillian, probably as a way for everything to seem more normal.
When really, Sasha knew nothing would ever be normal again.
“Really?” Sasha asked, taking a bite of her sandwich. “Why would that be safe?”
“Go in a public place,” Nathan said. “Keep in touch with us. Lillian and I can be in a car nearby, just in case.”
“I have to admit I’m curious what he could want,” Lillian said with a sigh, taking a sip of her coffee. “I mean… I thought he hated humans. Why would he want help from one?”
“And while he needs you, he’s not likely to do anything to you,” Nathan added, looking only slightly ashamed to be asking her to do this. He ran a hand through his dark hair, ruffling it. “Look, I know my brother is difficult. I saw what he did that night on the roof… but we… My brothers and I have been through a lot. I can’t just give up on him. I don’t think he’s actually that… bad.”
“But what if he is?” Sasha asked. “What if he does have bad intentions?”
“Then Nathan will shut him down for us,” Lillian said firmly. “Right?”
Nathan nodded, but Sasha wasn’t convinced.
“Dare said you wouldn’t be able to take him,” Sasha said quietly. “Is that true?”
“I would enlist Theo if I had to,” Nathan said. “I can’t let Dare just hurt innocent humans. To my knowledge, he never has before. There’s no point to it.” He put his head in his hands. “Maybe I should just give up on him, but at the same time, I was so miserable.” He took Lillian’s hand in his. “If there’s a chance he’s reaching out, if he could be happy, too, it’s hard not to want that for him.”
“But how am I supposed to help with that?” Sasha asked, frustrated.
“I guess you’ll have to meet him if you want to figure it out,” Lillian said. “But look, if you don’t feel safe, if you don’t want to see him, you can stay here with us, and we’ll totally support you.”
“I won’t even let him near the house,” Nathan said. “Not that he would want to come after disowning me.”
“He did seem upset about it still,” Sasha said. “He mentioned you disowning him.”
Nathan squirmed slightly at that. It was still odd for Sasha to see the polite, powerful billionaire at very human, vulnerable moments.
But she’d also seen the other side of him the night he’d come to save her and Lillian, so she knew, in truth, he was anything but vulnerable.
“Have you discovered any more about how your power works? Why it doesn’t force you to shift around Lillian?”
Nathan squeezed her hand. “We’re still figuring it out.”
“I see. So you really think I should meet with him?”
“I do,” Nathan said. “I think it’s worth seeing what he has to say. And as I said, we’ll help you figure it out. And we won’t be far in case you get uncomfortable or it seems like something is going to go bad.”
Nightfall (Nightmare Dragons Book 2) Page 2
