“Get your filthy hands off me,” she hissed.
“What’s wrong, girl?” the man with the beard nearly growled at her. “You too good for us country folk?”
Furious, Victoria reached out and grabbed the bald-headed man’s finger, twisting it mercilessly until he came down on his knees before her, his face rapidly contorting into one of pain and discomfort. She pulled his finger back until it came close to snapping. Shocked and in pain, the man held onto his wrist with his free hand, his gaze coming up to meet Victoria’s as she leaned in closer to him.
“You touch me again and you will come to regret it,” she warned.
The man with the black hair and matching black beard looked on in astonishment, unable to believe the beautiful girl had that much strength.
“I…am…sorry,” the bald-headed man squeaked in discomfort.
“Damn, there’s no need for that.” The other stood up, raising his hands in defeat. “We didn’t mean anything by it. We just figured since you were alone…”
“When you see a woman alone somewhere, no matter where that place may be, don’t immediately assume she’s easy picking.” Victoria knew her eyes were changing, taking on the look of a predator, but she was so angry she could hardly fight off the urge to change and keep the beast hidden inside. “She can turn out to be your worst nightmare.” With that, she let go of the bald-headed man’s finger and he jerked into a standing position, cradling his hand against his chest as if fearing it might fall off.
The bald-headed man staggered to the entrance with his bearded companion following closely behind, both men avoiding the eyes of every curious onlooker as they rushed out of the building.
Although it was hardly a battle, Victoria definitely felt some self-satisfaction as she watched the men quickly exit the bar. They had thought to molest her and got a lesson forced on them instead. It would have been a completely laughable moment had it not been for the fact that the humans around seemed to instantly grow wary of her.
Even the waitress’ approach was awkward and hesitant.
“Are you okay, honey?” she asked, her eyes not quite meeting Victoria’s.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” Victoria assured her.
“You need me to call the cops or something?” the woman asked as she looked pretty much anywhere except at Victoria’s face.
Shaking her head numbly, Victoria simply said, “No, I’m fine.”
“All right, let me know if you need anything.” The waitress quickly marched away, directing her short strides to the back of the bar and Victoria took that as a sign that it was time for her to leave.
Raising her chin, she passed by the men and women staring at her retreating form without bothering to look at them. She was almost certain they hadn’t seen much; the lighting in the restaurant wasn’t exactly good, so she wasn’t overly worried. However, she realized it was best not to chance things. Although humans were ignorant when it came to her kind, it was better not to push her luck just in case.
As she exited the bar and grill, she saw the taillights of the truck of her aspiring lovers driving away. They had been really lucky—all three of them had been in a crowded place. Otherwise there was no telling what would have happened. Annoyed by what had just occurred, Victoria stomped down the stairs and headed to the back of the restaurant.
She had chosen to walk over to the restaurant instead of using her car. The less she used her vehicle the less chances she had of being caught. She couldn’t drive down the main road unless it was absolutely necessary and going out for a bite to eat didn’t exactly qualify as an emergency. Since Victor knew how fond of driving she was, the main roads were the first place the Trackers would look for her.
By now, Victor was more than certain she had no plans of going back home. And because of that he would send as many patrols as he could out to scout the area. Knowing how her father operated was a valuable skill. She could pretty much predict his moves. However, she also knew that by staying behind, thinking over the possibility that perhaps mating with Armando was the best thing for her species, she came to understand that if she got caught and was forced back home, she wouldn’t find the happiness she so desperately wanted. Living alone for the past few days had really come in handy when it came to analyzing her situation.
Victoria knew that the elders had good reasons to ask her to mate with Armando. However, when it came to her overbearing father, she wasn’t so sure the only reason he ordered her to mate was to strengthen bloodlines. She couldn’t shake the feeling that perhaps there was some hidden intention behind his reasons but she had no way of proving it. She only had suppositions, nothing more than that.
A forced mating wasn’t much of a mating to her. It might have been done that way in the past, but she couldn’t bring herself to think about what something like that would do to her emotional state. Then again, she didn’t appear to be faring so well away from the protection of the pack. This, of course, brought up many doubts about her decision to flee. Maybe Armando wouldn’t turn out to be a complete creep like her father. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for a lifetime of flying solo.
In fact, the incident inside the bar had managed to convince her she wasn’t ready for many things. She was unprepared for life outside the mansion. She could protect herself well against humans, yes. But what would happen if she lost her temper one day and ended up accidently killing one? What would happen to her then?
Even worse, what would happen to her if she was caught by a pack of maneaters? Victoria shuddered. She didn’t even want to think about her fate at the hands of those savage beasts. She had heard stories of what female werewolves had endured at their hands and they were enough to terrify her.
Completely submerged in her thoughts, Victoria failed to notice the male presence watching her every move until he opted to make himself known to her.
“Are you always so careless when you’re out for a stroll?”
Excitement coursed through her entire body at the sound of that masculine purr. She was so taken aback by that sexy voice she nearly jumped out of her skin. She wasn’t expecting to run into him, and knowing that he was there forced her pulse into a rapid race. The effects his speech had on her were so intense she was sure that she could live for a thousand years and never forget Tristan Garland’s sultry male voice.
Glancing up, Victoria spotted Tristan perched up on a branch just above her head, smiling as he looked down at her. Those pale orbs alone were enough to entice her, to lure her to him like a moth to light. He was a fascinating creature, vampire or not.
“Are you following me?” she asked, hoping to sound at least somewhat angry. By the smug look on his face she realized she hadn’t managed to convince him anymore than she had herself.
“I have to say…” with one quick jerk of his body he jumped down from the branch to the ground, landing three feet away from her without making a sound. “That little number you pulled in there was pretty impressive,” he said, jerking a finger to the side to indicate the bar she’d left behind a few minutes before.
“You saw that?” Victoria wasn’t sure how to feel by his admission because then she would have to analyze the fact that he’d been spying on her. “Funny, I wouldn’t peg a vampire for a stalker,” she retorted. “At least, not unless the one being stalked was a human.”
The sides of his mouth curved up, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he stared at her. “Well, this is my territory and whenever I detect something that doesn’t belong here I tend to make it go away.” His head jerked up arrogantly, as if he meant his words to be a threat.
With a hand on her hip, Victoria glared at the vampire as she added, “Don’t worry about me. I won’t be here long enough for you to make me go away.” Turning on the balls of her feet, she presented him with her back as she started for the lone cabin she’d called home since abandoning her pack. She’d been deeply analyzing her situation for the past few days, and because she felt that perhaps lingering near the Bonvalet mansion wou
ld eventually lead the Trackers right to her, it was as good a time as any to leave the area for good.
Determined to put as much distance between the pale faced vampire and herself, Victoria strutted away. She didn’t want to linger around the impossible handsome immortal for longer than necessary, especially when considering that both times they had stumbled upon each other she had managed to lose her cool around him without even knowing how it happened. She couldn’t think straight when he was nearby and that scared her. She should be able to resist his unusual charms, fight him off because of what he was, but instead, she found herself to be as helpless as a newborn babe when it came to him.
“So, I guess that assuming you’re running out on your pack for an indefinite amount of time is no longer just a thought, huh?”
Victoria nearly had a heart attack when a blast of cold air followed by a white mist zipped by her and stopped right in the middle of her path before materializing into Tristan’s tall, lean frame. She walked on uncharted territory when it came to vampires, and witnessing what he’d just done both fascinated and freaked her out.
“How in the hell did you do that?” she said, her eyes wide as she gaped at him.
“Being a vampire has its perks.” He rewarded her with a half-smile. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
“And I don’t plan to,” she retorted, annoyed by the fact that she’d left her brain exposed for him to scan. “I’ve already warned you against reading my thoughts.” She walked past him. “Don’t do it again.”
“If it’s of any consolation, I didn’t get much, just those last vague but very interesting thoughts,” he assured her.
She could hear the smile in his voice and that annoyed her even more. In just a few days she’d forgotten everything a lifetime of living surrounded by werewolves had taught her. It was frustrating, to say the least, but to actually realize how incompetent that made her was beyond exasperating. How could she expect to thrive on her own when she couldn’t even get a grip on herself whenever Tristan was around?
“Have you ever heard of a thing called privacy?” she snapped, turning to look to her right only to confirm he was, in fact, following her. “It would do you plenty of good to learn it.”
The sound of his soft chuckle both amused and annoyed her. She couldn’t help but think of him as an immature brat. No matter what she said, he always found humor behind it.
“I think you’re avoiding the subject,” he remarked. “Besides, it’s not my fault you’re so distracted—half the time you don’t even realize what’s going on around you.”
Vexed, Victoria spun around so fast she almost tripped, and had it not been for his quick reflexes she would have face planted against the ground. Before she could even think to react, his hands shot out and steadied her. Although a sudden rush of embarrassment coursed through her, brought on by her continuous carelessness, the fact that he was actually touching her forced the butterflies in her stomach to come to life, fluttering with intensity as she glanced up to look at his handsome face.
Looking at him directly didn’t help matters, either. The second her gaze lifted and collided with his, her body was struck with such a powerful sense of awareness that it nearly made her knees buckle due to its intensity. At that moment she couldn’t think, only feel, and what she felt was completely mind boggling. It felt as if all the blood in her female body had drained from her extremities and pooled in her crotch.
“I’m not distracted.” Her defense was lame, even to her, but she couldn’t think of anything better to say. Not while he was holding her impossibly close to his hard body. “I…have a lot on my mind.”
His expression was no longer filled with humor. His solemn countenance somehow confirmed that he was as affected by her as she was by him.
“I can tell,” he replied after a moment. “The question is why. Why are you so worried? What are you worried about?”
Arching both eyebrows, she hastily asked, “What makes you think I’m worried?”
“I can tell something’s bothering you.” His face inched closer as he spoke and Victoria held her breath as she watched his lips hover over hers. “I wonder what happened to force you to abandon the protection a pack is rumored to provide.” His breath felt cool on the side of her face; however, it did little to chill her rapidly warming form. “I’ve tried scanning your mind, but you keep blocking me out,” he confessed. “And not knowing what you’re hiding is killing me.”
Swallowing hard, Victoria held her breath, hoping her racing heart wouldn’t betray how being held so intimately made her feel. “I…don’t have to tell you anything.”
“That’s true.” He drew her closer until her breasts were smashed against his chest, lifted one hand and caressed the side of her face with the tips of his pale fingers. “You don’t have to talk at all if you don’t want. Just feel.”
Feel? More than she was already? Her body was already humming and he hadn’t done anything to her yet. How much more was she expected to feel? How much better could things get?
All thoughts vanished as he leaned closer, and much to Victoria’s surprise, she realized that she craved to be kissed by him. She wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything else in her entire life and as he slowly closed the gap, keeping their mouths from making contact, she squeezed her eyes shut and waited eagerly for him to touch his lips to hers.
To Victoria, it seemed as if she had been waiting an eternity for him to press his lips against her. She had thought about it more than once actually, and yes, she had come to yearn for it more than anything. Curiosity couldn’t quite describe what she felt. Full fledged desire was probably the most appropriate term for the tightening in her lower body. As he closed the small gap between them, Victoria tensed, waiting in anticipation for his thin lips to finally graze hers.
The serenity of the moment was shattered the second a ferocious sounding growl erupted from within the woods, followed by the unmistakable sound of a huge body advancing toward them. Her heart dropped into her stomach as she realized a member of the Bonvalet pack had finally tracked her down.
Chapter Fourteen
It took Victoria but a moment to react, but when she drew away from Tristan’s embrace and spun around, she caught sight of a huge black figure exploding from in between a pair of pine trees and bolting forward, snarling viciously as he landed within a few feet of them. She gasped in startled surprise, but stepped in between Tristan and the approaching menace she instantly recognized as her best friend, Danero.
A fierce looking Danero landed with his mouth wide open as he growled ferociously, his eyes smoldering like a pair of cinders as he focused his gaze on Tristan. There was little doubt in Victoria’s mind that things were about to turn ugly. The look on Danero’s face alone served as testimony.
“No. Stop.” Victoria raised both arms as she kept her body in front of Tristan’s, using it as a shield to protect the vampire lord. “Please. Wait.”
She felt Tristan tense behind her and when Danero felt it too, he took a step closer, inching his way to what he thought was a direct threat to Victoria.
“Back off, were-boy,” Tristan hissed. “I’m not going to hurt her.”
The hair at the back of Danero’s wide neck bristled as he snarled.
“Don’t make things worse,” Victoria insisted, glancing over her shoulder for a moment before turning her attention back to Danero. “I’m okay. I swear. He hasn’t hurt me.”
What are you doing with him? Danero’s voice invaded her mind. Although his wide muzzle made it impossible for him to speak, members of the same pack could telepathically communicate with one another.
“We can’t talk about that right now,” she said, somewhat embarrassed by the fact that she had been caught in a rather compromising situation. How was she going to explain, to Danero of all people, why she happened to be in the middle of the woods alone with a thousand year old vampire?
Do you know what he is? he asked, his green eyes glowing with so m
uch intensity Victoria’s heart skipped a beat. The last thing she wanted was a fight between them. She knew why Danero was being overprotective, but she didn’t need his protection. Though she hadn’t known Tristan for long, she was certain he wouldn’t hurt her.
“Danero, please calm down,” she begged, not wanting the hostility between the two males to grow out of proportion. She didn’t want either of them to get hurt, especially because of her. “We can talk later.”
There’s no time to talk, Victoria. Although I never thought I would find you out in the woods, of all places, I’m glad to have stumbled upon you just the same. I’ve been searching for you for hours, and if I was able to find you, the other Trackers will eventually track you down, too. Although his tone was calm, the look on his face was downright frightening. One wrong move from Tristan and Danero would pounce.
“What do you mean?” she asked, already afraid of his answer.
Armando is due to arrive soon and your father is desperate. If he can’t find you before Armando’s arrival he won’t be able to save face before the other alpha, but with you staying close enough for him to find you, things will go bad for you instead. His words reverberated through her head. I don’t know why you’re still around, but if your intention is to abandon the pack for good, now is as good a time as any to head north.
“How long do I have?” she asked, ignoring the man that stepped in next to her. Although she was aware of Tristan’s presence, he had no idea what was being exchanged between them, which she was grateful for. She could tell by the look of concentration that crossed his features he was trying to read their thoughts but she had anticipated that move. Her problems didn’t concern him, so he took a backseat to everything else. The time for her to confront her teething troubles had finally come.
I don’t know when Armando is due, but my guess is a day or two at the most, he replied.
Fierce Awakenings Page 12
