“Step back with me, Melena.” His warm breath collided against her neck and the feel of his massive arms brought her instant feelings of security and lust. Her pussy seemed to swell with awareness and she damned her inexperience and virginity for having this reaction to the first sexy, muscular guy who touched her. The fact that he wasn’t even human made her attempt to pry his hands from their position even more futile. But the circumstances before her took precedence of her actions. One of the men shifted and Divanni’s guards began to retaliate. Chordeo released her and placed her behind him as objects flew through the room. As she attempted to escape like the other guests, someone else grabbed her.
“She was with Divanni. Bring her to the back room now,” some guy ordered, and then she remembered seeing him with Filletto’s man. Why would they be interested in her? Could they know who she was? She saw Divanni being pulled away and Chordeo and Chance were fighting some other guys. It was total chaos and she didn’t know what was happening. As this guy pulled her along with him, she waited for the opportunity to ditch him and get the heck out of there.
“Don’t put up a struggle. You’re going to need your energy with the count,” the man told her. She didn’t know what exactly that meant, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be a good situation. She attempted to yank her arm from his grasp as he practically dragged her from the main area. There was so much other commotion going on, it appeared that the fact she was being abducted wasn’t even noticed.
As they approached the hallway she twisted from his grasp then made her move. He took a few swings at her or maybe it was the goon’s lame attempt at trying to nab her with his big mitts, but then she ducked and shoved him, causing him to lose his balance on the top step, fall over the railing and down the stairs to the people below.
Melena locked gazes with Chance who had seen what happened, but then she turned the other way.
Melena ran as the sounds of growls and roars filled the small venue. Where the hell was Xavier? Where could she hide or escape to until this was over? As she ran down the final hallway to another exit, she noticed the men in black. They were big and they were wolves. She abruptly turned around and smacked into a wall of steel. Big arms grabbed her shoulders and gave her a shake. She looked up into gorgeous ocean-blue eyes that glowed with specks of black.
She gasped as the surge of lust hit her gut hard.
Holy hotness. Whoever said sexy characters in books couldn’t be real was fucking dead wrong.
“Get behind me and I will protect you.”
The chills ran down her spine. His dark blue eyes. His deep voice, like steel hitting titanium, echoed over her flesh. He looked sort of familiar, and then it hit her. This guy looked nearly identical to Chance and Chordeo, but somehow was taller and meaner looking. He looked kind of wild with his long wavy hair hanging loose over his shoulders.
“Hand over the woman, Gideon. The count wants her with him now,” one of the guys ordered.
“I don’t think so, Cypress. She is with me and my brothers.”
Melena felt her heart racing. Gideon?
What the hell was going on? How did this situation turn to such chaos? She didn’t belong to any of these men. Was this what wolves did? They eyed a woman and staked a claim and that was it? No fucking way.
“I’m not anyone’s possession. Let me out of here.”
Before she could move away, the one called Gideon reached back and secured her body against the wall and behind his massive body with one hand. His palm was plastered across her ass and thigh, and damn did her temperature rise. She tried pushing against his huge back and felt the rumble of his growl beneath the palms of her hands.
That wild mane of hair of his smelled like soap and wilderness. She caught herself pausing and he took that as a sign of acquiescence.
“Remain where you are. These guys are bad news and you’ll never make it to the count,” he whispered low.
“I’m not with the fucking count, wolf,” she stated back, and he growled louder, causing her to tighten up and press her shoulder against the wall.
“You’re surrounded, Gideon. Just release the woman.”
“Not a chance, Cypress. Why don’t you come and get her.”
“Are you crazy? There are five of them and one of you,” she said against his back. He was so tall her face hadn’t even come close to his shoulder and she was wearing six-inch heels.
She felt the rumble of his words and for some crazy reason they touched something deep within her.
“You have no fucking idea, sweetheart,” Gideon whispered then turned toward her and held her gaze. She stared right back into his eyes and saw his nostrils flare and something carnal and animal-like come over him. He was breathing heavy and appeared in shock until Cypress and two others attacked.
Melena ducked and moved out of the way as Cypress literally charged Gideon and tried to tackle him to the rug. Gideon didn’t even falter as he tossed Cypress off of him only to have two other wolves attack. She was completely frightened by Gideon’s reaction to her. He looked like he wanted to eat her.
“Come with me.” This other guy, not as big as Cypress, and his friends grabbed her arm.
“Let go of me. I’m not going anywhere with you!” she yelled as she tried to get him to release her arm.
“The count wants you to return to his estate with him. He has chosen you.” The guy told her and she saw his eyes begin to glow.
“I don’t think so. I’m not available.” She twisted her arm from his grasp and began to run. He was on her fast as he shoved her against the wall. His face was inches from her neck.
He sniffed against her shoulder and neck as she panted for breath and the strength to fight this creep off.
“You smell so good. No wonder the count and the vamp are interested.”
She was shocked. The count and the vamp? This guy licked her skin, his tongue long and wet against her flesh. Her face was turned sideways and she saw the fighting going on in the hallway. There was blood but none of the men completely shifted. She was scared and she knew she couldn’t let this guy bring her to the count or to the vampire.
“I’m not going with them, but I’ll go anywhere with you,” she whispered as she eased her hand between them, brushing her hand across his huge cock that was pressed against his tuxedo pants. She tried not to shake. It was her first time touching a man, never mind touching his most intimate part. It seemed a lot easier to do in the books she read and while lost in a character’s role. She reminded herself that she was in danger and that she was playing a role, too. If feeling this guy up was key to pulling the slip on him, then goddamn it, she was going to do it perfectly.
The man eased back and held her gaze. Oh yeah, the power of a seductive woman proved useful against a wolf. She let her thumb graze along the base and his hand came up and held her throat.
She gasped.
“The count wants to make you his latest fuck. I could get lost along the way to his estate, and we could get you ready for him.”
The sick bastard. Wolves showed no loyalty to anyone but themselves. This guy was supposed to be working for the count or the vamp, whatever, and he let his own desires get in the way of his job. This was the problem with wolves and with most people. No loyalty. She moved her hand lower and her fingers brushed against the silver switchblade.
She closed her eyes and willed herself to be strong and defend herself. She needed to get the hell out of here.
“Sounds intriguing.” She rolled her tongue along her lips. The growls and roars continued down the hallway. She turned and saw not only the one called Gideon, but also Chordeo and Chance.
The wolf’s hand grabbed her throat tighter.
“I will kill you in one snap if you’re playing games with me.”
She gripped the knife as he pressed harder against her body and bared his teeth. He leaned closer, his teeth were against her neck, and she felt the pinch and feared that he was going to bite her.
“I take dea
th very seriously, so should you.”
She stuck the knife into his gut and the wolf roared as he fell backward. His wound burned and smelled horrible as a small bit of smoke rose from where she stabbed him. The stench was rancid and it caused the other wolves to remain at bay. She ran down the hallway without the knife in hand and through the exit door.
As she looked both ways, wondering which way to go, she spotted the limo with the unique license plate. As she headed that way, she felt the tug on her hand, and turning toward another mean-looking wolf, she swung her fist and hit him square in the jaw. As she tumbled into the velvet-roped fence used outside to keep the crowds in line, the other wolf attacked. She grabbed one of the brass stands. It fell apart and now was a fourteen-inch-long piece of tubular brass. She swung at him, hitting his head. He fell to the ground, and she ran toward the limo, jumped in, and released an uneasy breath as she tried to calm her breathing. She didn’t know why she jumped into the limo. Just that she saw it and something told her to get in.
“Quite the party, wasn’t it, Melena?”
She squealed as she opened her eyes and saw Julius.
She tried to move but the car was in motion and the doors locked.
“I don’t think so. You and I have some business to discuss. Oh, and give me the makeshift weapon, before somebody gets hurt.”
By no recollection of her own, Melena handed over the brass bar without further hesitation, then eased back into her seat and crossed her legs. The vampire looked over her body and licked his lips.
“It seems I have a bit of a moral dilemma on my hands. And vampires don’t do moral dilemmas.”
Chapter 5
“Who is she?” Gideon demanded to know.
His uncle, Xavier Dolberg, stared at him and his brothers.
“She is an associate of mine. Melena has been working for me for the last few years. I don’t know why anyone would want to hurt her, unless it is to get to me. That’s my only thought right now. She must be scared out of her mind.”
Gideon stared at his uncle then looked at his brothers. Chordeo and Chance were just as riled up as he was. They inhaled her scent. They knew that she was their mate. By the gods, they had no idea how this could happen nor that it was even possible to have another mate after losing their first one to death.
“What does Julius want with her?” Chordeo asked as he clenched his teeth.
“I do not know. You all know him as well as I do. When he sets his sights on something, he goes after it. Melena is quite the beauty.” Xavier looked at Gideon and raised his eyebrows at him. They stared at one another and Gideon spoke his mind.
“It seems that she is quite important to us as well.”
“How so, Gideon?” Xavier asked, pushing for answers. “You just met her tonight.”
“She is our mate,” Gideon responded and Xavier uncrossed his arms and stood straighter.
“Your mate? All of you?”
“Yes,” the Dolberg Pack, Gideon, Mano, Chordeo, Chance, and Edric, responded in sync.
Xavier ran his fingers through his hair then walked over toward his desk. Their uncle knew that they had lost their mate years ago. He didn’t know the circumstances or who she was. They really didn’t know much about her either. Just that her father was a royal in the government and often supplied information on illegal activities against the circle. It was why he had been killed.
“She is not just an associate of mine. She is my liaison. Melena is of great importance to me as well. It seems that the fates have totally shocked me with this one. You see, Melena is the mastermind behind the development of the Security Ring.”
“What? I thought that was all your doing,” Edric said.
“I had some good insight from Melena and she was filled with wonderful ideas. She runs the program. She runs the background checks on individuals our committee feels are suitable to become part of the Security Ring. It is only the beginning stages, but we have secured the standings of four members thus far. She has such enthusiasm and drive to protect those involved with the government and those who protect the sanctity of the circle. She wants to create a better force of communication between the Security Ring and the circle to ensure the safety of those who are innocently injured or killed during a covert operation. I swear, it amazes me that she has such drive considering that she is human, with only hints of were blood.”
“What do you mean hints of were blood?” Gideon asked.
“She is not full were, nor half were. However, somewhere along her bloodline there was were blood. All I know is that I will never forget the day I met her and interviewed her for the position. She hadn’t even been looking for the job, but we met by chance and we began to discuss things at the company. She fit the position perfectly and she had no family. There was no one for her to take care of or go home to, so she submerged herself in the job and in the position as my liaison.”
“That’s why we’ve never seen her before?” Mano asked.
“Yes. She works in a private location and office. She prefers that.”
“And who are these members of this Security Ring, uncle?” Chordeo asked.
“How can a human woman be allowed to be in such a position? She isn’t even of the wolf. There must be more to Julius’s interest in her,” Mano stated.
“I do not know why Julius has taken her. I do know that both Divanni and Filletto’s men showed interest, too. They could have been challenging one another. I’ll get to the bottom of it. If you’ll excuse me.” Xavier exited the room.
“We need to do something about this,” Chance stated.
“We will. Let’s go pay the vamp a visit and secure our mate,” Gideon said and they nodded their heads then headed out of the office. He was trying to sift through the information they had about her thus far. They wouldn’t let their mate get away or get injured before they could protect her. Losing one mate was enough pain to last their lifetime.
* * * *
Melena kept her legs crossed and her hands clasped on her lap as the limo driver continued to drive south. She stared at the vamp, wondering what he wanted with her as his eyes held hers. When the darkness overtook the cabin of the vehicle, his eyes shone red and she swallowed hard. She wasn’t as prepared as she thought she would be, meeting a vampire like Julius. She was trying to remember what she was taught about vampires without projecting her thoughts toward the vampire. He squinted his eyes and she wondered if she was successful or not. It seemed to her that it was easier to talk and ask the questions than think about them first. She wanted to know where they were going and what exactly he wanted with her. Like it wasn’t enough that some serious criminal wolves wanted her in their bed tonight?
“So, what exactly is the moral dilemma you were speaking of?” she asked him as the driver headed onto the highway illuminated by numerous streetlights. In a flash he was sitting beside her. She gasped, taken aback by his quick move.
His hand covered her hand.
“Sweet, sweet Melena. You do not know who you really are, but I do. I sensed it almost immediately. I’m rather surprised that Xavier allowed you to even attend such an event with so many enemies around. Unless, he has no idea. Interesting.”
Fear hit her gut immediately. Could this vampire know more about her than she knew herself?
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah, I must say that your trainers have done well. Your ability to stab a dangerous wolf with a silver blade shows gall and strength. I like that in my women.” He reached up to caress her cheek and his fingers trailed along her jaw. She felt that odd sensation of warmth and calmness begin to relax her body. Unknowingly, she eased against him, until her mind cleared.
Pulling back and scooting away from him, she glared.
“I don’t think so, vamp. I’m not some easy prey and I do not like having my mind and emotions tampered with. Tell me what you want.”
He took a deep breath and released it softly.
He stared down into her eyes as
he caressed her jaw with his fingers. It was as if he were memorizing her features.
“I think, I would like to keep you. I mean, not as a prisoner, but more.”
“Not happening,” she retorted just as the sound of a cell phone rang. Julius answered the call.
“Hello, Xavier. I was expecting your call. Seems I have someone of interest to you and your pack. She was in great danger of being taken by the enemy.”
Melena listened in and hoped that Xavier could get this vampire to release her. She wasn’t sure if he would do her harm, yet there was this sensation of a connection to him. He was very attractive, despite his pasty coloring.
He looked at her and winked. Could he read my mind?
She had never met Julius Kordosky, but had lots of information on him. This had to be him. Xavier never mentioned any other vampires of interest except for one mated to Dani and Fagan Pack. That must be something wild. All those big, feisty men and a vampire. She shook her head. This wasn’t happening. She didn’t belong here right now. None of their rituals or rules applied to her.
“I’m not sure that is a good idea. Wolves can be so savage like. She is precious and sophisticated. I think I’ll keep her in safekeeping until you can meet me.”
He closed up the phone and leaned back into the seat.
“There is much for us to discuss. You should be relieved that I saved you from those wolves.”
“I saved myself,” she stated with attitude.
He smiled.
“I wasn’t talking about the wolf you killed. I was talking about the wolves who claim you to be their mate.”
She was shocked as she felt her jaw drop.
“I am not the mate to anyone.”
He raised his eyebrows at her. She couldn’t help but think there was more to his statement and he was hesitating.
“Seems Xavier’s nephews think otherwise. I for one do not like to share. You would be much better off with me and well taken care of, my goddess.”
Dwyer, Dixie Lynn - SWAT Team Seven: Goddess of the Circle [The Men of Five-0 #5] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5
