by Katie Reus
But that wasn’t why she’d casually stripped. Like an idiot, she hadn’t been thinking. Talking with him had felt familiar. Way too familiar. Once upon a time they hadn’t just been lovers, they’d been friends. Hell, he’d been the best friend she’d ever had. She’d been trapped by her family’s rules and regulations, rarely allowed to leave the coven unless she snuck out. They’d carried on their secret affair for six months, sneaking away anytime they could to see each other. And each time they’d ended up naked.
Shivering as memories accosted her, she turned her back to him. As she started to pull the shirt on, his callused hand stroked along the length of her spine.
Slow, seemingly casual, but she knew better. Power and dominance hummed in that gentle touch and sent a shower of goose bumps rippling over her skin. Instinctively she clenched her legs together as that long-forgotten ache built deep inside her. This was definitely the wrong time and the wrong place. She wanted to shake herself at the way he made her body come alive, but couldn’t do anything about it.
“Lyra.” One word. That was all he said. But her name on his lips made her weak and stupid. He sounded so damn desperate and out of character from the man she remembered.
Against her better judgment, she turned to face him. The need and raw hunger in his eyes not only made her stupid, it turned her knees to mush. She swallowed hard and opened her mouth to say something.
Anything semi-intelligent.
Nothing came out.
He growled low in his throat as his head descended toward hers. All coherent thought and reasoning dissipated the instant their lips touched.
Heat and fire swept through her as their tongues clashed. She felt his kiss bone deep as vivid memories resurfaced. Memories she wanted no part of. A pull and desire for him she’d long-since buried erupted from somewhere inside her, a place she’d almost forgotten existed.
A moan built in her throat when his hand came up to the back of her neck and gripped her tight. He held onto her so hard, as if he was afraid she’d bolt. Which would be the sane and logical thing to do. But she couldn’t find enough self-control or self-preservation to do that.
Not now.
Not when Finn’s other skilled hand skimmed her bare stomach and worked its way up to her covered breast. In an instant, he pulled one of the lace cups down and thumbed her nipple.
Leaning back against the open hatch, she welcomed him into her embrace as she wrapped her legs around him. She clutched his shoulders as he began stroking over her hardening nipple the same way his tongue stroked her tongue.
Rolling her hips against him, she savored the feel of his hard length. Even with their clothing as a barrier, the sensation of having him so close was scorching and combustible.
When he reached around to unhook her bra, he suddenly froze at a buzzing sound. Her eyes flew open as she felt the vibration coming from his back pocket against her calf.
Before he could say anything she removed her legs from around him and shoved at his chest. Guilt swept over her like a brutal tsunami. Even those few brief seconds were too much time wasted. Time she should be doing…something.
He growled and angrily answered his phone while she turned away from him and tugged the T-shirt on. Without looking at him, she made her way to the front of the vehicle. The sun would be up soon and they needed to get back to his place. She’d never cared about her inability to walk in the daylight until now.
Until her daughter needed her most.
Chapter Four
“I hate coming to this place,” Gabriel muttered as he put the SUV into park next to a sleek black car that probably cost half a million dollars.
“Me too.” Finn stepped out into the sunshine. Gravel crunched under his feet as he made his way to the nondescript warehouse that most humans probably assumed was a place for storage. Located near a local marina, this warehouse looked like a dozen others in the vicinity all used to store RVs and boats. Of course it was soundproofed and very different inside.
Even if Lyra had been able to come with him to this place, Finn wouldn’t have brought her to Bo Broussard’s nightclub for supernatural creatures. Well, it wasn’t exactly a nightclub since Bo, the half-demon half-human, kept it open practically 24/7.
As Finn and Gabriel reached the simple white door—a slight shade lighter than the actual building—it swung open before he was able to knock. Finn glanced up at one of many discreet video cameras, knowing Bo was probably watching.
The man—or ghoul, Finn realized as he took in the dark ring of red around his irises—who opened the door stepped back and nodded at both of them. “Bo’s in his office. Said you could go back.”
Finn grunted as he and Gabriel stepped into a wide open space that housed the main bar. There were no windows in the two-story building. Just a bar that served anything any supernatural creature might want, a giant dance floor, muted music filtering in from unseen speakers, a few roped off booths with heavy curtains drawn back, and about a dozen rooms lay beyond a red door to their right. Behind that door were things Finn would prefer to never see. He knew Bo catered to a BDSM crowd but the half-demon never caused trouble and had a neutral territory for all creatures. Nothing non-consensual happened in here. It was fairly common knowledge that about eighty years ago Bo’s human mother had been taken against her will by a demon—and Bo had been born not long afterward. So whatever his faults or proclivities, the guy respected females.
Since this was Finn’s territory he could kick Bo out of town, but Bo had never given him a reason to. He just hoped the half-demon would be able to provide the information he was looking for.
Striding across the open floor to another simple white door, he opened it into a hallway. There were a few doors to choose from but he knew which one was Bo’s. The last one. After knocking once out of courtesy, he and Gabriel entered to find Bo sitting behind a giant desk typing away on his computer.
The half-demon flicked his purple gaze their way. The color of his irises matched the purple streaks running through Bo’s dark hair. Finn had no clue what color his real eyes were because they were different every time he saw him—which wasn’t often.
“What can I do for you?” Bo asked, turning from his computer and motioning to the two seats in front of the desk.
Finn and Gabriel remained standing. “What do you know about Akkadian demons?”
The half-demon’s light brown cheeks flushed an angry red as he leaned back in his chair. “I consider myself neutral, but those monsters…I killed one last night attempting to attack one of my bartenders as she was leaving.”
“Do you know why they’re escaping—or being released—now?” Finn asked, unwilling to divulge the information about the prophecy Lyra had told him.
Bo’s freakish eyes narrowed a fraction. “It might have something to do with a prophecy.”
Finn felt Gabriel’s eyes on him, but he ignored his friend. “You know about the prophecy?”
Bo nodded. “I was involved with a very chatty vampire a few decades ago. Librarian. Liked to talk even while we uh…never mind.”
At the word vampire, Finn believed Bo did know about the prophecy. It bothered him that Lyra had never told him about it when they were together but considering the way he’d left her, he couldn’t exactly get too pissed about it. “If you know about that, then have you heard anything about a teenage blood-born being kidnapped in town over the past couple days?”
Frowning as he crossed his arms over his chest, Bo shook his head. “No… There was a kidnapping here? You mean in Biloxi?”
Finn nodded.
Bo’s frown deepened. “I haven’t heard about any kidnapping…I always thought the prophecy was bullshit, but there have been underworld rumblings about the Akkadians being freed soon.” He spoke the word Akkadians as if it were a curse. “I just never thought that kind of mating was possible.”
Finn sharpened his gaze. Blood-borns were rare, but they weren’t unheard of. Lyra was proof enough of that. Unwilling to com
ment more on the subject to a half-demon he barely trusted, he nodded once at Gabriel who stepped toward the door. “I’m searching for the kidnapped girl and it’s very personal. If I hear you had anything to do with it or know anything about it and didn’t tell me, I’ll burn this place to the ground with you still in it,” he said quietly.
Bo’s eyes widened and though it was slight, Finn scented a trickle of fear roll off the other man. “I swear I know nothing about this but I’ll put out feelers. Just because I’m part demon doesn’t mean I want those bastards roaming the earth. I like my life. They’ll just bring chaos and destruction if they’re all freed.”
Finn hated threatening anyone but if this prophecy was true, he didn’t have the luxury of being diplomatic. It was why he’d come in person as opposed to calling Bo. By showing up he made all the statement he needed to. “You have my number. Call me if you hear anything.”
Once they were outside Gabriel spoke for the first time. “I believe him.”
“Me too.” Which was almost unfortunate. If he’d been lying it might have given them a decent lead. Finn had already called most of his out of town contacts and anyone he could think of who might know something. If they could locate the door letting the creatures out before the eclipse they could cut off whoever was doing it at the knees and stop them from opening the door fully. It would also lead them to Lyra’s daughter.
Lyra had a daughter. He kept trying to wrap his mind around that. The thought of her with someone else, having a child with someone else…it raked at his insides like sharp silver daggers. If he’d never kicked her out of his life she’d have been only his. No one would have ever touched the woman who belonged with him. Knowing he had to keep those emotions on lockdown, he tried to shove his feelings away. Unfortunately that lid had popped and he had a feeling he’d never be able to compartmentalize this shit again.
Taking the SUV keys from Gabriel, Finn slid into the driver’s seat. Right now the need to control something was overwhelming. As he started driving he realized he was headed back to his pack’s place. He’d given strict orders to leave Lyra alone while she slept so he wasn’t worried anyone would try to harm her. She could take care of herself as he’d seen firsthand last night. But being apart from her now was almost impossible to bear. It had taken every ounce of self control he possessed to walk away from her once. Now that she was in his life again, he felt that magnetic pull to her. Only it was stronger this time. And it wasn’t just sexual. She evoked too many emotions inside him, making him feel off balance and not in control of his wolf. A dangerous thing.
He was so damn tempted to tell her that he’d searched for her, that he’d been searching for her from the moment he’d killed his uncle. That he desperately wanted her back in his life. But he knew she wouldn’t believe him. No, he needed to show her that she could trust him again. Show her how much he still cared for her before he told her the truth.
“We could check out a few other places,” Gabriel said quietly.
Finn didn’t respond because he knew what his friend wasn’t saying out loud.
His friend continued after a long pause. “She’s a vampire.”
“I don’t care.” And he didn’t. He never had.
“Neither do I, but you know not everyone will accept her.”
“I’m just helping out an old friend.” Even as he said the words he knew they weren’t true.
Gabriel snorted. “And I’m the fucking Easter Bunny. If you mate with her—”
“I’m helping Lyra find her daughter and trying to stop this scourge of demons from escaping.” Not that he hadn’t thought about taking Lyra as his mate a thousand times. He knew the truth, however. Could see the barely veiled anger in her gaze when she looked at him. If she’d had anyone else to turn to, she would have. He knew that.
He hated it.
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to push his way back into her life. Subtlety had never been his forte. She might dislike him but she was still attracted to him. That kiss last night proved it. While he planned to do everything in his power to save Lyra’s daughter, it didn’t mean he couldn’t try to win Lyra back at the same time. He had to prove he was a male who would stand by her side no matter what.
* * *
After talking to a couple packmates and dealing with pack business that just wouldn’t wait, Finn found himself standing in front of his bedroom door, the key in the lock. He’d instructed Lyra to lock it when he left and now he was rooted to the spot. Like some randy cub.
When he heard some of his packmates’ voices trailing up the stairs, he flicked the lock open and stepped inside. No need to let anyone see him standing outside his own room like a hesitant puppy.
Not the type of message an Alpha should be sending. He had some pride.
The blackout curtains had been pulled over the windows and he’d ordered the external shutters drawn, but the small lamp on his nightstand was on. Lyra wasn’t on the bed, but on the floor next to it sitting with her legs crossed and her head in her hands. She moved slightly at the sound of him entering, but didn’t look at him.
He stayed by the door, not wanting to disturb her, even though everything inside him wanted to pull her into his arms and comfort her. “Lyra?”
When she looked up, the dark circles he’d seen under her eyes yesterday were even more pronounced and she had dried streaks of pink across her cheeks. The realization that she’d been crying was like a body blow.
He’d crossed the room and knelt in front of her before he was aware he’d moved. Reaching out, he brushed back a few strands of her blonde hair and tucked them behind her ear. He let his hand linger on her tear-stained cheek. That grayish-violet gaze of hers didn’t waver from his, her pain and weariness so clear he could drown in it.
“Have you slept at all?” The question came out rough and uneven.
She shook her head and a couple more pink tears streamed down her cheeks. “I keep seeing Vega’s face and hearing one of our last conversations play over in my head. I was so angry that she’d disobeyed me. Since she was born it’s just been the two of us…” She paused and for a moment something dark passed over her features, as if she hadn’t meant to tell him that.
Finn had already put out feelers to find out who the hell her daughter’s father was. He was going to find out exactly who’d abandoned them—and make the bastard pay. The thought of Lyra raising a daughter by herself made him ache for her in a way he hadn’t known was possible. Something hollow settled in his chest.
“When she turned… around the time of her last birthday we developed a psychic connection that manifests when I’m sleeping. She can link with me when she’s awake or asleep, but I have to be sleeping. I just want to rest and maybe reach out to her. Just for a few minutes.” Her voice cracked on the last word, a pink tear rolling down her cheek.
“What?” The teenager had psychic abilities? He knew Lyra didn’t so he assumed the psychic gift was paternal. Just who the hell was this girl’s father?
Lyra nodded, her face still grim as she swiped at the tear. “She’s…a special vampire. Her father doesn’t have psychic abilities that I’m aware of. I think her blossoming abilities have something to do with the combination of her bloodline. I just don’t know and there’s no one to ask, no one to help us figure it out. I have no freaking control over the connection.” She sighed, the sound weary. “I just know it’s only happened when I’ve been sleeping. The first time she told me it was by accident.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Lyra’s body began to slightly shake as she continued. “I’d give anything to be able to connect with her now. I yelled at her the first time she called me from the road and then the next time we spoke she was so scared because she was by herself in a new city. What if we don’t find her? What if—” Her voice broke off and she shook her head, obviously unable to continue.
Finn felt out of his depth with Lyra—always had—but one thing between them hadn’t faded. That attraction he’d once had for
her was a scorching flame and he knew she felt the same. He might not have the right words—and even he knew now was not the time to ask more questions—but he could help her sleep and connect with her daughter.
Cupping her face, he brought his mouth down on hers. There was nothing gentle in his kiss because this wasn’t about gentleness. She needed rest if she wanted to work together on finding her daughter. Right now, he could give her physical release and hopefully cause her to sleep. It had always worked in the past. She always fell sound asleep after the intense sex between them.
His tongue stroked in her mouth for a bare moment before she pushed at his shoulder and drew her head back. There was anger and hunger in her eyes, the battle raging so clearly it floored him. “What are you doing?”
“You need sleep,” he said softly.
“You kissing me isn’t going to help. Besides, I’m fine.” Her voice was hoarse and her eyes had a glassy sheen, partially from her earlier tears but mainly from exhaustion.
That haunted look was too much to bear. “You’re not and you’re not doing your daughter any favors by staying awake.”
“I can’t sleep!” Scrubbing a hand over her face, she looked away. “I’ve tried,” she muttered, her voice filled with disgust.
He pulled her chin back around so that she faced him. “I’m going to help you sleep and you’re going to let me and just maybe you’ll find that psychic connection again.” There was no room for argument in his voice and when he crushed her mouth with his once again, this time she didn’t fight him.
Instead she let out a strangled moan as she wrapped her arms around him, fiercely clawing at his back. For an instant he contemplated moving them to the bed, but selfish bastard that he was, he didn’t want to risk her changing her mind. He wanted to taste her, bring her pleasure and more than anything, remove those shadows from under her eyes. Or at least dull them for a little while.
