You Complete Me

by Wendi Zwaduk

  “Thanks.” Damn it. She’d stuck her foot in her mouth and realized exactly why she wasn’t involved with anyone. She said what she thought and spoke sharply in order to keep people away. If no one got close, then no one could hurt her.

  Emily stripped off her clothes and stepped into the empty shower stall. She turned on the water. The spray stung and dirt swirled in the bottom of the shower. She washed her body, noticing the extra new tingles. Her skin sizzled. From the vampire? She doubted that. He hadn’t done anything other than touch her once and drink from her. She shampooed and conditioned her hair, all while trying to wrap her brain around how good it felt to be in his arms.

  Turned on by a vampire! He had to possess some sort of magic. Had to.

  Emily rinsed and turned off the water. She dried herself and pulled on her sleep shirt and shorts. She’d left Hagan alone for far too long. What if Ben came by to check on her? He’d want to know why she had a vampire in her living room. If he even took the time to ask questions. Knowing Ben, he’d shoot first and ask questions second. Her heart lurched. She’d saved the vampire and wasn’t ready to give him up. Not yet.

  “Okay, we need to talk.” She strode into the living room, but stopped short. He wasn’t on the couch. She glanced around the space. No vampire. Not on the chair or at the table. Where was he? “Hagan?”

  Warmth on her foot grabbed her attention. She looked down at the carpet. A streak of sunshine stretched across the floor. Oh, shit. Daylight—the vampire’s enemy. Between finding him and dealing with Ben, she’d lost track of time. She’d have to wait until moonrise to talk to the vampire.

  First, she had to find him. The door remained locked, so he hadn’t escaped into the world. She noticed a smear of dirt on the carpet. The dirt led behind the couch.

  “Hagan?” She darted behind the sofa and found the vampire crouched between the massive furniture and the wall in the last bit of darkness.

  “What can I do for you?” He managed a small smile. “I needed to get away from the sun.”

  “I assumed as much. What can I do to help you?” She yanked the curtains closed and shut the blinds in the kitchen. What else could she change to keep the sunshine at bay?

  “Give me time to adjust,” he said. “I’m not fond of sunshine, but I’ll deal since you wanted to talk. Plus, your blood gave me some strength. I can fight some of it off.”

  “Okay.” Where was the darkest spot in her house?

  Her bedroom.

  “I’ll help you get into my bedroom because it’s dark. I installed blackout curtains and special foam over the windows so I could sleep during the day.” She offered her hand. “I’m keeping the cuffs on you, but I don’t want you to singe.”

  He crooked his eyebrow, but allowed her to help him to his feet.

  “My name is Emily.” She wrapped one arm around his waist and guided him into the adjacent room. “Here.” She switched on the lone bedside lamp.

  Hagan collapsed onto the couch where she stored her clothes. “Thanks.”

  Emily climbed onto her bed and clutched her baseball bat. “When were you turned?”

  “You don’t waste time. I like that.” He shifted in his seat, facing her. “Three years ago, I was turned. My folks were both Seers. My first girlfriend had a friend who was a vampire. When I turned twenty-one, my girlfriend dumped me. My parents died and I embarked on a purely sexual relationship with the vampire. We were threatened by her father, a Hunter. Bailey Swanson. You might know him.”

  “I do. I did my training with him.” She remembered the man well. He’d been brusque and mean, but he helped her learn how to deal with frothing shifters. Her mind worked overtime. His parents were killed? By whom? She wanted to ask him, but let him finish his story instead.

  “I should be scared if you trained with him. The man was bloodthirsty.”

  “He was, but I don’t think I am.”

  “Probably good. He killed me.” Hagan sagged on the cushions. “He didn’t want me with his daughter since I was only a Seer. The bullet tore the hell out of my chest. She turned me, and then kicked me out of the house. I never talked to Angela again.”

  “She got married to a wolf. Last year Maslow claimed they were mad. He said they’d lost their baby and went berserk.” The story still didn’t pan out in her mind, but she’d been following orders when she trailed them. As per normal, Ben had killed them both. She hadn’t known Angela well, but she hadn’t wished their death on anyone.

  “Was the wolf her mate?”

  Hagan’s strained voice tore at her. He’d once cared about her. “I assume,” she said and shrugged. “I always thought there was something odd about the situation. Vampires don’t have children. You’re made. So either she was a freak or he lied.” The more she thought about it, the more she believed Maslow had lied.

  “He lied,” Hagan growled. He covered his face with both hands. “She was a good person. We weren’t going to make it together, but she didn’t deserve to die.”

  He was right. Emily picked at the lint balls on her pajama pants. “Who was Ava?”

  Hagan dropped his hands. He didn’t smile or look at her, but the tone of his voice changed. “I went clubbing. She was there and she looked young. I didn’t think she belonged at that nightclub, so I made it my job to get her out of there. All these guys were hitting on her and I came to her rescue. At the time, she hated me. She liked their attention.” He chuckled. “She clocked me in the parking lot for yanking her out of there, but once we got to know each other we hit it off. She made me laugh and the sex was great.” He finally looked at Emily. No light in his eyes. Just dullness. “We were sure we were soul mates. The voice of the Goddess didn’t speak to us, but we didn’t care. I gave up believing in the words of the Sources.”

  A spark of jealousy started low in her brain. She had no right to be envious of the woman she’d never met, but she was. She believed in mates and knew there was someone out there for everyone. Even after a few hours with the vampire, she’d formed a bond with him. Crazy, but true.

  “You said she got away. What happened?” Her voice cracked. As much as she wanted to know the answer, she cringed at getting it.

  “Sleep, Emily. It’s late. I’m sure your partner will be here early at nightfall to choose yet another Super to mow down. I’ll be right here. You can let him kill me or give me up for torture. I understand the score.” Hagan closed his eyes.

  She’d hit a raw nerve with him. “Hagan.” Crap. He’d figured her out, too. He thought she’d use him for information, and then kill him. Only a dirt bag would do that to a person—Super or not. Most of the Hunters didn’t want the Supers dead. Most of them wanted to do their job. Maslow and the Rogues had infiltrated the organization and made them question each situation. She gritted her teeth. Maslow had fucked up so much.

  “I’m at peace, hon. Really. I accept my fate.” He folded his hands over his stomach and crossed his ankles.

  “I don’t trust you, but I’m also not going to let Ben kill you.” She crept off the bed and retrieved a length of rope from her extra gear bag. She tied one end of the rope to the handcuffs and the other end to the heavy leg of her bed frame. Moving the bed would take effort, even for a vampire.

  She stood. Against her better judgment, she touched his cheek. His skin chilled her fingertips, but her hand sizzled. Sparks shot to her heart. She understood how vampires worked, but she still couldn’t get over how someone who seemed so alive could be so cold. Before she let go of him, pictures flashed in her brain. She saw herself kissing Hagan and straddling his lap. Her body warmed as she opened her eyes. The very corner of Hagan’s mouth kinked.

  “Just stay put,” she said. The movement had been too much. He’d planted the thought in her head. Had to. They weren’t going to kiss. No way. Hunters and their prey didn’t mingle. Kissing was definitely part of mingling. They were opposites…weren’t they? She faced him and crawled between the covers. Love wasn’t in her cards and certainly not going to hap
pen with the vampire. No freaking way.

  Chapter Three

  “Hagan.” Emily rolled onto her side and stared into his deep blue eyes. The man had striking eyes. No wonder other women were attracted to him. The sheets chilled against her backside, but she appreciated the temperature change. Every nerve ending in her body sparked. Fire licked her from within.

  Hagan palmed her breasts and then tweaked her nipple. The pleasure filled pain swelled within her and excitement shot from her chest to her pussy.

  She groaned and arched into his touch. She covered his hand with her own to keep him pinching her.

  “Tell me what you want me to do,” he said. He kissed the tip of her nose, then her lips and cheeks.

  “Make love to me.” She crawled on top of him, amazed by his low body temperature. She ripped the sheets down the bed and rubbed her pussy juices on his erection. When she gazed into his eyes again, he grinned. Emboldened by the warmth in his stare, she aligned his dick with her cunt. She usually didn’t take the lead, but liked the power exchange. Inch by inch, she lowered herself onto his cock.

  “Baby, yeah.” He palmed her breasts again and planted his feet. The move sent him deeper into her pussy.

  The pressure from him inside her added to the pleasure and sting on her chest. Her head lolled on her shoulders. Everything within her tensed. The orgasm low in her belly swam through her veins.

  No, no, no. She didn’t want to be done already. They hadn’t begun to rock together. This was too fast. She opened her eyes and looked at Hagan.

  “I’m your slave, baby. I’m making you come.” His fangs dropped in his mouth and he growled. “Come here. I need your blood.”

  “No.” She scrambled off him and landed on the floor. The thump echoed in the room. Her shoulder ached from the impact, but she crawled away from the bed. This wasn’t the sweet but loopy vampire she’d met the night before. He’d changed.

  “What’s wrong? You didn’t kill me. Now I’m going to kill you.” Hagan flew off the mattress and reached for her. The cuffs were still on his wrists and clinked. The flash of light caught her attention. She’d double cuffed him and put rope on him as a tether. The creature from her dream hadn’t been cuffed, but Hagan was still bound.

  “Hagan?”

  He crouched over her and smoothed her hair from her face. “Emily.” He curled his fingers under her chin. “You fell out of bed, hon. Are you okay? How about you sit up?” He helped her into an upright position. He was still clothed in the dirty garb she’d found him in when he was in the woods. He knelt in front of the small couch and tucked her to his side.

  “You were dreaming, hon.” He draped his cuffed arms around her and rocked her gently. “You landed on your shoulder. With the cuffs, I couldn’t catch you.”

  The fog in her brain cleared. She was still in her pajamas. The whole scene had been a dream. They hadn’t kissed or attempted to make love. He hadn’t killed her. It was all a nightmare. She sagged in his arms. She was safe.

  “What happened?” He kissed the top of her head.

  The move should’ve made her uncomfortable, but instead it reassured her. He might be a blood-sucking creature of the night, but he was a good man.

  “I could see us like we were real. You kept calling me baby. We were having sex. I no more than put you inside me and you turned on me. You said I hadn’t killed you, so you were going to kill me.” She shivered. “I thought it was…not make believe.”

  “I’m sorry, hon.” He gripped her a little tighter. “This damn war has everyone on edge.”

  “It wasn’t the war. I’m scared of you.” The confession hurt, but at least she’d told him the truth.

  Hagan rested his forehead on hers. “If the Hunters hadn’t gotten mixed up with the Rogues, then we wouldn’t be living in fear. If something is supposed to happen between us, you’ll remember that dream. I don’t want you to be afraid of me.”

  “Hagan.” She clung to him, happy to have his strong arms around her. “What about Ava?” Damn it. There she’d gone again—putting up walls between them.

  “What about her? I don’t know how long I was in those woods. She could be dead because of Maslow, under his control or with her actual mate. I’ve concluded that I’m not hers. If I was, she wouldn’t have let me go. I had a dream, too. In my dream, I saw her with another vampire. She was happy. Not just for the moment or for the night, but happy forever. It might not be true, but I can’t keep waiting for someone that isn’t waiting for me.”

  The pain in his voice resonated in her head. He’d been through hell only to find out that the woman he’d loved probably loved someone else. How crappy? “Hagan, I’m sorry.” She blew out a long breath. They were two screwed-up people caught in circumstances they couldn’t control.

  “You need closure.” She disengaged from him. “It’s almost night time. You stay here and I’ll do some recon. I want you to know whether or not your girl is safe.” Even if it means breaking my heart in the process.

  “Emily, that’s asking a lot.”

  “True, but maybe we’ll sort out the truth. I’ve figured for a while now that this war wasn’t as unbalanced. Laing cannot possibly have such a huge army, like Maslow claims. They might have an army and it might be planning an attack, but I’m convinced it’s something in defense, not offense. Too many vampires and faes have died. It’s not right.” She gripped his hands. “I can’t sit back and let innocent people die.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean there’s an imbalance, but I don’t know where. I won’t tell you what I’ve seen or what I’ve had to do because I’m ashamed.” She could still hear the screams from dying vampires and shifters. Why were they dying? Because Maslow ordered hits. They weren’t mad—they were murdered.

  “Hon, I’m sorry.” He frowned. “I’m sorry you know Maslow, that you’re working for him and that I couldn’t kill him.” His brows bunched and he tipped his head to the side. “What’s that noise?”

  “What?” She turned towards the door. Something clicked… Huh. What was that noise? She glanced at the alarm clock. 8:30 p.m. Oh crap. Her blood chilled in her veins. Ben was there and fiddling with the lock. “That’s my partner, Ben.” She grabbed an elastic from the nightstand and pulled her hair into a pony tail. “Whatever you do, don’t make a sound. I’ll stall him until you can hide. If he hears you, I can’t guarantee I can protect you.”

  “Understood.” He inched to the far end of the couch and curled up.

  “Hold on, Ben,” she called into the other room. She kicked the bedroom door shut, then scrambled into the living room. Thank God she’d installed the three extra locks on the main door, otherwise he would’ve picked the deadbolt. She fumbled with the chain and the second deadbolt and opened the door. “Hey. I’m running behind. My alarm clock died.” She chuckled. “The battery wasn’t up to par.”

  “You should replace the clock or better yet, install the program for the whole home clock. I can do that. Only takes a few moments and your universal clock will be ready.” He grinned. “Or I could stay with you.”

  “Now, why would I make you stay with me when I’ve got you coming over to check on me? You need your space.” She laughed to hide her disgust. “You’re like clockwork.”

  “I like to be prompt. Usually, you do, too.” He brushed past her and stood in the middle of the living room. “Something smells different. New potpourri?”

  “No. I’ve got a new deodorant. It might be what you smell.” She placed herself between him and the hallway to the bedroom. “I’m sorry I’m off my game. It’s been a long week. I could use the break.”

  “I get it.” He stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet.

  “You do?” She didn’t believe him. Ben had a way of meaning one thing, but saying something different.

  “Yeah. You. Me. Working together while this attraction is so strong. It makes perfect sense. I’m making your job harder all while I should be making
it easier.” He reached around her and twirled a lock of her hair in his fingers. “Much easier.”

  Oh boy. He was on the right track, but had the wrong man in mind. She wriggled away from him to put space between them. “Yeah.”

  “We’ll get through this night and see what happens. We’re off rotation for a week and I’d like to use that time to make you happy.” He smiled down at her. “Please?”

  “Ben.” Crap, crap, crap. She didn’t want him making her do much of anything.

  “What? I never accept less than the best and expect to excel at whatever I do.”

  “Ah, like me?” He made wooing a girl sound so…mechanical. No romance. She needed love, cherishing and romance.

  “You’re not a carnival game to be outwitted, if that’s what you mean.” He stepped closer to her, pinning her to the bedroom door. “By the way, the pajama look is very sexy.”

  Oh my God. “Well, I did just roll out of bed. Give me five and I’ll be ready.” She ducked under his arm, and then tugged him to the couch. “Wait here. Okay?”

  “You got it.” He slid his hand down her butt and swatted. The sting radiated across her skin. “I’ll be right here.” He winked and plopped onto the sofa.

  “Thanks.” She shuddered, despite her attempt to suppress the gesture. Gag. The man didn’t turn her on—not any longer. Had she finally gotten over him? Or noticed there was a better class of male to select from? She’d noticed Hagan. The vampire wiped out all other men in her brain. Crazy. She escaped into the bedroom and closed the door. Thankfully, she’d added a lock and engaged it. She didn’t trust Ben not to barge into her private space. She glanced around for the vampire. When she didn’t see him, she growled. The brat excelled at hiding.

  She couldn’t whisper to him because she assumed Ben would be right at the door listening to her every move. She stepped into the master bathroom and sighed. A Hunter shouldn’t fraternize with a vampire, much less allow him to run wild in her home. How could she be so dumb?

  I’m not loose.

  Emily froze. She’d heard Hagan speak, but she couldn’t see him.