The Alien Huntress Series

by Gena Showalter

  To show possessiveness or jealousy was to stake a claim over a specific female. And to stake a claim was to give up the right to enjoy other females. He shuddered.

  Macy twisted in her man’s arms, facing Devyn. “Like I was saying about going in circles. No matter what route you take, we always end up here. I’m not stupid. There’s a reason. Tell me.”

  Very well. He’d give her a reason. It wouldn’t be the truth, but it would be a reason. “You caught me. I’m thinking of buying property on this side of town and was using company time to scout the area.” Best lie he could come up with, but he delivered it smoothly. Lying was second nature to him, maybe because it was just another form of flirting.

  The only thing he refused to lie about was what he would do to those who wronged him or his friends. When he made a threat, he saw it through. No hesitation. That, he’d learned from his father. A lesson he’d actually taken to heart. Better that people feared and respected him than underestimate and attempt to hurt him.

  “Devyn!” Macy said. “I can’t believe you. You’ve been wasting my time for your own gain.”

  That’s it. Get angry. Maybe the stronger her emotions were, the stronger her scent would be. Bride would finally catch a whiff and start running, as desperate to reach the girl as she’d been when they’d first met. Maybe more so, now that she was so smug about capturing Nolan.

  Devyn had been sleeping in the new apartment every night, waiting. Alone. Maybe tonight would be the night they were reunited.

  “My bad.” Dallas, his partner in this delicious crime, was due to—

  Ring, ring.

  Perfect timing. As if he didn’t know who was calling, he glanced at his cell’s ID and tried not to grin. “I have to take this,” he told Macy. “You know how Dallas gets when I ignore him.”

  She nodded stiffly, her irritation with him clearly undiminished. “He’s such a pouter.”

  Macy’s power of observation was greater than Devyn had assumed.

  Doing his best to appear grave, Devyn flipped open his cell and placed it to his ear. “Devyn, king of the Targons and prince of pleasure, speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Funny,” Dallas said. “You’re sounding chipper.”

  Of course he was. Macy—and now Breean by association—were his puppets. Which meant, Bride would soon be his puppet. Only, he would enjoy pulling her strings. And then wrapping those strings around her wrists and ankles and anchoring her to a bed. And then licking her entire body. And then slipping and sliding inside of her while she shouted his name.

  “You couldn’t have,” he said for Macy’s benefit. “Again? Seriously? And you’re on her trail now? Tell me, is she wearing the same outfit as last time?”

  “You mean skin?” Dallas barked out a chuckle. “Macy right beside you?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Ohhh, affirmative he says. You know I love it when you talk shop.”

  To Macy, Devyn said, “Dallas thinks he found the vampire. Again. I can’t leave—did you see that skyscraper?—but he’d love some backup. You interested?”

  “Yes,” she rushed out. “Is he sure this time? Last two nights, we tailed humans. They looked like her, or rather, what you described, sure, but I’m tired of failure.”

  “You sure this time?” Devyn asked Dallas.

  “Affirmative.”

  That did have a nice ring to it. “He’s not, but he doesn’t want to take a chance.” Devyn allowed some leeway, just in case they needed to relive this scenario tomorrow. “He’s happy to go alone, though, if you—”

  “No! No, we’ll go. Find out where we should meet him and then tell him not to do anything until we get there. He does remember what happened the last time the two of you acted alone, yes?”

  Devyn relayed the message and rattled off their coordinates. Paused. “No worries, Mace,” he told the agent. “He’s nearby and is happy to pick you up again.”

  Breean was frowning. His eyes were narrowed, but he remained silent.

  “I thought they’d see through you in a heartbeat,” Dallas said in his ear. “I guess I have to choke down another of those Sweet Munchkins.” There was disgust in his voice. Rather than use money, they wagered with pastries. Out-of-date, stale, not-fit-for-the-homeless pastries. Loser had to eat one in front of the winner. “Sometimes you’re scary brilliant, have I told you that before?”

  “I’d argue the word sometimes, but yeah. You’re right.”

  Another laugh. “I’ll be there in two.” Click.

  Sure, he could have let the couple walk away and not sent them with Dallas to track this latest “sighting,” but he didn’t want the girl’s scent spread too far and wide. Hopefully, being inside a vehicle prevented such a thing.

  Thinking about the spreading of Macy’s scent had him wondering how long Bride had been searching for her. Weeks? Years? If so, why hadn’t Bride smelled her until now? He’d tried to subtly question Macy about her own past, but the girl had been tight-lipped. She had to be, he supposed. With an ability like hers, she’d probably been hunted most of her life.

  Devyn pocketed his phone. “Like I said, Dallas is nearby and will be pulling along any…minute. Ah, there he is.”

  A black van with tinted windows eased to the curb. Because of the tint, Dallas couldn’t be seen, but Devyn imagined his friend grinning from ear to ear. Made him want to grin himself, thinking of Dallas happy and amused. It was much better than imagining the agent wallowing in self-pity over that whole blood master issue.

  Macy stepped toward the van, the sun stroking the brass of her necklace and glinting in his eye. The necklace. Oh, oh. Devyn jerked her into his body for a hug, stealthily removing and pocketing it. How could he have forgotten about his insurance policy? Well, hopefully it was an insurance policy. “Good luck, darling.”

  “Uh, thanks, Dev.” Awkwardly, she patted his back.

  Breean growled low in his throat, and for a moment Devyn feared he’d been found out. But the warrior merely tugged the female from Devyn’s clasp and ushered her into the waiting van.

  With the passenger door open, Devyn was able to catch a glance of Dallas in the driver’s seat. The agent was indeed grinning, white teeth gleaming. He wore a hat that shadowed his eyes, camo pants, and a camo shirt that revealed the new (and scabbed-over) skull-and-dagger tattoo on his right forearm.

  Devyn had a matching tattoo on his own arm. They’d drunk too much last night and had thought the identical marks would be funny.

  They weren’t.

  “Nice outfit,” Devyn said with a grin of his own. “Planning on hunting the clones on government land while you’re out and about?” Clones. Animals.

  “Maybe.” He was also chewing gum. “You guys ready to chase down a bloodsucker or what?”

  “Let’s do this,” Macy said, slapping Dallas’s head rest.

  There would be hell to pay when this was over and the truth revealed. Macy would be pissed that he’d used her to capture her friend, which would piss off Breean, which would in turn piss off Mia, because Breean was a powerful warrior and her new favorite.

  Devyn could call things off now and prevent the reaming he would surely receive.

  Without pause, he shut the door and waved them off. He was whistling as he strolled inside the building.

  Bride slunk through the unfamiliar apartment, remaining in the shadows. Her eyes cut through the darkness with the precision of a knife, taking everything in and weighing her options.

  Thankfully there wasn’t any furniture, so she didn’t have to worry about knocking anything down. The air was musty, as if the room hadn’t been occupied for some time. Where are you, Leah Leah, and why did you come here?

  Aleaha’s scent was all over the building and had led directly to this room. After Bride had caught the familiar fragrance a few blocks down, she’d given up her fruitless search for that bastard playboy Devyn and concentrated on her friend instead.

  She was embarrassed to admit she almost hadn’t s
witched gears. The urge to find Devyn, to gloat about her victory, to spar with him again, was strong. Besides, she was almost positive he couldn’t be as decadently handsome as her memory painted him. Couldn’t be nearly as witty or flirtatious. Yet only when she’d smelled his scent mixed with Aleaha’s had she finally changed her objective.

  What were the two doing together? Were they lovers, as she’d first thought? Did they live together? Devyn’s flirtations had seemed so practiced, Bride hadn’t thought him capable of commitment. Not that having Aleaha as a semi-permanent or even permanent lover equaled commitment. But if they were together, he was definitely a cheater and Aleaha needed to know.

  In and out Bride breathed, as quietly as possible. There was a window, but it was closed, blocking out the night’s symphony of racing cars, pedestrians braving the streets, and criminals hiding in corners. The deeper she maneuvered through the apartment, the weaker Aleaha’s scent of sky and pine became and the stronger Devyn’s, like sun-dried sheets and rain.

  Damn it! Her grip tightened on her daggers. A halfway strong grip, too, now that she’d eaten. Well, some. As before, she’d kept down the first few sips but had thrown up the rest.

  Mind on the task at hand. You more than anyone know the price of inattention. That’s how those policemen had caught her sneaking inside those mansions all those years ago. That’s why she’d had to hide Aleaha. Why she’d lost Aleaha.

  Okay. So. Time to regroup. Aleaha had been here, but she hadn’t stayed for long. Ten minutes, tops. Was little Devyn not as skilled a lover as he clearly liked to believe? Was he a slam-bam-thank-you type?

  Bet there was a piece of furniture here. A bed. Proof of his priorities.

  There was a fire in Bride’s blood, burning her veins, scorching each of her organs. A fury that had nothing to do with the thought of Devyn sleeping with her friend and everything to do with her friend’s future happiness. Really. Clearly Devyn was the kind of guy who left only heartbreak in his wake.

  That fury also poked and prodded at that molten, thorny place inside her, the place her powers were buried, the intense heat of its flames making her anger seem comprised of ice. She had to stifle a pained moan. She knew better than to let herself become too worked up. When she did, those flames spread and those thorns grew branches, each destroying her bit by bit. If she wasn’t careful, she would soon be praying for death.

  I’m calm. I’m happy. After all, I found Devyn. She would finally get to gloat.

  Remaining smashed against the wall, Bride angled her body and peeked down the hall. Empty. Darkness. Silence. Devyn’s scent—stronger than ever. There were two doorways. As she breathed deeply, her heart pounding erratically in her chest, she tiptoed forward. He was here. He had to be.

  She passed the first doorway, giving the bedroom only a cursory glance. Empty, as well. Finally she reached the farthest entrance and paused. The door was closed. Was Devyn inside? Sleeping, holding some little tramp in his arms? Waiting for her?

  She’d warned him, told him she would be coming for him, and he was obviously a warrior, used to strategy and battle. He was even working for AIR in some capacity. An agent, perhaps? He was daring enough. Nervousness joined the lingering thrums of fury.

  Lord, she’d picked a hell of a target. One that could lock her away or kill her, no questions asked, she thought, a cold sweat beading over her skin. You knew the consequences. You came here anyway. Don’t wuss out now. Answers are worth any risk.

  He had to be expecting her, had to know she’d find him again. So how should she do this? Bust inside, knives at the ready? Sneak inside and try to catch him unaware?

  There was no time to reason it out.

  In the snap of fingers, her mind separated from her body, her limbs no longer hers to command. Of their own accord, her fingers released their grip on the blade hilts and the weapons thumped to the ground. One of her arms reached out and pressed the button that opened the door. Her feet moved one in front of the other, forcing her to enter the darkened space.

  He was awake, and he was controlling her. She’d known this could happen, but had come anyway. Worth the risk, she reminded herself, gritting her teeth and trying with all her might to petrify her muscles and lock herself in place.

  If only she could fight past the thorns and the flames to see what other abilities were buried inside her, rather than waiting every few years for one to spring up on its own. She suspected the others were strong, stronger than Devyn’s, desperate to explode, to overtake her. But she just couldn’t get to them, even now, when they probably would have saved her.

  “You certainly took your time,” a familiar voice said huskily. Without a rustle of clothes or a single movement, the overhead light switched on, golden beams chasing away the shadows. “Black becomes you, pet. It’s like you’re enveloped by storm clouds.”

  And there he was. Sitting in a plush leather chair in the far corner, Devyn was relaxed, sipping a glass of amber liquid. His dark hair was mussed, as though he’d run his hands through it a few times. His eyes, the exact color of his drink, glittered dangerously. Like her, he wore a black T-shirt and black pants.

  A large king-size bed was the only thing between them. A bed with black silk sheets and velvet-covered chains attached to the head and footboards. Her jaw clenched even as her nipples hardened, her mind momentarily lost in the naughty things that had probably happened in that bed.

  Oh, no you don’t. She would not allow her body to ready. He’d think her desire was for him. And it wasn’t. Really.

  “Where’s Aleaha?” Her voice trembled, mortifying her to her soul. “I know you’ve been with her.”

  He finished off his drink. “Please. Have a seat.” With a tilt of his chin, he motioned to the bed. “We have much to discuss.”

  Rather than force her to obey, he released his hold on her. “You’re not going to compel me to do it?”

  “Now that would be rude, wouldn’t it?”

  Devyn, her freeze ’em and leave ’em guy, was concerned with being rude. Laughable. But she had something he wanted, so of course he would play the I’m-your-friend card. Her eyes widened. That’s right. She had Nolan. She was in control right now. No need for her powers, after all. Smiling smugly, she sauntered to the bed and plopped onto the edge, facing him.

  His gaze fell to her lips, and he inhaled sharply.

  Was he thinking of kissing her?

  “I want them all over me,” he said.

  Holy hell. The answer to her question: yes. “The chains are a bit much, don’t you think?” she said, ignoring his comment but unable to hide her breathlessness. “It’s not like they could keep me down if I decided to leave.” It was a reminder of her victory over him, meant to put him in his place.

  He didn’t back down. “True.” Nor did he sound concerned. “I have a feeling you’ll willingly lock yourself up, though.”

  She would have snorted, but couldn’t quite manage it. If ever there was a man who could convince a woman to play kinky bondage games, it was probably this one. But no matter what, she couldn’t give herself to Devyn. The moment she did, he would lose interest in her. His kind always did. And she needed his interest. It would, hopefully, keep him malleable during their negotiations.

  What makes you think he’s truly interested in you, anyway?

  I’ve already had a vampire, he’d once said, as though the thought of bedding another bored him. Maybe his interest in chaining Bride up and ravishing her stupid was feigned. Intended to soften her.

  “Aleaha,” she said. Her friend was the main reason she was here; she wouldn’t forget. “Where is she?”

  “Does the name Macy Briggs mean anything to you?” he asked, once again ignoring her.

  Was he serious? “Macy Briggs the model?”

  “She doesn’t model anymore, but yes.”

  “No. Should it? Oh, wait. Let me guess. She’s one of the women you screwed that day.” The last lashed from her, harsher than she’d intended. “I thought you c
ouldn’t recall their names.”

  “Sheathe the claws, darling. I’ve had a model and wasn’t impressed. Macy isn’t my type, so no, I haven’t had her.”

  “How sad for you.” One day a woman needed to put this man in his place. Grind up his heart and scatter the pieces all over New Chicago. The female population would be the better for it. I would be better for it.

  “So tell me, did you fuck Nolan?” Again, he didn’t sound concerned.

  That…irritated her. But only because it meant he didn’t want her as she’d supposed, so she wouldn’t be able to use his desire against him. Really. “No. Near death isn’t my type.”

  “That’s good. Did he bleed on you? Spit on you?”

  “No.”

  “You’re sure?”

  She laughed without humor. “I think I’d remember.” Unless she’d been asleep when he’d done it. Her shoulders sagged. “Why?”

  “You’ll catch his disease if you come into contact with any of his bodily fluids.”

  A shudder rocked her. Whether Devyn was telling the truth or not didn’t matter. Just the thought of possible contamination had her vowing to keep her distance from the imprisoned otherworlder. She’d never been sick a day in her life, true, but that didn’t necessarily mean she was immune to everything.

  “Tell me where he is.” Finally, emotion. White-hot anger, barely leashed. Devyn didn’t care about her escaping his clutches or who she slept with; he only cared about where she’d placed his enemy. “You never should have taken him. You placed yourself and everyone around you in danger.”

  She had no loved ones, no family or friends. “Don’t worry. I’ll tell you where he is. After.”

  One of his brows arched in question, but he didn’t look surprised by her announcement. After all, she’d already warned him. “After what? I bed you?”

  “Please,” she said dryly.

  “Now you’re begging. We’re on the right track.”

  She gritted her teeth, that burning pain flickering in her chest. Stay calm. “After you’ve taken me to Aleaha. After you’ve answered my questions about vampires. After you’ve apologized for leaving me immobile on that street. Only then will I tell you where Nolan is.”