“Thanks.”
“Breena.” Orin came closer to the bed. She hadn’t known he was there.
“Stay back.” Myles’s fangs shot out.
His fangs? Holy hell.
“You’re a…vampire?”
Those sharp canines retracted as he turned to face her. “Yes.”
“But you…you work the day shift.” Her head felt stuffed with cotton and the world seemed to list to one side. How much more of this could she take?
The vampire reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cylindrical case. He shook it.
“Pills?” What did that have to do with anything?
“Day-walking drugs.”
“Like a cure or something?” Breena folded her arms around herself. “Did you make them?”
“No. I have to take them every day or I lose…”
“Your humanity.” There was no question in Breena’s mind. She knew things about Myles. Things he’d kept from her. It wasn’t like she could read his mind or anything, more like she could interpret his emotions.
He nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her chest ached like a thousand pound weight pushed against it.
“I was forbidden.”
“By who?”
“The Witches’ Council.” Myles slumped onto the bed, elbows on knees, head in his hands. His face looked ghostly white.
For the second time today she’d heard about the Witches’ Council. What was the deal? Why was it so dang important?
“How’s the pain?” Orin kept a safe distance.
She thought for a minute, took inventory of her legs tucked under her and her arms holding down the t-shirt–it wasn’t easy maintaining a modest position while pantless. Everything seemed to be in working order, except for the hunger coursing through her veins. Not stomach-growling hunger, more like chase-something-down-and-kill-it hunger.
Sweet Jesus!
Panic soared inside her. She looked at Myles. “Am I a vampire?”
“No. But you may feel the desire to feed.”
Relief calmed her out-of-control pulse for the moment. “Because you need to.”
“Yes.” He nodded.
“Why do I know that?”
Myles expression grew even more somber. “I gave you my blood to heal you. Otherwise, you would’ve died.”
Drink. She remembered Myles’s voice in the darkness. Overriding the pain.
Remembered a hot, coppery liquid in her mouth.
Myles’s blood. I drank his blood.
Her gorge rose, but she forced it down. She couldn’t afford to collapse in hysterics right now. She needed answers.
“Okay, but why do I know what you’re feeling?”
“The blood has forged a link between us. It allows you to experience my emotions.”
“So I know what you’re feeling?”
Myles gave a slow, sharp nod. “Yes.”
Omigod.
Breena tightened her hold on her t-shirt. “Forever?”
“No.” Myles hesitated and inched away from her on the bed. “The blood-bond will fade.”
Well, thank God for small favors.
Orin sucked in a deep breath. She looked at him then back at Myles. “What the hell happened? Why did I even need your blood?”
Orin stepped closer to the bed, despite Myles’s deadly glare. “We were in a car accident, baby.”
A rush of anger whipped through Breena’s core. Myles did not like Orin calling her that.
Frankly, she kind of liked knowing Myles was jealous. About damn time she knew what he was feeling. Of course, actually feeling what he felt didn’t seem like something she’d want to do for any length of time. It was hard enough battling her own demons.
She forced down the extra ration of crazy cruising through her body, thanks to Myles’s blood, apparently, and focused on Orin. “Didn’t seem like an accident to me. You were talking to someone. What was that all about? And why the hell didn’t you just poof me out of the car?”
Orin towered over Myles. The preternatural looked like a lion about to spring on his prey. “I need to speak to Breena. Alone.”
Myles stood, arms crossed. “I won’t leave her with you.” He scowled at Orin.
Breena slapped her palm on the mattress. “Look at me, Myles.”
He did.
“Orin told me what he is.” She glared at Myles. “He won’t hurt me.”
Myles’s eyes began to darken, but didn’t become Orin’s pitch black. Instead, they turned scarlet. Even the whites.
Oh God.
He was so angry. She felt it. She wanted to look away but couldn’t.
“Is this the guy?” Myles shot a terrifying look in Orin’s general direction.
“Yeah.” She twisted the bottom of the t-shirt. That look on Myles scared the bejesus out of her.
A vein bulged on the vampire’s neck before he brought his attention back to her. His gaze landed on the slight movement of her fingers working the hem of the shirt. He inhaled deeply and shut his eyes. Tight. When they opened they were his normal steel-blue, whites intact.
Rage still burned deep inside Breena, almost as if the emotion belonged to her.
“Give us a few minutes alone,” the preternatural asked the vampire. “Please.”
When did my life become about preternaturals, vampires and witches? Damn.
“Why, so you can finish her off in my own home?” Myles fumed, staring daggers at Orin.
Why was Myles so angry? What hadn’t Orin told her?
“I won’t hurt her, vampire. I only want the chance to explain.” Orin shook his head. “For the hundredth time, I didn’t hurt your–”
“Don’t,” Myles snapped. Breena felt the pain and anger radiate off him. “Don’t say it.”
He closed the distance between him and Orin, the movement so quick she didn’t even see it happen.
“It’s okay, Myles. Give us a few. I want to hear him out.”
“Bree, he’s an–”
“I need to hear him out.” She sounded so matter-of-fact, much calmer than she actually felt.
“Here.” Myles tugged the copper ring off his finger, handed it to her. He’d been very protective with it before. What had changed?
“I can’t take this.”
“You can until I come back. If the unnatural tries anything, slap him across the face. Copper is to preternaturals what a wooden stake is to vampires, or silver to werewolves.”
Breena raised a brow.
“It’ll hurt him.” Myles shot a threatening glance at Orin. “I won’t be far and I will know if you need me.”
“How…” Breena asked.
Myles headed for the doorway. “The blood.”
“Myles, wait.”
He looked back at her.
“Thank you.” For a fleeting second she wondered if he would realize she meant for saving her and not just for leaving.
A slight smile curled Myles’s lip. “Always.” He knew.
Then the vampire disappeared. She didn’t even hear the door close behind him.
Breena stood. “What did Myles mean about finishing me off?” With a tight grip, she held the huge ring in place around her finger.
“I’m the queen’s assassin.”
“And I’m the target?” The assignment, she realized.
“Yes.” At least Orin had the decency to look ashamed.
“So our time together has been some sick game before you killed me?”
She remembered the cryptic phone call the night they’d ordered pizza and he’d poofed away. Had the caller been the same person she’d seen him talking to at the accident? She tried to recall details. Two figures in the distance. Orin and…a girl, maybe…but really she’d been in too much pain to pay attention.
“No.” He walked to her. “No, Breena. I tried to avoid this. I told her you were dead.”
“Strangely, I’m not finding that reassuring.”
He reached for her hand, but she made no mo
ve to give it to him and he seemed to droop. “I’m so sorry, baby. I wish tonight had turned out differently.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “I never wanted you to drink the vampire’s vile blood.”
“Well, wish in one hand, shit in the other–” Breena could almost hear Jenny reprimand her for the cuss-word rhyme. At times, Breena bordered on the glass-half-empty side of the cup. And when she threw the foul language into the mix, her world took a pretty dark turn. But she wanted the chance to be different. “Are you still gonna kill me?”
Orin looked hurt or disappointed. Maybe both. “If I were, Breena, you’d be dead.” He motioned for her to sit next to him.
“Well, damn. Aren’t you a sweetheart.” She didn’t budge.
“Please.” His voice was low and sensual.
She wanted to move, to go to him, to…forgive him. But, hell. Not only had he been sent to kill her, he’d kept it a secret. Even after she’d shared some of her darkest thoughts with him. How could she just let that go?
When she didn’t go to him, he came to her. She considered walking away, turning her back on him. She couldn’t.
Taking her hand in his, he brought her palm up to his lips. “I’m so sorry. I’ll figure out why she did this. She’ll pay. I promise.”
The preternatural reached up to touch her face, but she looked away from him to the bedroom window. Myles was just on the other side of the wall.
* * * *
Myles paced outside his apartment. Glancing every so often at the window…his bedroom window. With his blood coursing through her veins, Breena could read him so well now. She was right. He really did need to feed but unless a squirrel or a rabbit wandered unsuspectingly into his path, he’d just have to deal with the thirst for a while. He’d taken off his ring, which meant he had a limit of fifty feet.
Who was he kidding? Even if he did have it on, he’d suffer through starvation not to leave Breena. Especially not with that killer. God, if the unnatural laid one finger on her… What? What would he do? Damn if he didn’t keep letting Breena get hurt. She needed his protection. But no, he had just let her go off on a date with that…that bastard. Okay, fine. He didn’t know that was who she’d gone out with. Regardless. He didn’t want her with anyone. It’d been hard enough after she’d been with the computer guy. He’d paid for not returning her calls…for breaking her heart.
That’s what Orin Heider would do. Use her. Break her heart. And then…kill her. Myles stopped in front of a cement picnic table and ripped the bench from the base. He threw it toward the graveyard, holding on to a roar of rage with the last of his control.
No.
No way in hell would that soul-sucking parasite get the chance to hurt Breena. In any way. He forced himself to take a deep breath. If he gave in to the fury even the pills wouldn’t be able to keep him from the darkest part of his nature. Losing himself now wouldn’t help Breena. He unclenched his fists. Took another breath.
When he turned he saw the hole where the bench used to be.
Shit.
He’d have to replace it. And check the graveyard for damage. He sighed. But not now. He had more important things to mull over. Resuming his pacing, he caught a glimpse of movement in his bedroom window. One shadow moved closer to another.
God dammit, Orin was in his room with Breena…on his bed. What were they doing? Was he touching her? If he touched her… Myles clenched his fists.
Breena couldn’t expect this from him. This waiting. Not knowing. He couldn’t take it. Not one more second of it.
* * * *
Breena squeezed her eyes closed and fisted her hands at her sides. Holy hell, she wanted to kill someone. Her breath snagged in her throat. Anger pulsed through her, throbbing in her head like a demon heart. It beat inside her, faster and faster, overriding every thought, overcoming sense and sanity.
God. This wasn’t her. Make it stop!
She swallowed bile. Forced herself to concentrate on the darkness behind her eyelids. Anything.
“Are you okay?” Orin took her hands in his, uncurling her fingers.
“Seriously, what the hell was that?” She opened her eyes, wanting to feel something other than anger.
“The vampire must be pissed about something.”
“Huh?” She tried to calm her nerves.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
“The vampire must be pissed.” Orin’s voice was calm. Too calm. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Orin cradled her hand in his. “You sure?”
“Dammit, I said yes.” Breena recoiled at the sound of her own voice.
Orin didn’t even flinch. Instead, he twined his fingers with hers, and she let him.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, feeling slightly less on edge as Orin caressed her knuckles.
“I had no other choice. You were too far gone to feed.”
“On soul?” She gulped.
He nodded.
Dear Lord in Heaven.
Everything was so messed up. Yes, she counted herself lucky to be alive, but at what cost? Her independence? It was becoming clear she wasn’t fully in control of her life anymore.
“Please, baby. Say you forgive me.” His words were a gentle whisper, a plea matched by the sorrow in his gaze.
Looking into those pale-green eyes, she fell over their golden edge. Thoughts of his mouth on hers cast her anger aside. Remembering the surprising softness of his lips, the heat of his kiss, the relief it brought, she leaned forward. Before she could make the memory reality, a blast of anger and jealousy seared through her, scalding hot and overwhelming.
Suddenly, Myles stood in front of them. His presence filled the room, drew Breena’s attention to him. The look in his eyes was bitter, angry.
“I think it’s time for you to leave, soul sucker.” The vampire loomed above Orin, fangs extended. Never before had Myles looked so jealous. She had to admit, a rush of heat spread through her.
Orin poofed next to Myles, standing not quite eye-to-eye. The vamp had a few inches on him. They stared each other down in a supernatural standoff.
Orin spoke first. “She’s mine, vampire.”
“She doesn’t love you.”
How the hell would Myles know who she loved? He wasn’t feeling her emotions…was he?
Wait a minute, I’ve had his blood, but he hasn’t had mine. Right?
Orin looked at her with dark, hungry eyes before facing Myles again. “She will. I can take away her pain.” As Orin turned back to Breena, Myles punched him square in the jaw, knocking the preternatural to the floor.
“You won’t take anything from her.” Myles clenched his fist. He wanted to strike again. Breena knew it. So why didn’t he?
She’d never seen this side of Myles before. She hadn’t realized how much pent up power flowed through him until his muscles rippled from the punch. His fangs glistened. His body hardened. In that moment, Breena realized he was as much a killer as Orin.
The preternatural poofed directly into the vampire’s face. “I’ll take whatever she gives me.”
Chapter 11
From the way Myles was hissing, the fighting ante would get upped any second if she didn’t stop them.
“Hey!” she shouted. “First off, I am not anyone’s. I don’t belong to either of you. I am my own person. Second, no one is gonna take anything from me.”
“Not if I can help it.” Myles glanced at her then back at Orin. If looks could kill, Orin would’ve been a drained, limp body lying on the floor.
“Dammit! Shut the hell up. Both of you. I’ve had enough. I’m done.”
Without as much as a backward glance, she walked out of the bedroom, down the hall to the bathroom, and left the squabbling supernatural duo to gawk after her.
Once she’d taken off Myles’s ring, she examined the top. The engraving consisted of two curly letters: WC. Was Myles part of the Witches’ Council?
Right now she didn’t want to think about what that would mean. She almos
t locked the door, but what was the point? If two supernatural beings wanted to get in, they would. Instead she turned on the shower and adjusted the temperature until steam filled the room. She stripped out of his t-shirt, tossed it onto the floor, along with her bra and undies, then stepped in and pulled the curtain shut.
Lifting her face to the water, she tried to let it drum out her thoughts. Her life had suddenly zipped down the fast-track to crazy town with no chance of an alternate stop. When would things ever make sense again? The answer slammed into her so profoundly that she shivered, despite the hot water spraying on her.
Never. Things would never make sense again. She was some kind of supernatural half-and-half. Her sort of boyfriend–they’d been out on a couple dates and they’d kissed, which counted–turned out to be a preternatural assassin who’d lied to her about orders to kill her. Orders from a queen.
Why would a queen want her dead?
She’d found out her closest friend was a vampire who’d also lied to her. Well, he hadn’t really lied, he’d withheld the truth. Same difference, right?
To make matters more complicated, Orin wasn’t the only one who was supposed to kill her. Did she have a price on her head or something? And would somebody please spill the deal on the Witches’ Council? Who were they? Why did Myles’s ring have a WC on it?
Don’t forget the blood, her Myles-slash-spidey-sense reminded her. His blood in her veins pulsed with anger, annoyance and horniness.
Well, holy hell, she could relate. A nice long walk outside would help. She pictured the Rhodhiss dam. Her dam. She’d walked beside the river and climbed the ladder up the dam many times. Right now, she yearned for the cool breeze to caress her skin. Especially during the summer, the top of the dam had always been the perfect place to think and escape the heat. Not that she was looking to cool down, mind you, but she sure could use a place to think. A place that was hers...away from the two supes.
Standing here in the shower did nothing but make her pruney. She’d spent so long under the spray even her palms had gone wrinkly.
She turned off the water, wrapped a towel around her body. Great. No clean clothes.
“Bree?” Myles knocked though she wasn’t sure why he bothered–she knew he stood out there.
“Yeah?”
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