Daniel knew that Serena was a vix. Well, almost. The same drug that had ruled his mind could affect her. There was also the fact that most of the drugs that affected witches might still affect her. He had no idea how her becoming a vix would change that.
“It’s not me he seems to hate, to blame. I think he thinks I’m just a fool you’re going to use and discard. He has a real grudge against you and the Vampire Council.” She lifted her head and looked at him.
He’d known that they’d get around to explaining Daniel’s remarks eventually. She was right. Daniel hated the Council and he considered Marcus the personification of the Council’s edicts.
“Daniel got away with his killings for a while. We thought another rogue was in the area, one we had a name for. It wasn’t until that fiend was caught in another state that we realized there was an unknown rogue in the city. Eventually we found Daniel.” He grimaced. There had been plenty of clues but they’d been so focused on the other man that they’d missed them. He felt guilty and responsible. People had died because of that mistake. He should have seen it earlier.
“Why does he think the Council is corrupt? That they used him and then dropped him when he wasn’t useful?” She propped her head on her hand and watched him. She seemed just curious.
“Because they didn’t appreciate his skills,” Marcus couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Daniel’s whining and claims of persecution got on Marcus’ nerves.
“His skills? I know he worked for the Council, but what didn’t they appreciate? Was he a hunter?” she asked.
“For maybe a week he worked as a hunter. He’d made it through the training but he didn’t work well with others. When he nearly got himself killed by a rogue chasing after him alone, he was put on a probationary period. Less than a week later he ran after a rogue again, leaving his backup behind. This time, he wasn’t the one hurt.” Marcus could feel the tension building inside him as he thought about that night.
“How badly was the man hurt?” Serena’s hand rubbed in slow circles over his chest.
He found the move more comforting than he would have thought. Grinning, he silently admitted he liked her touching him. Most of the time she didn’t even seem to think about it. Her hands reached for him almost instinctively. That gave him hope. He wanted more than just her body. It was after their mission finished that concerned him. Just from her attitude and a few things she’d said, he knew she considered their living arrangements temporary. She’d probably leave the day they caught Daniel. He’d have liked to ask her to move in with him but thought he should probably wait to do that. Her life was changing very fast. It might be too much too soon. They had time. He didn’t intend to walk away from her or let her just walk away from him. She might think this was only an affair but he had other plans.
“He spent about three weeks in the clinic. Four days under around-the-clock observation. He’ll have scars and it isn’t that easy to scar a vampire.” Marcus could still remember the blood and the deep wounds. Roger was still having trouble adjusting to the marks on his face and body.
“So was Daniel kicked out of the hunters?” She turned and rested half on his chest. With her chin propped onto her arm, she looked comfortable, curious and a little sleepy.
“He was transferred to non-fighting position. He was supposed to gather information. He actively looked for ways to involve himself in the fight and disobeyed several orders from the Council.” Marcus stroked his fingers through her hair.
“So they finally fired him or whatever it is the Council does to those who won’t follow their orders.” She drummed her fingers on his chest.
“He was discharged. Daniel didn’t take it well. He went into a rage and did some vandalism to Council members’ property. Most of them decided to ignore it and let him come to terms with his situation. After a while, he stopped and they thought he’d found something else to do.” Marcus yawned and looked over at her. He caught her fingers to stop the action. “Aren’t you sleepy?”
“A little but I also want to know why he has such a grudge against you. Don’t try to tell me he doesn’t. It’s obvious he does.” She gave him what was probably supposed to be a serious frown.
That expression looked more pouty and sexy to him than serious and determined. He wasn’t going to tell her that. He didn’t want to get into an argument with her about it. He stroked his hands up her back in a slow, soothing rhythm.
“I recommended he be taken out of the hunters after the first incident. I’m not on the Council but I head the hunters in North Dallas,” Marcus said.
“They obviously didn’t take your advice. So what’s his problem?” Serena’s elbow dug into his chest as she levered up.
He tugged her back down. “Be still, that’s not comfortable. I didn’t stop saying it. He thinks I’m responsible for the Council finally acting. That I ruined his career and his relationship with his family.”
“I can see the blame for the career. He’s not right but that part is at least semi-understandable. But the ruining his relationship with his family, that sounds crazy.” She trailed her fingers down his ribs. A rippling, tingling sensation followed the trail.
He grabbed her hand again. Was she trying to find his most ticklish spot? Because she was certainly doing a good job of it. Giving her his most serious frown, he put her hand back on his chest. If she continued her exploration, they’d both be awake for much longer. He could already feel his cock hardening.
“Family tradition. Every male in his family has been a hunter for at least four generations. When he was discharged, that was ended and his family didn’t take the news well. I don’t think they’ve talked to him since that day.” Marcus frowned.
“The Council’s version of dishonorable discharge. So he’s been cut off from his support and generally has been out to make the hunters look like fools out of revenge.” She pursed her lips and her brow furrowed.
His thumb smoothed the skin just over her nose, easing away the wrinkles. “That’s been what we think his main goal is. Are you ready to go to sleep yet?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No. How often do vampires get pregnant? I know it’s theoretically possible. It’s more difficult than for a human or a witch, right?”
“It is more difficult and doesn’t happen often. It’s sort of a balance for our long life.” He turned onto his side and pulled her against him.
“There must have been times when it seemed like a curse. I know vampires have been hunted even longer than witches have,” she whispered. Her lips were turned down slightly.
He slipped his arm beneath her head, one of her favorite sleeping positions. She didn’t seem to be sad or even worried. He thought the question might be simple curiosity. Not surprising, considering she was turning and after what had happened earlier tonight.
“There were times when in vampire history it would have been nice to not have such difficulties. Even though most of the humans who hunted vampires killed other humans for the most part, they did get a few true vampires.”
“And the usual male fighting took out some others.” Her eyes blinked drowsily.
He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Sometimes. Go to sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”
“All right but we will talk.” She snuggled closer, her leg lifting over his. Her eyes closed. It seemed only a few moments before her breath slowed becoming more rhythmic.
Chapter Twelve
Business as usual, Serena thought looking around the bar.
They’d rejoined the hunt for Daniel yesterday but no one had seen the rogue since the night Marcus had been hurt. Serena knew the peace wouldn’t last. Daniel wouldn’t be satisfied with feeding from his donors. He’d want to kill again. If he couldn’t get to someone in one of the clubs, he might just attack one of his allies or someone on the street. They had to stop him, before he went on an unpredictable rampage. It was only a matter of time before he got tired of taunting the other vampires. If he was going to stop, he would have done
it already. It might have started as revenge against the Council and his family but something had obviously changed.
“Stop scowling. You’re not blending in with the crowd.” Marcus leaned closed to whisper in her ear.
“Blend in with the crowd. Daniel knows about us.” She shook her head. “If he’s still wanting to taunt you, he’ll show up. If not, we’ll probably hear about his next move in the news.”
“He’s not ready to go to that level yet. He’s had too much success taunting and playing with us.” Marcus relaxed in the seat at a corner table. He blended fairly well with the jean-clad crowd at this dance club, although he looked and was older than most of the people here.
“You sound very certain of that. I’m tired of feeling like a fool and Daniel slipping out of rooms and areas loaded with vampires and Protectorate hunters. How does he do that anyway?” Serena cupped her hands around the tall, slim glass of soda.
“Vampire tricks. An experienced vampire would sense a vampire shimmer but not all our teams have a vampire with them at all times.” He lifted his glass and took a slow drink. “You’ll learn them once your conversion is complete and you’ve had time to get used to the basics.”
She grimaced. She was trying hard not think about the basics of being a vampire. Things like actually drinking blood still gave her shivers of revulsion. Maybe drinking blood would seem more appealing after the full conversion but right now she couldn’t get past her mental block. The thought turned her stomach. She had felt the urge to bite him but she really hadn’t thought about what the biting would necessarily lead to until after the feeling had passed.
“My conversion isn’t in question. Catching Daniel is. Now could I sense some of those vampire tricks?” She tilted her head.
“If you were working with a human partner and you were certain there were no other vampires near, you probably could feel him do it. You aren’t going to be alone. Daniel would just love to get some time alone with you again.” Marcus shook his head firmly. Just the look in his eyes was a denial.
She knew he was right about Daniel wanting revenge. The rogue wouldn’t hesitate to attack if she was in a vulnerable position near him. Vampire tricks had let him escape. She couldn’t stop him from using them. She had no idea how the vampires did them or whether the power came from a type of magic.
Magic. Damn it, I’m a complete idiot. She would have raged at herself a little more but she knew she had things to do. There was a way to catch him but she’d have to push him. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do this alone or until he arrived. She’d need help.
Serena pulled out her phone and dialed a number. Waiting as the phone rang, she impatiently drummed her fingers on the table. Just when she thought that maybe Claire wasn’t going to answer, a faint click sounded as the call was answered.
“Hello, Serena,” Claire’s voice said softly. She sounded a little sleepy.
Serena couldn’t hold back a smile. Claire was notorious for checking caller ID.
“Hi Claire, I think I might need some help with a case I’m working on for the Protectorate. You won’t be actively involved in the mission. I’ve got an idea and I’ll need some help at the end of it if it works.” Serena relaxed back in the chair and waited for her friend’s answer. She was relatively sure Claire would help her but if she didn’t, Serena knew she could find someone else to help her with this.
Marcus’ hand touched her arm. She looked up and saw him frowning at her. He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head, obviously expecting some kind of answer. She held up her hand in a signal for him to wait. He didn’t look too happy about it but he settled back into his chair. She knew he didn’t like not knowing what she planned.
“Of course, I’ll help. When do you need me? What do you need me to do? Should I be with you when you do it?” Claire sounded a little stunned.
“Thanks, Claire. No, you can’t be with me. I’ll need your help from outside.” Serena twirled a strand of hair around her finger as she talked.
“Ah it’s that kind of help. Sure, I’ll be ready if you need me. Just call me if you happen to get your chance.” Claire laughed.
“Thanks. If this works, I’m going to need someone. It might be a little on the late side when I call,” Serena cautioned.
“No problem. You know I tend to be up later than most. You probably won’t be waking me up.” Claire sounded cheerful. “If it’s tonight, you definitely won’t be waking me. I feel very creative at the moment.”
Serena smiled. “I’ll call you when I need help.”
“Okay, it sounds like you’re going to have an interesting night. I’ll talk to you tomorrow afternoon if I don’t hear from you before then,” Claire said easily.
“Thanks again, Claire. Bye.” Serena flipped her phone closed and stuffed it into her purse. She looked up to find Marcus watching her.
“Claire is your friend and a witch, I take it. Why are you thinking of bringing in outside help without talking to me first?” His eyes narrowed and she could tell he wanted an explanation.
The arrogance stamped into that expression made her want to cut that attitude down just a bit. “She won’t be helping catch Daniel. She’ll be helping me after he’s caught. If my plan works. If it doesn’t she won’t ever be involved.”
“What plan and why would you need help? I’m not about to let anything happen to you.” Marcus sounded offended.
“I don’t think anything’s going to happen to me. My plan…” She looked around to see if anyone was close enough to hear them talking. “I can’t do much about those freaky vampire tricks. I don’t know enough about how it’s done to say if my magic would even have an effect on it. I can do something about his magic.”
“That’s why you’re here, to keep him from using his magic.” Marcus gave her a pointed look. “You’ve been doing it since you joined the hunt. What’s going to be different now?”
She rolled her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t been specific enough about what she could do but he should know that she meant more than that. “What I mean is that I can keep him from getting away but he’s got to use his magic first.”
“You can stop him from escaping?” He tilted his head.
His entire body tensed and she could see that he wasn’t in the mood for any kind of delay. She wasn’t going to draw out her answer. This wasn’t the time to play teasing games.
“If he uses his magic, I can stop him from leaving. It will be up to you vampires to control him after I do it.” She met his eyes. She’d explain later that she’d be stopping herself from leaving, using any magic at all.
“He hasn’t been shy about using his magic. I think he likes testing himself against you.” He relaxed and tossed a smile at her.
Serena didn’t know if that was true but she doubted it would be easy to get Daniel to use his magic. Even if she managed to lock him into a room, stopping and catching him wouldn’t be easy. Daniel wouldn’t just surrender once he was trapped. He’d probably rip the place apart before the other vampires managed to wrestle him down to the ground.
She wanted to get this finished but almost as if Daniel knew she was eager to find him, he didn’t show that night. She went back to the apartment with Marcus feeling a little depressed. She looked over at Marcus as she dropped onto the couch. She suddenly realized that if they had caught Daniel tonight, there would be no reason for her to be here with him. They would both have been able to go back to their homes. She licked her lips. This might be the last time they were together like this. There wouldn’t be any danger. She didn’t know if he’d even want to continue seeing her.
“Come here.” She slowly unbuttoned her shirt. If this was her last chance to be with him, she was going to savor every moment she had with him.
“In the mood to give orders, are you?” His lips tilted in a slow smile and he walked over to her. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet.
“No, I’m in the mood for you.” She pressed her hips against his and slipped her arms around his
waist. “Anyway I can get you. What do you want?”
He drew her lower lip between his and sucked at it for a moment. She moaned as tingles spread over her. She loved the way he touched her as if he couldn’t get enough. No matter how much he touched her, he seemed to want more. His tongue slid over her lips. She relaxed against him, responding eagerly. His taste flooded into her. She loved that. Need tightened low in her belly. She nipped at his lips. Her hands slid up his shirt and worked at the buttons of his shirt.
“I want you in bed.” His hand tugged off her open shirt, letting it fall to the floor.
She trailed her tongue along his neck. A tremor shook his body. His head fell back and a groan rumbled in his chest. Her feet left the ground as his hands tightened on her buttocks. She smiled in triumph at drawing such a strong reaction. She wanted him to need this as much as she did.
“Let’s get to bed, then.” She nibbled at his neck and wrapped her thighs around his waist.
He drew in a sharp breath and began striding toward the bedroom. She drew her nails over his back. If she had her way, he’d remember this night long after he left her. She felt something wild uncurl inside her.
When he put her on the bed, she came to her knees and pulled off the rest of her clothes quickly. He unbuckled his pants and kicked out of his shoes. In a rush of movement, he stripped out of his pants and pulled off his socks. She moved, giving him space as he climbed onto the mattress. She pushed him onto his back. He let himself fall onto the soft sheets. A husky laugh rumbled from him. He pushed a condom into her palm. She rolled it onto his cock. Concentrating for a moment to channel her magic, she held out her palm. A small thin rod appeared in her hand.
Marcus raised his brows at the sight of the rod. “Are you thinking of using that on me?” He looked more than a little dubious about the idea.
She grinned. “That does sound interesting but no. You’re going to touch me with it. I’ve got my own tricks. I thought you might want to play too. I can always send it away if you don’t want it.”
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