by Jeni Burns
"Does she belong to the wolf?"
"Ronin?" She gave it some consideration. "Yeah. Ronin might have something to do with it. Why? How could he play into all this? He's had plenty of chances to hurt any of us if he wanted to. Instead, he's been helpful around the house and even doing minor repair work at the shop. We all figured a proposal would be coming soon."
The thought of a wolf having such easy access to his mate made his fangs tickle his lips as they descended from his gums.
"Wolves cannot be trusted, Kara."
"Put the fangs away. Ronin isn't a threat. If he was, I'd know."
"Like you knew your friend was a wolf?" His challenge to her indigent tone did little to change his mind on the matter. "Promise me you will use caution around him. If he's been talking your cousin into auctioning your finds to the wolves, he could be filtering the stones to the pack."
"This is the first item I've found in years with a stone of any sort in it. Most of the time I'm paid to find lost things. Trinkets. Keys. Artwork. Mementos that only the client would care about. This is the first major item I've been hired for." She shrugged and sidestepped around him, careful to keep her satchel away from him as she slid behind the wheel.
"Love," he warned, "we can't ignore the idea that Ronin works for the pack trying to kill you." Try as he might, he couldn't keep the disgust he felt from coating the wolf's name on his lips.
She buckled her seat belt and closed the door, narrowly missing him. She mouthed 'sorry' before she put the car in gear and drove off.
Shit. Chasing her was going to be the death of him. As it was, the sun was high in the sky and draining his reserves. His last real meal flashed in his memory. Too many days ago and the deer wasn't enough to keep him out running in the sun all day long.
His phone would have to be the lifeline he resorted to. He keyed in the number and hit 'call'.
"Fiona? It's Leo. I need your help."
"Leo." She drew out his name caressing each syllable like a lover stroking up each delicate vertebra with their tongue. "Whatever can I do for you, darling?"
"I need a snack and a ride."
"Oh, Leo, you tease. I will happily provide you with both. I'm glad to hear you've finally given up on that human."
He regretted his word choice. "Fi, don't get the wrong idea." He pressed a hand to his brow and tried to conjure words that wouldn't offend her completely. "I need you to come get me. I've been out too long in the sun and I'm getting weak. Please." He hated adding the plea, but without it, the chances of her showing up dwindled. "Also, can you tell Julian I know where the brooch is?"
"Ooo! He'll be so pleased to hear you'll be able to deliver it. He's been droning on and on about needing the halves of that ruby and the pieces of snowflake obsidian to have more stones than the wolves."
"Yeah. I know." Guilt gathered in his gut. "So, come pick me up and once I have some energy, we can get it before it changes hands again. Okay?"
"Absolutely. If Julian hears I helped get the gem, maybe he'll finally change me."
The wistful tone only added to his guilt. He suspected deep down his boss's human assistant knew the promise of making her a vampire was a long shot. He shook it off. There was only enough room in his head for one woman and right now, Kara needed him. Even if she was too stubborn to admit it.
"I'm in the suburbs. Blauvelt Blvd. You know it?"
"Nope, but I'll find it on the GPS and be there Aye-sap."
She disconnected the call before he could remind her to grab a blood bag. He made his way down the block, pausing beneath a tree to let the shade sooth his skin. He'd been lucky to first meet Kara before he'd been tempted into drinking human blood which accounted for his being able to still day walk. The only blood he'd tasted from a human were the small samples of Kara's over the years. Never enough to do anything more than claim her, but still enough to know the taste was unlike any animal he'd drained.
When a sleek black sedan pulled up beside him, he pushed off the tree and slid into the tinted vehicle.
"Hey, Leo. Fancy meeting you here."
Fi must've sensed her wink was lost on him because her smile took a downward turn before she reached into a cooler on the floorboard at his feet. She handed him the cold blood pack.
"Where to?"
"Actually, I'm not sure. The woman who has the stone said something about going to a dojo, but I don't know which one."
"How many can there be?" She took her eyes off the road long enough to palm her cell and ask the AI assistant on it to pull up local dojos. "What martial arts does she do? There's more than I expected." She handed him the phone as proof.
He scrolled through the listings until one struck his fancy. "Secret Sins. Sounds more like a sex shop than a martial arts studio."
"Click the link. See what it says."
"It claims they teach Tae Kwon Do. I bet she's there. Turn right up here," he directed.
"Is it that place? Above the gentleman's club?" A stain of color spread across her cheeks.
"Seems to be." He pointed to an alleyway. "There's got to be parking down there. No way they wouldn't have a back door." The color on Fi's face darkened.
Sure enough, the little green car was parked in a spot behind the building with a bunch of other vehicles. "Park there." He pointed to an empty spot two slots from the dead wolf's car. "If a woman gets in that car while I'm inside, follow her. Got it?"
"But what about you?"
He pulled the plug from the bag and gulped the contents. "I'll be fine," he reassured. "But we can't lose her. Promise me."
She nodded.
He couldn't help but want to wipe the eager look from her face. If she knew there was a pack of dangerous werewolves also chasing Kara, she'd probably have the decency to look less excited and more cautious. But telling her would tip his hand and possibly put his mate in danger.
He shook away the image of Kara and Fiona tangled in battle. Julian's assistant might appear meek and agreeable, but he'd seen her accuracy with both bullets and blades.
"Oh, and if anything happens to her, we lose the stone. Keep her safe." He stepped from the car and the smell of wolves assaulted his senses. This wasn't any martial arts studio and club, this was wolf-pack business. Before he could think it through, Fi rolled down his window and ducked so she could meet his gaze.
"You got it, boss. Follow and keep her safe." Fi smiled, reached under the seat, and withdrew a sleek handgun that she brandished with confidence. "I'll keep her in my sights," she promised with a wink.
He was screwed.
8
Daytime Quickie
Kara searched her locker for the third time and still no ring. Damn. Where was it? She ignored the sounds of the sparing class going on in the gym and plopped on the ground. If Leo had been right, she needed that ring more now than ever.
The locker room door hinges squeaked.
"Hey, K. I thought I saw you come in here. Is everything okay?"
The silhouette of her master shrank the room with his presence. "Hey, Mack. I lost something and I thought maybe I left it here in my locker." She dropped her gaze from his.
"Sorry to hear that. Anything I might've seen?"
"A ring. Simple setting with a black stone that has a small white mark on it. Kinda like a snowflake."
"Ah, snowflake obsidian. Beautiful stone for a witch to wear."
Every nerve ending flared to life. "What did you say?" She pulled her feet beneath her and prepared to leap.
"I think you heard me." He stepped farther into the room, letting the door close fully behind him. "A witch's protection stone. Right? I've noticed it before, but when you took it off last week, you glowed. Actually glowed, K. Which makes me think, you're definitely a witch and you know exactly what I am."
His words muffled as his mouth elongated. Sharp teeth descended, jaws snapped. Mack's clothes fell to the ground in a tattered mess of shredded cloth and in his place stood a grey wolf. Its eyes glowed amber, staring her down
until she bowed her head. In the pile of cloth beneath him, something silver caught her eye. Her ring! He must've been carrying it in his pocket.
"Master." She gave a quick peek to see if her acknowledgment captured the wolf's attention. When the wolf raised its head, she knelt before it as her brain raced to find any words that might get her out of this alive.
"I have the brooch. It's yours if I can leave here with my life and ring." She bowed her head once more and waited for any inkling of a compromise. The noise in the gym stopped beyond the door sending her heart into overdrive.
"Where's Kara?" Leo's voice boomed in the gym and sent Mack's fur on end.
No, no, no.
Mack turned on his haunches and launched himself through the door and into the gym. Jumping to her feet, Kara raced after him, grabbing her ring from the floor as she went. She rounded the corner into the main gym and stopped dead in her tracks. The room was littered with torn clothing and before her stood a snarling pack of wolves, attention focused solely on Leo.
"Hey, love." He tipped his chin in her direction. "I didn't expect to find you playing with dogs."
No words formed in her throat. Every thought she possessed died before reaching her lips. Her mind ran rampant with images of the man who kept saving her being torn to pieces by the hungry beasts between them.
"I suppose it makes sense though. A thief would hang out with a bunch of stray mutts." His eyebrow rose in silent challenge as her throat went dry. "So, boys, who's going to give me the brooch?"
With a snort, one of the wolves jumped for Leo, jaws wide, ready to feast on his flesh. Before the impact could land, Leo darted to the left and grabbed the scruff at its neck, tossing the wolf into the cement wall with a crunch. Another followed and met its end with a well-timed snap of the neck. The third, however, got lucky and latched onto his thigh, ripping at the muscle.
Kara grabbed a wooden sword off a rack and joined the male as the wolves pounced. Yelps and snarls hung in the air. With practiced ease, she swung the wooden blade, making contact with muscled, fur-covered flesh. She gouged, sinking the splintering blade deep in one wolf belly before yanking it free and aiming for another's chest. The blade broke as it scraped through the ribcage, dropping the beast at her feet.
Mack and another wolf bared down on a bloodied Leo. His back was against the wall and his ruined leg trembled beneath his weight. But the pile of dead wolves proved he held his own.
"Fight like men, instead of lowly dogs," he barked. "Earn your victory if it will be yours."
The air vibrated as the men transformed into their human forms. "Bloodsucker, you stand very little chance of survival. Give up now. Save yourself and let us have the brooch."
"See, the funny thing is, without this," he reached into his pocket and brandished out the ring. "The brooch is worthless." A smug smile lit his face. As the men stepped closer, he held her gaze and puckered his lips. A last kiss.
Blood dripped down her trembling hands and realization collided into her fears. Leo's bait was a decoy so she could escape with the brooch. She couldn't let him sacrifice himself for her. Not in the wake of all the deaths today. One more needless death couldn't stain her hands and soul. Besides, if she lost him now, she'd never have the chance to really know him and see if their fates were meant to be entwined as he professed. She closed her eyes and willed her brain to remember the night he'd described.
With a few steadying breaths, she concentrated on relaxing, finding the solitude of her mind and entering the past. Her legs gave out and her body fell to the floor as she found the threshold into the dream world. She crossed without hesitation and searched through the multitude of options. Before her a door glowed red, beckoning her forward into its depths.
The room beyond was lit with moonlight, gauzy curtains blowing gently on a breeze as her eyes opened and landed on a cleanly-shaven face with the most stunning brown eyes she'd ever seen.
"Happy witching hour, my love." A tender kiss on her forehead said more than his words as his gentle accent sent licks of heat searing through her body.
She relished the ache in her legs that were tightly wound between his. "Ah, but isn't feeding time a more apt description of this hour?" Her voice sounded stilted, coated in sleep.
"Perhaps it is," he agreed. "But, tonight the only thing I wish to feast on is your luscious lips."
Her body awakened as his mouth met hers in a hungry mating. Unable to resist the urge, she threw a leg over his hips and gathered her nightgown at her waist. Her core pressed against his cotton-covered hardness as her hands explored his bare chest. Moans pierced the air followed by sighs as his fingers explored her body undeterred by the fabric covering her flesh. Soft, loving stokes sent pulses of warmth running along her nerve endings.
"I've waited too many lifetimes for this moment, my love. Don't make me wait any longer. Say you'll be mine. Forever."
"Forever is a long time, Leo."
"We can have forever, my love. All you need to do is say you want it too and I will make it so."
"I'm yours. Always."
Her heart swelled with emotion. This version of herself knew him differently than she did, she could feel it in the way her heart skipped and her lips curled so easily. Leo wasn't only a vampire, he was a man in love. A man in love with her. A realization washed over her in a wave of panic. She'd given him nothing but pain for so many years and still he searched for her time and time again. The love he offered her was more genuine and true than any in books and movies. How could she ignore it and keep walking away?
His fingers caressed her skin in the lightest of touches while his lips tracked kisses along her neck and clavicle derailing her train of thought. His breath tickled her, bringing a smile to her face while she relished in the bliss his attention provided. Never had she witnessed such tender affection from a beast as powerful as a vampire. In this moment she believed he not only loved her, but cherished her and would stop at nothing to ensure her happiness.
Moments later, the cool breeze caressed her skin as her nightgown fluttered the floor and his lips seized her breast. Her back arched and the wetness at her core began to seep through his evening trousers.
"You tease me, love. Don't make me beg for your salvation. Take what you want and know I'll give you eternity in return."
Kara sat back on her haunches and undid the buttons holding his manhood back. The back of her hand grazed his cool flesh and marveled at how hardness mixed with his soft skin to create the perfect plaything for pleasure.
She took him in her hand and gave a firm stroke. Two more and a bead of moisture appeared at the tip while he shuddered beneath her. With a quick flick of her tongue, she sampled what he offered before loosening her grip.
"Mmmm. Don't resist, my love. Allow me to provide you with all the pleasure you want." He caressed her hips, coaxing her back up his body until her slit was aligned with his shaft.
"Leo." His name was a salve for what ailed her. A plea for pleasure. A promise for a future. She placed her hands on his chest to steady herself as he guided his prick to her opening. A gentle upward thrust of his hips rolled her eyes closed.
"Look at me." The soft command warmed her.
Her lashes fluttered open and their gazes locked as she released her restraint and sank onto his flesh. Finding the means to her pleasure took no longer than his lips did in finding the sensitive spots along her skin. Together they rode one another's bodies as if the simple act alone could offer them a long-awaited salvation. When theirs bodies trembled with fatigue, exhausted, and sated, she laid beside him with her head on his chest. As her eyes drifted closed, she felt the brush of something cool along her left ring finger.
Mission accomplished, she clawed her way back from the peaceful bliss of the dream and forced her mind back to the present. This symbol of his love was her only chance of saving them both. It had to work. She opened her eyes, back in the gym as if no time had passed at all. Her sweet Leo was gone, replaced by a vampire fighting fo
r his life.
After all the lifetimes of him trying to save her, it was her turn to save him.
The gym floor cracked as the three men thrashed about. Grunts and yowls echoed in the space. Kara ignored her body's demand for rest. Two dream walking episodes in less than twelve hours was too much for her body to handle without rest and sustenance, but her life and the lives of too many others depended on her. With thoughts of Julia and Linds in her mind, she pried herself off the mats and tried to get to her feet.
Staggering, she caught herself on the wooden bar that ran along one wall for stretching. Her left hand vibrated in time with the bag across her body. She removed the ring Leo had slid on her finger and reached inside the bag to remove the brooch. With both pieces in her palm, the room stilled as if time stopped. Each piece shivered from the metal castings holding them until the stones joined together.
In a flash of light, the stone warmed her skin with its magic. Voices of unseen spirits called to her, begging her to accept their offering. Promising her protection with the simple possession.
"Say yes," a voice chided from nearby. "Say yes." A chorus of the demand rose around her, circling and spinning. Each voice part of the collective, yet still singular in its intention.
The metal fastenings fell from her hand as she gripped the stone in her fingers. The heat of it seared, burning her fingertips. A cry caught in her throat.
"Say yes. Say yes. Say yes."
With one last glance at everything familiar to her, she closed her eyes and whispered, "yes."
9
Blood Dreams
Light exploded from the back of the gym as the men fell on him. Leo blinked into it, teeth bared as he fought for his life. From the corner of his eye, he saw an arm with a grey claw aimed for his chest. Unable to defend against the attack, he gritted his teeth and braced for the pain.
Instead of the expected impact, a cry cut through the room. The light grew and coated everything it touched with white heat.
