by Trina M. Lee
“Do you think they're here?” Shaz' question broke the silence that had fallen as we drove. I glanced over at him in the passenger seat. He looked ready and eager.
“I don't know. I can feel their energy but I'm not sure if it's lingering or if it means they are here right now.” With my hand on the door handle, my heart began to pound. I had a sick feeling that I didn't want to know what these wolves wanted with Raoul. “Only one way to find out.”
I met Shaz in front of the car, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if I should hang back and let him take the lead or not. My instinct was to charge ahead and kick the door down.
Yet, I didn't want to steal his thunder or make him feel inferior. He decided for me by motioning for me to go first. He hung back behind me, scouring the night all around us.
Picking my way along the icy sidewalk, I was struck with the energy of an Alpha wolf. It hit me hard, like a punch in the gut. Alpha Weres rarely went uninvited into the territory of another. Though the big city wasn't our domain the way Stony Plain was, there was no other Alpha pair anywhere near here that could match us. Clearly, this guy didn't care who he offended.
“There is an Alpha wolf here,” I whispered. “Be ready for anything.”
Shaz nodded and sniffed the air. “I can smell him.”
Before I'd raised my hand to knock, the motel room door swung open. A tall, burly man with a few days worth of stubble glared out at us. Oh, joy. From the looks of his jacket, we'd caught him on his way out.
His energy was drawn to me like a magnet. It was strong and dark. He was our Alpha alright. I stopped suddenly, Shaz at my back.
“Coming to check out the new guy in town?” He sneered at us. “Well don't worry.
I'm not here to disrupt your pack or challenge for your territory. I'm just looking for a man.”
“Raoul Roberts,” I said, making careful eye contact. I didn't want to give him the impression that I was trying to instigate anything.
His eyes widened ever so slightly, almost imperceptible. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder and two others in the motel room came to flank him. A scar beneath his right eye caught my attention. Werewolves rarely scarred.
“What's it to you?” His growl was almost wordless, and I tensed. The other two seemed to be awaiting his command.
“He's dead.” I spoke with forced casualness. He'd know I wasn't lying. Due to the chemical changes in the brain during a lie, werewolves could smell it. “He's been dead for almost seven months already.”
The lead wolf stared at me until I thought my knees would buckle under the weight of his gaze. His eyes moved to Shaz for a split second, then back to me. “You didn't kill him, did you little wolf?”
Ok, I may be short, but that kind of talk was going to put him at the top of my shit list. I couldn't help the vampire energy that rose up inside me. Blame my short temper.
“I only wish,” I replied with a smile.
He clearly felt the shift in my energy though. From the confusion that passed through his eyes, he was having a hard time deciphering why it was so different. He recovered quickly, grinning in a way that turned his face into an ugly mask. I did not like anything about this guy.
“Now that's just too bad. And here I'd been hoping that I could kill him myself, right alongside that good for nothing daughter of his.”
I hoped that Shaz' poker face was better than mine was. The strange wolf's words sent a shock through my system. “Daughter?” I was a terrible actress but I was praying that I sounded surprised.
He inclined his head and stared straight into my eyes, as if he were trying to break me. I stared right back, daring him to try. The two wolves behind him stared out at us eagerly, like they were spoiling for a fight.
“She's the reason I'm here. Once I kill the bitch, then we'll be on our way. Until then, we'll try not to be a bother.” He actually started to close the door in my face but stopped suddenly. “Unless of course, you know where we can find her.”
“What do you want with her?” Shaz spoke up, his tone hard and direct. I flinched uncontrollably in response to the menace I detected beneath it.
The unwelcome Alpha looked back and forth between us. “So you do know where I can find her. Start talking.”
“She's dead, too.” I spoke too quickly, regretting the words the moment they left my lips. “I killed her.”
“You lie.” The wolf sniffed at me, making a face as if he'd smelled something sour.
“And you feel … wrong somehow. What is that?”
I felt wrong? That was more insulting than a direct insult would have been. Maybe losing control wouldn't be so bad, this time. “I guess that's what happens when you have the power of a vampire. Now, why are you looking for Zoey Roberts?” I saw no point in lying. It was doubtful that they would believe me anyway.
A frown creased the brow of the large front man. The two waiting behind him appeared to be a little frightened. Good for them. They weren't as stupid as they looked.
“Vampire … right.” He laughed in disbelief, and I smiled. “Zoey Roberts is a murderer that has earned herself a death sentence. If you're protecting her, it would be wise of you to rethink that.”
“I don't even know where she is.” There, that was the cold hard truth. “And if I did, I wouldn't tell you without a little more information.”
The guy took an angry step towards me, glaring down into my face. Shaz tensed at my back, ready to take action at a moment's notice. I smiled up into the grizzly face of the trespassing Alpha, entirely unafraid. The vampire power growing within me wouldn't allow fear of any kind.
“The Roberts bitch is going to die, whether you help me or not. She's an unpredictable half-breed that Raoul should have killed at birth. Three of my pack members are dead because of her, including my mate. And, all signs point to her heading this way.” He took yet another step into my personal space; his words became more of a snarl as he continued. “I'm here for justice. And, I will have it. Stand in my way, and I won't hesitate to take you out, too.”
My heart sunk. I was bombarded with the meaning of everything he'd just said. Of course, she had to go and kill someone that meant something to the guy. It certainly put me in an awkward position. I had no reason to protect her, but I couldn't just hand her over to him, either. Fuck!
“You wanna back off a little, buddy? Nobody is here to cause trouble.” Shaz pulled me back a step, creating space between the glowering wolf and me. I was annoyed because I'd been enjoying the close proximity, hoping it would push me over the edge.
“It looks to me like you two want to cause trouble by harboring a murderer. In my pack, wolves are held accountable for their actions, regardless of who they are. She's going to pay the price. Unless, you want to tell me that I'm wrong about that.” The wolf's eyes flashed angrily, but they were on Shaz now, not me.
I jumped in before Shaz could respond. I'd seen him fight for Alpha of our pack, and I wasn't ready to watch him take this guy on. “Here's the thing. She's not in your pack anymore. And, something tells me that she wasn't allowed to leave freely, either. Why else would she resort to murder? There was only one person she wanted dead, and now he is.” My fingertips tingled as the power sought to break free of my restraint. “So, why don't you just call it a loss and go home?”
Yeah, it wasn't the brightest idea, but what else could I say? I wanted to avoid a physical confrontation for several reasons.
If I'd been a regular werewolf, I would have been dead. I could see it in his eyes as he stared hatefully into me. He knew there was something more to me than wolf alone. It was the only thing holding him back.
I raised my hand, palm up, a psi ball burning in the center. Only those with a sixth sense could visibly see it, but any supernatural could feel it. I blew on it ever so slightly, and the psi ball burst into flame. I smiled wickedly when I sensed the fear that rolled off the two wolves backing their Alpha. Success.
The Alpha glaring daggers at me took a cautious step back
. His brown eyes bled to wolf, obliterating the whites completely. He bared fangs at me but wasn't stupid enough to do much else. He didn't have a clue who he was dealing with.
“You think I'm a complete idiot, don't you? I know who you are … Alexa O'Brien. I don't think there's a creature in this city that doesn't. Stay the hell out of my way, or I won't hesitate to take you out. Even if that means starting with the rest of your pack.”
The door slammed in my face before I could process what I'd just heard. My instinctive reaction was to blow the door off its hinges, to slaughter all of them. Ok, so they did know who they were dealing with. Now, I just had to prove that I was a threat.
It was Shaz' hand on my arm that stayed me. “Come on, Lex. Acting out right now won't do us any good. It's a public place. It's not safe.”
He led me to the car, and I went along willingly, keeping an eye on the motel room door. Nobody reappeared. They were counting on us having to leave in order to keep the peace. We had little choice. The last thing I wanted to do was draw public attention but leaving didn't sit well with me.
“So who the hell is that guy?” Shaz asked once we were headed for home. “I got the impression that he was pretty familiar with both Zoey and Raoul.”
I sighed impatiently, waiting for a traffic light to change. Now that I was in the safe confines of the car, I was vibrating with rage, wishing I'd snapped the fucker's neck.
“He's from the pack that raised Zoey, from what I can tell. Raoul entrusted her to the women of the pack. He didn't think he could raise her alone. Apparently, they couldn't handle her either.”
“Your energy is crazy hot. But, it's better that you didn't slaughter him. I know you wanted to.” He reached to brush my hair back, stroking the side of my face. His hands felt cool against my warm skin. Even though we'd been standing in the cold, I was on fire.
“Hell yeah I wanted to. It's not worth it. Not yet.” I leaned into his touch, finding comfort in the raw essence of his wolf. I wanted nothing more than to get home and wrap myself around him. The night had been painfully surprising.
Shaz' light stroking of my cheek and jaw line was reassuring. “I know this is serious because it's personal. We're going to deal with it though. Don't let it get to you.”
This man was beyond amazing. To think that I'd been worried about having him by my side as Alpha. If anything, he was far more controlled than I was and would likely do much better under pressure. The entire scenario continued to replay in my head as I drove. Talking to Shaz made me realize that I didn't have to do this alone. After the past several months, that felt really good.
I definitely needed some time to think this over. I had to decide if I was going to try to find Zoey before our visitors did, or if I was going to sit back and let nature take its course. I was emotionally involved as far as Zoey Roberts was concerned. I'd watched her kill the man that I'd loved as much as I'd hated. Did that blur my judgment? I was betting everyone close to me would say yes.
When we pulled onto my street, a cold wave swept over me. The icy chill of the grave struck me with the intensity of an aching hunger. The bloodlust quickly grew until my fangs filled my mouth as every part of me responded to my dark vampire. I felt him as if he were inside of me. I wasn't at all surprised to find Arys leaning casually against the front door of the house, an expectant expression on his beautiful face.
Chapter Six
“Kill him.”
Arys' opinion on the new werewolf in town was fully expected. Still, I shook my head in mild amusement. He appeared to be authentically surprised that Shaz and I hadn't wiped the guy out.
I ran my pinky finger along the top of my wine glass until it began to hum. When Arys' midnight blue eyes narrowed in annoyance, I stopped and smiled at him before taking a large swallow of the deep red wine. It was my third glass already, but I felt that I had an excuse.
“I wish it was that simple.” I sat in the easy chair near the living room fireplace, facing Arys and Shaz who each sat on opposite ends of the couch across from me. “I have to think about this. I don't know if I should try to find Zoey or not.”
Arys scowled. “That one should have been dead long ago. She should have been mine.” His jaw clenched as he gazed off, out the window into the night.
I didn't have to get inside his mind to know what he was thinking. I'd told him to kill Zoey, and he'd tried. If she hadn't shifted to wolf form, he would have succeeded. She was the one that got away, and he hated that.
“Not every problem can be solved by killing someone, Arys, though I can't say that it's a bad outlook for the most part.” Another swig of wine. I was tempted to start drinking straight out of the bottle.
“You know what your problem is? Both of you?” Arys looked pointedly at Shaz and then me. “This little thing called humanity. Too much talk and fuss, not enough getting the job done and moving on.”
Shaz nodded thoughtfully, drawing my eyes to him. He'd been quiet since we sat down and told Arys about our little outing. I didn't really have a clue how he felt. He slouched in the corner of the couch, sipping a cold drink. His energy was calm, and he watched us attentively.
“You may be right about this guy,” he said to Arys. “There is nothing good about him being here.” To me he added, “We're going to have to sit down with Kylarai and Julian to discuss this, as much as I hate to even entertain that thought.”
I sat up straighter in my chair, my eyes wide. “Really? Maybe just Ky. I can't watch you and Julian kill each other.”
He rolled his eyes at me and raised his glass to his lips. “Oh come on, Lex. I think you're more likely to snap and kill him than I am. Besides, they need to know what's up.
Especially Kylarai.”
“What about everyone else?” I frowned, worried about the half dozen or so other wolves in town. Was it worth mentioning at this point?
“Don't worry about them. If they need to know, we'll tell them. For now, I doubt they're in any kind of danger.” Shaz spoke casually but with authority. The Alpha wolf was strong in him, natural, and my wolf reacted strongly to his, pressing the surface of my being as if attempting to escape the confines of my human body.
My head was starting to pound. My mind had been reeling since our encounter. “I don't want to think about it anymore. I'm starting to get a tension headache.” I drained my glass of wine and decided that maybe I'd grab the bottle after all.
Just as I pushed myself up out of the chair to head to the kitchen, Arys reached out a hand to me. Crooking his finger, he beckoned me over, patting the empty cushion between him and Shaz. That one gesture spoke louder than any words he could have said.
Abandoning my empty wine glass on the coffee table, I crossed the room and sat between them. It felt so naturally perfect, like I was whole with them on either side of me. When Arys took my hand in his, I surrendered it to him.
His skin felt cool on mine. When the telltale tingle started in the palm of my hand, I knew he was purposely calling the power. I started to pull away, but his grip tightened.
Bringing my hand to his lips, he placed small kisses on my fingertips. Then, I felt it, the surge of healing energy that he pushed into me.
It felt warm and exotic, sweeping through me like a euphoric wave. Just like that, the oncoming headache was gone.
“How do you do that?” My words came out on a lazy whisper. I was suddenly too calm to force them out any louder.
Arys smiled, a gentle tug of his lips that tickled me in private places. Our eyes met, and it was like falling under a spell. The power that he'd tapped continued to grow, and this time, I didn't fight it. It felt so much better to give in to the massive pull.
“It's just a matter of directing the energy, controlling the flow and giving it a purpose,” Arys replied. “It comes easier with time.”
His lips on my wrist created a spark that quickly began to burn. The tip of his tongue traced a moist path over my veins, and the blood rushed faster through them. With my free hand, I reac
hed for Shaz. I turned to him, encouraged by the fire smoldering in his gaze. I ran a hand along his strong jaw, tracing his lower lip lightly with my thumb. Shaz bit it, and I smiled.
Arys' tongue delved into the soft hollow of my inner elbow, and I gasped. The heat of the sensual energy surrounding us enhanced the thrill. Touching both of them as I was, I felt like I was the link in the chain that held us all together in the heady glow of power.
Shaz kissed me hungrily, and my body temperature went through the roof.
This wasn't brand new for the three of us though it wasn't a regular occurrence either.
There have been times when I shared my attention with both men, though it has always had boundaries and limitations. I'd be lying if I said I didn't love being nestled between the two men that I adore more than anything in the world. If anything, it was the only time we all got along.
“I don't know about the two of you,” Arys murmured softly, his lips moving against my skin, “but I'm feeling especially drawn to the hot Were energy you're both giving off.
I need to feel it, to taste it.”
Shaz nibbled my lower lip, pulling back just a little. “You didn't feed tonight. I can feel it when either of you are all vamped out. Just remember, only Lex is on the menu.”
“Hey!” I protested. The taste of him on my lips was musky and sweet. I needed more. After the evening I'd just had, washing it all away in a sea of pleasurable sensations sounded good to me.
“No worries, my friend.” Arys continued to kiss his way up my arm. “I can get my fill of your spicy energy just from your reactions to her.”
If Shaz was bothered by Arys' admittance, he didn't show it. By now, he was probably used to it. He watched Arys sweep my hair away from the back of my neck and press his mouth to my sensitive flesh. I made a small sound when he grazed me with his sharp fangs, scratching the surface of my skin. If Arys hadn't fed, he'd either felt no need to or he'd purposely abstained. The latter would definitely enhance his needs on every level. His bloodlust no longer directly drove mine, but it definitely influenced mine.
