by Terry Spear
“And the bloodsucker scientist who created it can only create an antidote injection for widespread use by obtaining further blood samples from the original source of the serum,” Rogue finished.
From the original source…
“Me.” It was a statement, not a question.
“None other.”
Mae gaped. Her blood had been used to create the injectable serum that could be the downfall of her species, but it could also be used as a cure for that same injection.
Her mouth went dry. “But the vampires don’t want an antidote for widespread use,” she breathed.
The Rogue gave a single tilt of his head. “Precisely.”
“Which means…” Her voice trailed off.
Something darkened in his icy blue eyes, sending a chill down her spine. “Which means the vampires want you dead,” he finished.
Mae was shaking her head. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t. “No, they already took what they needed from me. They created their serum injection. They got what they wanted.”
He quirked a single brow. His Stetson dipped low over his eyes, covering his scars. Even with them, he was entirely too handsome. Why did the devil come in such an appealing package? “And you think that’ll stop them?” he asked. “Their serum injection means nothing so long as there is the possibility of counteracting it by creating an antidote. So long as you live and breathe, you’re a threat to their plan. Whoever has both their scientist and you could stop them in their tracks.”
Mae didn’t respond. If what he said was true, she needed to confess everything to Maverick, and fast. Maverick would be angry—furious even—but he would be fair and forgiving. Even on his worst days, he was a model older brother. He’d always found a way to make time for her as his little sister, and she knew he had always cared deeply for her well-being, starting long before their parents had passed years ago, leaving only the two of them behind. He would be angry with her, but this was bigger than her. She could trust Maverick to handle the situation, and while the Rogue might have saved her life once before, she couldn’t trust him. He was a known criminal. Hell, she didn’t even know his real name.
His predatory gaze followed her every move, waiting for her reaction. His stare made her feel naked, laid bare. And that was saying something, considering he’d already seen her do…that.
She cleared her throat, putting on her sternest secretary voice, the one she reserved for when one of their ranching business associates was giving her flak or trying to undercut them on a deal. “This has all been very intriguing, but you need to go.”
He chuckled as he eased closer, forcing her to step back. “I’m not leaving until you hear my offer.”
“What could you possibly have to offer me?”
“Everything you wish,” he countered.
Mae laughed. She didn’t believe him for a second. “Sure you can.”
“What makes you think I can’t?” he asked.
She hesitated as her laughter cut short. She supposed that was a good question. She knew how powerful he was. In some ways, not even her brother could rival him. Not when it came to navigating the supernatural underworld. Maverick had to make the honorable choice—always—to play by the pack’s rules and traditions.
She shook her head. Something still wasn’t adding up. “Why me? Why bring this to me and not Maverick?”
From the quirk of his lips, that question seemed to amuse him. “Why not you?”
Mae blinked. His answer caught her off guard. She served this pack every day, cared about them as her family. She’d sacrificed so many choices for them, no less than Maverick, and yet she didn’t even have the title or the power of being packmaster in return. All because he’d been born first? Because he was an alpha male? She would never begrudge her brother his role as packmaster—he’d more than earned her and the pack’s respect over the years—but the pack’s inheritance traditions weren’t exactly progressive.
This concerned her directly, so hell, Rogue was right. Why not her? Why wasn’t it her place to make a deal with this devil if it would save her pack?
“Once word spreads, not even your brother will be able to protect you, Maeve. Not only will the vampires want to destroy you, but you think none of the Seven Range Pact will double-cross the Grey Wolves to get the antidote first? Think again.”
The hairs on the back of Mae’s neck prickled. Of course. If further blood samples from her were the key to creating an antidote for widespread use, she’d become sought after like a commodity. A tool used for power. It would be a race to the proverbial finish line. Whatever pack had access to blood samples from her would need only find the scientist who knew how to re-create the antidote for mass production—and having the solution to counteract the vampire’s serum would give any pack unprecedented power.
“The only way you get out of this alive is if you disappear,” he continued. “If no one is able to find you.” His implication was clear.
Who better to help her disappear than him?
“But what do you get out of this?” she asked. “Rogue wolves don’t have a side in this war.”
“Think again, Princess. When the vampires wanted test subjects, who do you think they targeted? A missing pack member draws far too much notice. Involved or not, they’ll make us their victims again. We need that antidote as much as you do. Our lives depend on it.”
He drew closer.
She tried to move, but he blocked her path.
He wouldn’t let her walk away that easily. And he’d already tipped his hand when he said he’d come for her.
She brandished the knife again, but he suddenly had hold of her wrist, disarming her within seconds. He slammed the blade onto the granite countertop. She had nowhere to go. No escape.
This close to him, she should have been scared, but she wasn’t.
She felt the heat radiating from him. He didn’t touch her, but somehow he didn’t have to. Her nipples tightened in anticipation, betraying her, and her breath quickened. She’d never reacted this way to another male before. Having him close like this was visceral, primal.
“We’re the unwilling guinea pigs in the Grey Wolves war, and the Pact continues to turn a blind eye.” His voice was low. “I won’t sit by as they kill another of mine. Help me, and I’ll help you and your pack.”
It was crazy. He made it sound so easy.
“And that’s all you expect in return? For the antidote to be given to the rogues as well?” she asked.
“I told you I deal in secrets, favors.” He smiled. “I’ll collect further payment when it’s due,” he answered cryptically.
She sucked in a harsh breath.
“Time is what you need, Mae,” he said. His voice was coaxing, an alluring velvety growl. “I can buy you time.”
Deep down, she knew he was right. This would be new information for Maverick. It would take weeks to find the right intel to move forward, but the Rogue likely already had leads and plans for how to find the scientist, and the clock was ticking. Each moment that passed without the antidote endangered the lives of her pack members, her family.
“I’ll find the bloodsucker that can create the antidote from your blood sample to save your pack, and in the meantime, you’ll have the ability to disappear, to remain safe under my protection, and whatever else you wish. It’s a generous offer.” The Rogue leaned in toward her. He was so close she saw flecks of gray in the deep blue of his irises, like ice floating in a freezing ocean. The warmth of his breath brushed her ear, sending a delicious chill down her spine. “There’re things I can give you that others can’t,” he whispered.
She wasn’t so certain he was talking about the vampires anymore.
“Tell me what you want, Princess, and it’s yours.” His words vibrated through her like a gentle, thrumming purr.
“I just want to save my pack,” s
he murmured. “I want the antidote for them. That’s all.” Without her, they wouldn’t be in their current position. Not if she hadn’t been taken captive by the vampires. Sure, if not her, it could have easily been someone else in the pack, but that failed to matter. She was the sister of the packmaster, the pure-blooded wolf whose blood had been pivotal to the vampires’ plans. She couldn’t let her pack down.
Rogue’s hand fell away from her cheek, and she was suddenly all too aware of the loss of his touch. “Done.” He stepped away from her. His absence left a void of heat in its wake. “You shouldn’t have agreed.”
Mae’s mouth went dry. “Why not?” she asked.
A dark grin crossed his lips. It was part warning, part amusement. “Because nothing good ever comes from deals with a devil like me.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but in the lull of silence, she heard the quiet snick of the lock on her door turning. The noise broke the spell between them. Had her wolf senses not been attuned due to Rogue’s presence, she wouldn’t have even heard it. Mae froze. Fear gripped her. She glanced toward the Rogue.
The mischief in his eyes was gone, replaced instead with intense focus. “Do as I say,” he hissed. Without warning, he was beside her again. He gripped her by the waist and lifted her, throwing her over his shoulder as if she weighed little more than a bale of hay.
Sweeping her into her pantry, he lowered her from his shoulder, pinning her against the shelving as her legs dangled over his hips. He drew the door against him until they were wedged in the corner. Anyone looking inside would see only canned goods and other nonperishables, but if one of the vamps were to actually come in or look behind the door…
Silently, they waited, their ears pricked to the slightest movement. Several minutes passed as he and Mae lingered there, their bodies pressed together. When no further sound came, the tension in her body eased.
“Maybe it was just my brother or one of my packmates?” she suggested. More than one of them had a key to her place, for safety protocol.
Rogue shook his head, drawing her attention toward him as he silently raised a finger to his lips again. His message was clear.
They could still be out there, waiting, watching. She and the Rogue weren’t in the clear just yet.
She nodded as she stared up into his face.
In the darkness, her wolf eyes traced his features. He was all sharp angles and hollows. With the threat of the vampires lessened, she was suddenly aware of how close they were. The heavy bulk of his muscled frame pressed into her, and the spiced scent of his aftershave filled her nose.
Through her nightgown, the rough fly of his jeans rubbed her center. Whether from their nearness or the adrenaline of battle she wasn’t certain, but she could feel the rock-hard length of him, pressing against her. She bit her lower lip, trying to hide her desire as damp heat pooled between her legs. Her clit was still sensitive from where she’d pleasured herself, and every slight movement he made massaged her, teased her.
He glanced down at her again as his eyes flashed to the gold of his wolf’s eyes. A dark emotion she couldn’t place reflected there, and a wicked grin crossed his lips. He smelled her desire, her arousal. He had to, which meant he knew exactly what this was doing to her. He leaned in until they were nearly nose to nose. Even in the darkness, she could see the hunger in his eyes.
“You’re playing with fire,” he warned. His whisper shivered through her. His lips were so close they almost brushed against hers.
She wasn’t certain what he meant by that. But for a moment, it didn’t matter that they were strangers. She inched closer, pure instinct taking over. “I’ve never been afraid of fire,” she whispered back.
Something dark flared in his eyes, and her breath caught. If he drew any closer, his mouth would be on hers. Her lips parted, anticipating. Mae wasn’t certain who leaned toward whom. All she knew was that his lips were on hers, his mouth claiming hers in a kiss that was as dark and tempting as the man himself.
She melted into him.
Being kissed by the Rogue was like being kissed by sin. Temptation. Desire. Need. Those words held meaning now. And she couldn’t get enough.
His mouth pressed against hers, opening the seam of her lips with ease as his tongue stroked against hers in fierce, powerful swipes. He tasted like Tennessee whiskey, a delicious mixture of malt and rye. He was everywhere, one of his hands massaging through her hair. The other gripped her waist as he pulled her closer.
He ground his length against her. She felt herself slicken, and a familiar pressure built between her legs. As if her body had a mind of its own, she rocked her hips against him, bucking and moving until she moaned against his mouth. His cock stiffened.
Just when she thought he might take her right there against the pantry wall, he froze. He broke the kiss between them, though his lips lingered near hers. If she didn’t know any better, she would have said there was pain in his eyes when he looked at her.
His whole body tensed in a way that cut the tension between them.
At his alert, she sensed the presence too. There was movement in her living room.
Lowering her to the floor, he turned toward the door, using his large frame to shield her. His hand fell to his blade.
From where they stood behind the pantry door, through the thin space between the door and frame, she had a sliver of view across her kitchen and living room. The light from her bedside lamp cast shadows of movement on the kitchen floor. Gnarled tree branches and another form. A chill ran down her spine as a shadow approached. She gripped Rogue’s arm, pointing toward the movement.
A deep, guttural grunt sounded. Mae’s heart kicked into overdrive as she realized the source of the noise. It wasn’t the vampires that had found them.
It was a teacup pig.
She caught Rogue’s arm just as he drew his dagger. “It’s only Tucker,” she whispered. “My pig.”
Rogue quirked a brow. “You keep a pig in your house?” He looked at her as if she’d grown two heads. She supposed a cowboy like him would think that was insane. Her brother certainly did.
“He’s a pet,” she shot back.
At the sound of Mae’s whispers, Tucker wandered into the pantry with a pleased grunt.
Rogue glanced down toward the offending piglet. Tucker grunted again, his beady black eyes gazing up at Rogue as if to say I found you, before he wandered back out of the pantry, likely back toward his fluffy, pink dog bed.
In response, Rogue’s lip curled into a snarl. “Damn pig.”
Mae frowned. She was about to tell him, Rogue or not, that no one snarled at Tucker…
But that was when she heard her front door slowly creak open.
“Tuck—!”
Rogue clapped a hand over her mouth, muffling her shriek of terror in the nick of time. “Scream and you’ll be dead before sunrise,” he hissed against her ear.
The sickly sweet smell of death wafted beneath the door of the pantry. Instantly, she stilled. Her wolf had only choked on that scent once before.
Inside the vampires’ coven.
Her eyes widened in realization. He’d told the truth. The vampires were after her. Silently, he lifted a single finger to his lips.
She didn’t protest. Faced with vampires, even a criminal shifter like him was an ally, and at the very least, he’d offered to save her, to help her save her pack.
She stiffened as the nearly silent footfalls continued. With her on alert like this, her wolf senses came alive. Even from inside the pantry, she heard every creak of the floorboards. Each second stretched for hours as the vampires circled the inside of her home like sharks hunting for a single drop of blood. Mae watched in horror as adrenaline pumped through her veins. More than one vamp was tearing her home apart, searching for something.
Searching for me…
A chill ran down her spine as the trut
h of the Rogue’s warning sank in.
He’d been right. The vampires were after her, and with their keen sense of smell, they would find them, sniff them out. It was only a matter of time.
Rogue eased a blade from his belt as he turned so she was positioned behind his back as they lay in wait. The element of surprise might be his only advantage.
“She’s not here,” a deep voice sounded from inside her bedroom. “They must have been tipped off and moved her.”
“No,” another answered. This voice even more chilling than the first. “We’ll find her. She’s here. I can smell it.”
At that dark promise, Mae shivered, gulping down her urge to cry out, but Rogue gripped her hand—hard. The feel of his large palm engulfing hers caused her to calm instantly. As he released her, his grip on his blade tightened. From the intense look in his gaze, all he needed was for one of the vamps to draw near the pantry, and then he planned to attack.
The sound of boots shuffling over her carpet followed as one of the vampires emerged from her bedroom. Through the crack of the doorframe, she watched as the vampire sniffed the air. Its brow furrowed as its glowing red eyes fell on the pantry door. Slowly, its dark silhouette approached. Rogue’s eyes flashed to his wolf. Only a few more feet and the vampire would be on the wrong end of his blade.
“Hey, what’s this?” the other vamp in her bedroom called out, laughing darkly. The bloodsucker approaching the pantry paused, his attention drawn toward his comrade. He was only a few steps out of Rogue’s reach.
Rogue mouthed a silent curse.
The vamp inside her bedroom stepped out, bending down to the floor outside her line of vision. Several grunts sounded as Tucker started to oink. Mae’s eyes widened in horror.
No, Tucker, she silently pleaded.
Suddenly, a second shadow blocked the bedroom light, followed by a screaming pig squeal that pierced her ears.
“Tucker!” Mae shouted.
“Shit!” Rogue kicked open the pantry door. The wooden frame smashed as he charged through with all the power of a bull. Both vamps were on Rogue within seconds, meeting him in hand-to-hand combat.
