Vampish: The Hunt: (An Enemies-to-Lovers Paranormal Romance)

by G. K. DeRosa

  “So what’s the plan?” Spark asked.

  Yeah, what was the plan? My vampire friend hadn’t exactly been forthcoming. I turned to Ransom, eyes wide.

  “Simple. We just took out Ronin’s right-hand man a few nights ago so I’m sure the great rebel king is looking for a replacement. Word must have traveled about my exploits by now, so I simply have to make my presence known this evening, and I’m certain he’ll come directly to me.”

  “Just like that, huh?” Spark muttered.

  “Yup, that’s right, dragon boy.”

  As the two males stood next to each other, I couldn’t help but compare them. Spark was built like an ox, with a barrel chest and thick arms while Ransom was a hint taller with long, lean muscles. Spark’s dirty blonde locks and sun-kissed skin were the complete opposite to Ransom’s short, jet-black hair and alabaster complexion. The darkness curled around him, like deadly shadows. They couldn’t be more different. Spark was my light and Ransom was the dark threatening to pull me under.

  Ransom’s mischievous gaze slid toward me, dragging my attention back to their conversation. “Plus, your girl here is like catnip to us vampires.” He licked his lips, and his fangs dropped. A swirl of heat rocked my core as memories of his intoxicating bite filled my mind. Instinctively, my body angled toward him.

  “Did you let him bite you?” Spark barked.

  “Of course not,” I hissed, my fingers trailing the long-since healed wound on my neck.

  Ransom chuckled, a dark, wicked sound that sent that damned heat rushing low in my belly.

  “You be quiet,” I gritted through clenched teeth. I turned to Spark pinning my eyes to his. “Carmen Rosa made me take some of his blood, so we’d be connected in case anything went wrong. But we haven’t been apart long enough to see if it works.”

  “This is so screwed up. Why did it have to be you?” Spark jabbed his fingers through his light hair. “What if a blood bond forms?”

  “Relax, dragon.” Ransom stepped between us. “Everything will be fine as long as we keep the amounts to a minimum. I promise I’ll return your little sicari safe and sound when this is all over.”

  “You better, fanger. Or I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself. I don’t give two shits about you being the queen’s favorite lap dog.”

  “Spark!” I shouted.

  Ransom’s dark gaze grew murderous. He closed the distance between them in a blur, wrapped his fingers around Spark’s neck, and lifted him off the ground.

  Cal and Archer reached for their weapons, but Ransom was too fast. “Make a move and I’ll snap his neck,” he growled.

  “Stop it!” I grabbed Ransom’s arm and jerked him back.

  The vampire glanced over his shoulder like I was some pesky fly, but he released him anyway. Spark fell back to the earth with a thud. As he straightened, deep golden burned through his irises. His dragon shoved its way to the surface, his pupils narrowing to thin reptilian slits and his wings snapped out.

  “I’ll burn your vamp hide to a crisp if you try that again.” Spark’s incisors lengthened, and emerald scales rippled across his arms.

  “I’d like to see you try,” Ransom countered.

  “Enough.” I clenched my fingers around Ransom’s bicep and tugged him toward me. “Goddess help me, if you two keep up with this pissing match, I’ll snap your neck myself.”

  He grinned, flashing me those pearly fangs. “You know, even when you’re threatening to murder me, it’s kind of hot.”

  Seline and Vera giggled, but I shot them a glare, silencing their laughter.

  Spark’s hand closed around my forearm, and I released Ransom. “Can we talk in private?”

  “We don’t have much time, dragon boy. We’ve got places to be and people to see tonight.”

  My friend’s eyes met mine and guilt crushed my ribcage, rounding my shoulders. “Sure,” I murmured.

  He tugged me to the side of the building and spun me toward him. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing with that vamp?” he whisper-hissed.

  “Yes, of course I do. I’m doing my job.”

  Spark shook his head and loosed a breath. “It sure as hell seems like more than that.”

  “It’s not. Ransom’s just a tease. He’s trying to rile you up, that’s all.”

  “Well, it’s working.”

  I placed my hands on his shoulders and squeezed. “This will all be over soon, and we can finally go back to normal.” What that meant for Spark and me I wasn’t quite sure, but now was not the time to get into it.

  He pulled me into a hug, his warm breath brushing my neck as he buried his nose in my shoulder. “I miss you, Nix.”

  “I miss you too. I miss all of you guys, and I can’t wait for this to be over.” I wasn’t lying either. Living with Ransom was blurring too many lines. Lines I didn’t want to face.

  I tugged him back around the building to find Ransom chatting it up with the girls. Of course.

  “Ah, there she is, my sicari in shining armor.” He tossed me a wink and threaded his arm through mine.

  “I’ll see you guys in a few days if all goes well,” I called out over my shoulder as I dragged the infuriating vampire back toward the portal.

  “Be careful,” Spark shouted, and another twinge of guilt tugged at my insides.

  “So are you and the dragon like together?” Ransom whispered as we walked further away from my friends.

  “Shut up,” I snapped.

  “Yikes. Touchy. I’ll take that as a yes.”

  From the corner of my eye, I could’ve sworn his mouth twisted into a pout. “I don’t know what we are anymore,” I gritted out. And for the life of me I didn’t know why I’d felt the urge to say it.

  He opened his mouth, but I slapped my hand over it. “No more talking. Your smart mouth has gotten me into enough trouble today.”

  “Hotter still,” he mumbled against my palm.

  I grunted. Refusing to engage the exasperating vampire for a second longer, I trudged the rest of the way back to the portal in silence.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  Ransom

  * * *

  So what if Red had a thing with that beefy dragon sicari? It didn’t matter. Whatever hold I felt over her were the remainders of a dead mate bond. She meant nothing to me. She meant nothing. Ever since I’d awoken to my immortal life, things had been simple, uncomplicated. My needs were basic. Feed. Sex. Survive. Repeat. I massaged the spot in my chest, at the unfamiliar sensations that had taken permanent residence there.

  Ever since Red had shown up in my world, things had changed. I was changing. And I didn’t like it one bit.

  “Are you coming out of there anytime soon?” Red banged at the door. “I have to go to the bathroom.”

  I spared one more glance at myself in the mirror, straightening my collar. Black button-down shirt, black pants, and black leather jacket waiting for me by the door. Couldn’t go wrong with the basics. And tonight, I needed to control as much as I could because so very many things could go wrong.

  Infiltrating Ronin’s gang wasn’t my concern. It was Red’s wolf that was the wild card. Though she hadn’t admitted, it was clear she didn’t have a strong hold on her beast, and for everything to go according to plan tonight, I needed the whole story. I knew she was keeping things from me, and mostly I didn’t care, unless it had something to do with Ronin.

  The vampire was ancient, which made him powerful. The truth was after our little run in a few weeks back, I dared say he could’ve been stronger than me. Despite my closer blood tie to Carmen Rosa, age played an important factor. It would be a close fight if it came down to it.

  More banging. “Um, hello? I said I have to pee!”

  I chuckled and turned toward the dark timber. “Okay, okay. Can’t a guy have a minute to make himself presentable?” I swung the door open, and Red’s eyes lanced over me. Her heated gaze moved from my head down to my black Fucci loafers. Something stirred deep inside, somewhere b
etween my belly button and my sternum.

  For a second, I wondered if her wolf could feel mine. Or his ghost or spirit or whatever? Did she have any idea who we were—should’ve been to each other?

  I shoved the useless questions aside and plastered on my typical snide grin. “I clean up nice, right?”

  After blinking rapidly, she rolled her eyes and barreled by me. “Out.” She practically shoved me through the door. Nature really must have been calling.

  I paced the small living room as I waited. Before we went out tonight, I needed Red to be honest with me. There was more to her story with Ronin, and for both our sakes, I had to know what.

  When she finally emerged from the bathroom, I was the one doing the ogling. The black mini dress hugged every scintillating curve of her figure, dipping low in the front, the scrap of silky fabric left little to the imagination. And gods, I had a good imagination.

  A low whistle slid from my clenched lips.

  Her cheeks burned crimson, matching the striking shade of her hair. “I hate these outfits,” she snarled.

  “But they love you.”

  “Whatever.” She turned toward the door, eyeing that medieval pickaxe with thinly veiled lust. A tiny part of me wished she looked at me like that. She snapped her fingers, tearing me from my inner musings. “You ready, or what?”

  I slid into the small sofa and patted the dingy cushion beside me. “Sit, Red. We have to talk.”

  Her nose scrunched up like she’d smelled something vile. “I thought we were in a rush.”

  “We are, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to run into Ronin’s club half-cocked. It’s all cock or no cock.” A satisfied grin flashed across my face. That was a good one, come on…

  She threw me a hard eyeroll, but the hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

  I ticked my head at the seat beside me, and with an exasperated sigh she stomped over in her knee-high boots. “I should’ve asked you this before we went out the other night, but since it was only day one of the dating dance with Ronin, I figured it wasn’t too much of a risk. But now that the trap is set, I need to know your history with the vampire. I value my life, and I refuse to lose it because I’m missing an important piece of the puzzle.”

  “There’s no history.”

  “Please, Red, don’t lie to me. I can see your pulse spiking through the little vein in your wrist.”

  She folded her hands across her chest and scowled.

  “I can hear your heartbeats accelerating too.” I lifted a finger to her chest, stopping just a hairsbreadth from her puckered flesh.

  “What are you, a freaking human lie detector?” she squeaked.

  “Pretty much.” I leaned closer, pinning her in my gaze. “Every time his name is brought up, this vein in your forehead starts to dance.” I canted my head, angling my eyes to the spot. “It’s kind of endearing actually.”

  “I hate him. He’s the leader of the Children of the Night. He’s the one causing the war in Nocturnis and not to mention the fact that he killed more than half of the sicari force.”

  I shook my head, lips pressed together. “No, there’s more. It’s something personal, just like your hatred for my kind.”

  She clenched her jaw so hard the tendon fluttered across her cheek.

  I lowered my voice, attempting my best effort at soothing. “Normally, I wouldn’t pry, but there’s a lot at stake here, Red.” I paused. “I don’t need details if you don’t want to provide them, but I need to know how you know him and what your wolf has to do with it.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “What? You thought I was just a pretty face?”

  She snorted on a laugh, then as if realizing her mistake, she schooled her lips into a thin line.

  “Just the big picture, Red. Come on, time’s a ticking.”

  “Fine,” she muttered. “Ronin and his buddies attacked my camp when I was a kid.” She snagged her lower lip between her teeth, drawing it into her mouth. I longed to release it from her hold and capture it myself. “He killed my parents,” she finally forced out.

  I nodded, pushing back the inappropriate thoughts of her lips. “So would he recognize you?”

  “He didn’t the night we infiltrated his hideout.” She fidgeted with her fingers in her lap. “I was only nine back then, so I doubt it.”

  “Anything else about that night I need to know?”

  She squirmed under my scrutiny.

  “This is for your safety too, Red,” I added.

  “Ronin saw what my wolf can do.”

  A curse escaped my clenched lips, and I leapt to my feet. “Dammit, Red, that’s essential information. How did you not think to share that with me before?”

  “Because no one knows,” she shouted. “Not even my sister, not my team, my best friends. The man that kind of raised me, he’s the only one. He made me promise not to ever tell anyone all those years ago. And until a few days ago, my wolf was a non-issue. This was the first time she’s appeared since that night…”

  I muttered another string of curses as my wolf’s ghostly presence squirmed in my chest. Had my dead wolf coaxed out hers? I raked my hands over my face and let out a breath. Something to deal with later. “You can’t go tonight. If Ronin recognizes you, he’ll never let you leave the club alive.”

  “How would he recognize me? It was ten years ago. I was a chunky little nine-year-old with fire-red hair and freckles. He’d never put two and two together.”

  “I don’t know,” I mumbled more to myself than her. I knew what revenge could do to a person. She’d be reckless and impetuous, and she could easily get herself and more importantly, me, killed.

  She rose to her feet and marched to the door. “I’m going whether you like it or not. I don’t need your permission.”

  I pshawed. “They’ll never let you in that club without me.”

  “That’s what you think.” She loosened the top lace of her corset top, revealing the swell of her breasts.

  My mouth went dry, and a driving need pressed against the zipper of my pants. I sped across the room before I could stop myself. She took a step back and hit the wall, her breaths suddenly coming out in ragged spurts.

  “Don’t tempt me, little sicari.” I smacked my palm against the wall just over her head and leaned into her. “More importantly, don’t tempt the vampires in Ronin’s club. Most of the immortals there are older and more powerful than anything they’ve ever dropped onto the Isle of Mordis. You have no idea what you’re walking into tonight.”

  “Then take me with you,” she hissed. The mad thundering of her heart echoed across my eardrums, and my gaze moved lower. I could practically see the flutter through her pale skin.

  My lips pressed into a thin line as I regarded the stubborn little thing. “You’re going to get me killed, Red.”

  “Better you than me.” Her lips split into a saccharine smile.

  I inched closer, my mouth a breath away from hers. “I want you all over me tonight, do you understand?”

  Her brows knitted, and I could taste the rebuttal on her tongue. But more than that, something else scented the air. It was faint but…

  “It’ll mask your scent,” I forced out. “The more blood we exchange, the more we start to smell like each other. The other vampires will recognize you as mine. It’s going to be hard to muddle that intoxicating perfume of yours, but it’s the best we can do for now.”

  “Fine.” Her full lips parted, and she ran her tongue over her pouty lower one. “Should we do it now?”

  A growl reverberated low in my belly—my demon, not my wolf—and my fangs dropped. “Take mine. I’ll have some of yours at the club for everyone to see.” It took all my self-control to retract my incisors. Memories of her heady taste incited a wave of desire, in both halves of my body. I forced my arm up and bit into my wrist.

  Her tongue snaked out again, and I clenched my teeth as I raised my hand to her mouth. I focused on the two droplets of blood, forcing my eyes a
way from her burning emerald gaze. Her mouth closed over my wrist, and I let out a hiss. My free hand cradled the back of her neck as she drank deeply. Each suck elicited a tidal wave of heat radiating from her moist lips and surging through my veins. My body instinctively pressed against her, trapping her against the wall, against my arousal.

  She pressed back.

  My eyes snapped open as her hips ground into me. One hand wrapped around my forearm and the other wound around my waist, tugging me closer. She let out a groan as she took another deep pull of my blood.

  My blood.

  Damn it.

  I jerked my arm away from her mouth, and the fiery heat racing through my veins was doused in an icy bath. It’s not you she wants, you idiot. It’s your blood.

  “Hey,” she squealed, her hazy gaze lifting to meet mine.

  “That’s enough,” I growled. “More than enough.”

  A drop of my blood dribbled down her chin, and gods’ help me it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. I reached for it, sweeping the deep crimson from her skin with my thumb. Her hand snatched mine, and she tugged my thumb into her mouth. Her warm tongue closed around my finger, and my erection throbbed, all the blood racing to my lower half.

  No, I was wrong. That was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

  The lusty fog curtaining her emerald irises lifted, and she finally released my thumb. Her cheeks rosied until they matched the brilliant hue of her hair. Her arms came up across her chest as if she could use them as a shield against the embarrassment.

  “Don’t worry, Red, bloodlust happens to the best of us.” I brushed my thumb against her cheek, and she smacked my hand away.

  “Let’s just go already.” She pushed off the wall and spun toward the door without sparing me a second glance.

  Oh gods, tonight was going to be a complete disaster.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Five

  Phoenix

  * * *

  I couldn’t even look at Ransom as we followed the human girl through the dark passageway at the club. For gods’ stakes, I’d sucked his thumb! I was days away from becoming an actual bloodwhore. His blood was… like nothing I’d ever experienced. It was like downing a jug of Red Bull and then jumping out of a plane while having the most mind-blowing orgasm of your life. If Ransom didn’t infiltrate the Children of the Night soon, I was going to be royally screwed.