by G. K. DeRosa
Would she let me?
Screw it. I had to try, right? I closed the distance between us, capturing her lips with a need that battled my relentless desire for blood. I’d never wanted anyone as much as I wanted her in that moment. And it wasn’t her blood I craved. No, it was something far more dangerous.
Her tongue tangled with mine for an exquisitely long moment, and my dead heart spluttered to life. I pulled her flush against me, my fingers digging into her hips. Gods, what she did to me. I’d give anything to be inside her. My mind raced with images of me tearing her clothes off and taking her on the couch, the floor, the countertops, everywhere. She groaned against my lips and froze. I could feel it, the moment the lusty haze vanished. She stiffened, the palm at my chest pushing me back. Then with both hands. She shoved me with such force, I staggered backward and hit the coffee table. By the time I looked up, she was gone.
Chapter
Thirty-Four
Phoenix
* * *
My lungs burned, my ribcage throttling my pounding heart. My skin felt too tight. Fur sprouted across my arms, and I dropped to all fours. The change came so quickly, I barely registered the pain. I sprinted across the dark streets, stretching out my lupine limbs.
How could I have been so stupid? I let Ransom kiss me… Worse, I’d kissed him back and I’d liked it. A lot. Too much. The thrill that raced through my body at his touch was not normal. All the guys I’d kissed before—they were nothing compared to this.
I couldn’t deny it any longer. I may not have grown up with the wolves, but I wasn’t completely clueless to their ways. My parents were fated mates, and I’d been raised on stories about their undying love.
I let out a wolfy huff. Undying. Ironic, right?
But Ransom had already been mated. Wolves didn’t have more than one fated mate. I’d seen the symbols tattooed around his finger, and they were already starting to fade. Bonds were broken at death. Even I knew that much. Even if he was my mate, Ransom’s wolf was dead. So why did I still feel the connection? It didn’t make sense.
Did Ransom know? Could he feel it too? A part of me knew the answer, a deep long buried part.
A crack raced across my heart, tearing at my wounded organ. I galloped faster, pushing my long limbs harder. Anything to distract from the crushing pain in my chest. It was like my wolf knew her mate was gone.
I reached the river and paused, huffing out a breath. The sprint had loosened my tight muscles, eased the strain but had done nothing to quell the brewing storm inside. The moon peered down at me, pale shimmery beams setting my red fur ablaze. I threw my head back and let out a mournful cry.
I cursed the goddess Luna for the cruelest of fates. How could she lead me to my mate only to find him dead and gone? My thoughts went back to that night when the goddess had revealed herself to me. Or had I imagined the whole thing? It was more likely a side effect of the lack of oxygen and all the smoke I’d inhaled.
She’d called me blessed and a great warrior. Right now, I didn’t feel like either. I sat back on my haunches and focused on the faint rippling waves of the river. I’d always known exactly what I wanted in life, had such a clear purpose, and now I was floundering.
Luna, help me! I growled.
The slap of approaching footsteps spun my big furry head down the river. A coven of serviles appeared in the shadows, their brittle forms lumbering toward me. Ugh, I so did not need this right now.
A rumble echoed in my core as they approached, and adrenaline shot through my veins.
Or maybe I did.
I crouched down, ready to spring, my muscles coiled to strike. The first vamp plodded toward me, fangs extended. “Hungry,” it hissed.
Now that I’d spent so much time with Royal vampires, I couldn’t understand how they were the same species as these mindless, bloodsucking creatures. How could lack of nourishment turn them into such brainless zombies? I tucked the question to the back of my mind to ponder later and bared my own fangs.
It was time to give my special powers a whirl. I lunged at the nearest fanger, jaw open and teeth gnashing. I dug into his chest with my claws and knocked the creature to the ground. He snapped at me, but his movements were slow and sluggish. Smashing one paw in his face, I chomped down on his shoulder.
Warm liquid spurted in my mouth, and I resisted the urge to gag. The servile tasted like hot garbage. I spat out the blood and leapt off him just as the dark veins began to crawl across his body. He jerked and convulsed for a few, long moments then his skin turned ashen before it began to crack.
The other serviles watched, jaws hung loose, as their buddy shriveled and desiccated.
Power surged through my veins, a heady sensation crashing over me. I lunged for the next one and the next. Tearing into emaciated flesh, I ripped through the entire clan. I lost myself in the kill, in the fury roiling through my insides. For a few, glorious moments nothing else mattered.
Ash coated my tongue as I stood triumphant over the fangers’ remains, my chest heaving. This was what I was made for. My sole purpose in life was to destroy vampires. The effing goddess herself had chosen me. I wasn’t crazy. She really had gifted me with the bite of death.
I trotted down the pathway along the river, not quite ready to head back to the safehouse. Though the fight had cleared my mind and reminded me of my purpose, I wasn’t ready to see him yet. Ransom barely slept. I’d felt him watching me as I pretended to sleep on more than one occasion.
The truth was that I’d liked it. No one had taken care of me for years, and for a second, it felt good. But Ransom was a vampire, and mate or not, I couldn’t let myself forget that. I loped around the quiet riverbank, crisscrossing the bridge a few times until fatigue began to set in. My lids began to droop, and the urge to shift back tugged at my bones.
When I reached the door to the dingy apartment, I paused and pressed my ear to the timber. Please be asleep. Please be asleep. I hadn’t prepared for my grand exit, so I stood in the hallway butt naked straining to make out the sound of Ransom’s hushed snores.
All quiet. Gingerly turning the handle, I winced at every creak of the old wooden floorboards as I stepped across the threshold. With one arm wrapped across my chest, I crept through the living room, avoiding looking at the couch all together and raced to the bedroom. I carefully closed the door behind me and sagged against it, releasing a breath. I didn’t dare turn on a light as I stumbled around in the darkness searching for something to wear.
My fingers finally closed around a soft t-shirt, and I tugged it over my head. Good enough. I crawled into bed and sank into the mattress, my eyes immediately drifting closed.
A heavy weight across my chest drew me from a deep slumber. My lids fluttered as the haze of sleep gently lifted. A slight throb pulsed at my temples, reminding me of the bourbon I’d guzzled the night before. Stupid fanger. I inhaled a deep breath, and that consistent weight on my chest snapped my eyes open.
Ransom’s arm lay across my middle, and his leg draped over my bottom half. He was shirtless, wearing only tight black boxer briefs. What the fang? Had I blacked out after shifting back? The tee had hiked up past my thigh, exposing my legs and just a hairsbreadth from revealing the rest of me. I’d fallen asleep without bothering to find my panties. So how did this happen?
A part of me wanted to bolt and toss the sneaky vampire out of my bed, but the other part, the tiny traitorous sliver wanted to relish the moment before screaming bloody murder. I snuck a glimpse at Ransom from the corner of my eye, and my heart stumbled on a beat. Dark, sooty lashes fanned perfect, porcelain skin. Without his darting eyes watching me, I could finally get a good look at him. Immortality had given him that otherworldly glow, that heartbreaking beauty that came with the Royal bloodline. His cheeks were sculpted from fine marble, and that jaw too, with the light smattering of stubble. My gaze moved to his lips, to the perfect curves, like cupid’s bow. Those lips ghosted over my mouth, the heated memories still too fresh. I could still smell him
, taste him.
I shook my head out, chasing away the lusty thoughts. It was the budding mate bond, and that was it. It was the only reason I was attracted to this fanger. At least now I understood the reason. I jolted up, shoving his arm off me. “What are you doing in my bed?” I snarled.
He let out a yawn and leisurely untangled his leg from mine. “Well, good morning to you too, Red.” He straightened and lifted his arms over his head, slowly stretching. His muscles flexed and strained, his cut abs rippling with the movement.
“Why are you here?” I repeated.
“When you left last night after that scorching kiss, I wasn’t sure you’d return.” He shrugged. “I wasn’t going to sleep on that awful couch when there was a perfectly good unused bed sitting right here.”
I bit back the urge to counter on the scorching part. It was a kiss. That was it. Nothing scorching about it. Liar. A rough, beastly voice echoed in my mind, and I couldn’t help but fix on the growly quality. Was my wolf talking to me again?
I threw my hands up. “Didn’t you hear me come in?”
“Didn’t you see me in the bed?” he countered.
I chomped down on my lower lip. “No,” I gritted out.
He eyed me, mischief sparkling through the dark depths. “And why are you wearing my shirt?”
I glanced down at the black tee I’d stumbled into last night. I sniffed the soft material, and my insides clenched. Dammit. How had I not recognized the scent last night? Gods, had I been that drunk?
He crooked a finger at me, a wicked grin splitting his lips. “I’d like it back now, please.”
“I’m naked underneath,” I squealed.
“I know.”
Tugging at the hem, I shimmied out of bed and darted to the closet. Ransom’s dark chuckles trailed behind me, and I barely resisted the urge to fling a whole slew of colorful curses in his direction. I grabbed my sweatpants and a sports bra and chucked the shirt at him from the doorway. “There, take it.”
He grabbed it from the floor and brought it up to his nose. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, and my core clenched. “Mmm, still smells like you.”
“You’re disgusting,” I growled.
His smile only grew wider. Geez, couldn’t this vamp get a hint? He fixed his eyes on mine, his expression suddenly serious. “So are we going to talk about last night or just pretend it didn’t happen?” The corner of his lip curled. “I want to make sure we can still keep a good working relationship.”
I slapped my hands on my hips and glared down at the cocky fanger. “There’s nothing to talk about. You tried to kiss me, and I wasn’t interested. End of story.”
He nodded slowly. “You’re sure that’s how you want to play this?”
My head bounced up and down. “Abso-fangin-lutely.”
Ransom rose, shoving the comforter back and slowly stalked toward me. That dark glint was back in his eyes, and inky shadows curled around his form as he moved. I held my ground, digging my fingers into my hips as he neared.
He was toying with me, and two could play this game.
He didn’t stop until his knees practically brushed mine. “Last chance, Red,” he rasped out, his breath mingling with mine. “Once this door is closed, it’ll be locked tight forever. Because I’ve never felt—” He shook his head, cutting himself off. “I don’t like being out of control. It’s not good for anyone. But this… this thing between us might be worth it.”
I shook my head slowly, not trusting myself to speak because I’d say something idiotic. Because I knew exactly what he was feeling. The need, the desire to touch him, it was crashing over me like a tidal wave, but if I gave in, it would be the end of me. “Let’s close the door,” I finally forced out.
“You’re certain?”
I forced myself to nod.
His jaw tightened, lips pressing into a hard line. “Fine.” He spun around so quickly he was nothing more than a black blur. My body sagged forward at his absence, and this time, there was no one there to keep me from falling.
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Ransom
* * *
When the old flip phone vibrated on the coffee table, I barely noticed it. Contemplating my own existential crisis was much more pressing. Turn it off or keep it on? Things were so much easier when the demon was in control. No worry, no pain, no guilt, no heartache. I inhaled deeply as memories of feasting on human blood filled my mind.
I tried, for her. I glanced up at the slit in the door to the bedroom. Red hadn’t emerged since I’d stormed out a few hours ago. Now she was trapped in there too proud to come out and face me.
And I, I just wanted to turn it all off. After a miserable year and a half of immortality, she’d been the one and only light in my bleak existence. Sure, maybe it was just the residual mate bond, but it felt real as hell to me. But damn the little sicari, she wanted nothing to do with a vampire. And she knew what we were, somehow, I was certain she’d drawn the same conclusion. Or had she blocked my compulsion all those nights ago and been pretending ever since?
I let out a grunt.
There was no other reason for our connection, the insane attraction. Hell, her wolf came out for mine. What a sad discovery to find mine dead. I swallowed hard, forcing back the choking emotions.
No. I didn’t want to feel like this anymore.
Once Ronin confirmed my place in the Children of the Night, I’d snap the switch. If I was going to be forced to deal with Red for the near future, I’d handle it on my own terms.
The continued buzzing drew my gaze to the table. Reluctantly, I grabbed the old phone and flipped it open. Only one person had this number.
Dinah: Ronin wants to see you to discuss last night. I don’t remember much so you’ll have to fill in the gaps of our epic failure.
Me: Will do. I can’t believe you let some tiger get the drop on you ;)
Dinah: Is that what happened? It would’ve been nice of you to stick around last night to fill me in.
Me: Sorry, I get sleepy on a full belly.
Dinah: Meet me at the corner of Staindish and Cartel in twenty minutes.
Me: Sounds good.
Dinah: One more thing. Ronin wants you to bring that bloodwhore who smells like candy.
My stomach bottomed out as I read the last text.
Me: Not with her, sorry.
Dinah: Find her and come when you have. Don’t bother showing otherwise.
A slew of curses burst from my lips, and the door to the bedroom finally opened.
Red appeared at the threshold, her brows knitted. “What’s wrong?”
“Ronin wants to see us. More particularly, you.”
Her face blanched, and that damned fear gripped my insides, throttling my lungs. “Did he say why?” she finally managed.
“It was Dinah. She didn’t give any specifics.”
“Maybe he just wants to go over what happened.” She tried to put on a brave face, but I could hear the mad thundering of her heart.
“Why would he need you there for that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he’s hoping you’ll break down and let him have a taste or something. I am irresistible, right?” The teasing tone didn’t quite match the darkness settling over her irises.
“Vera,” I blurted. “Can she whip up another cloaking potion, just for your scent?”
“Maybe.” She untucked her phone from her back pocket, and her fingers flew across the dial pad.
We waited endless minutes but still no response from the little witch.
“She must be out on the field,” she said, chewing on her lower lip.
“Do you have any other witches on speed dial?”
She shook her head. “I’m sure there are some left back at sicari headquarters, but I’d have to find one. I could ask Carmen Rosa...”
“No,” I growled. The last thing I needed was the queen involved. I didn’t want her knowing anything about this botched job. She’d have my head if she knew I compromise
d the mission for Red’s friend—her head too.
“Then what are we going to do?” Her arms pressed against her chest, and she cocked a hip at me.
I knew what I wanted to do. But exchanging more blood would only make it harder on both of us. I needed to be free of her. Glancing up, I caught her burning gaze on me. She wanted it too. The realization was both parts startling and satisfying. She couldn’t get enough of me either, despite her denial.
I loosed a breath and bit into my wrist. One last time. Her eyes widened as they focused on the crimson drops. “Just drink,” I hissed. “It’s our only option for now.”
I expected a fight, a no at least, but instead she crossed the distance between us in a few hurried steps and latched onto my arm. I turned my head as she drank, refusing to watch her mouth on my flesh. Refusing to acknowledge the rush of fire through my veins or the mad flutter of my heart.
“Enough,” I growled and ripped my wrist free.
She stared up at me, emerald irises smoldering as she licked my blood off her chin. Desire pooled in my lower half, my pants suddenly too tight. I spun away and disappeared into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
She doesn’t want you, Ransom, and she never will. Get it through your head. Both of them.
I splashed water on my face, letting the cool liquid relieve the tightness in my chest and douse the fiery flames below. I stared at my reflection for a long minute, taking in the pale skin and sharp jawline, the profound midnight orbs. I’d always been pleasant to look at, but there was no doubt immortality had changed me. Sometimes, I didn’t recognize myself.
“Are you coming or what?” Red’s voice trickled through the door.
I moved toward it, pressing my palm against the worn oak and splayed my fingers. I could feel her on the other side. Tiny blood vessels thrumming across her fingertips. They called to me. I banged my forehead against the door, once, twice and blew out an exasperated breath. No more blood exchanges or I’d go mad.
